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The Conversationalist

New York, NY · EIN 824420562 · Form 990PF · FY2024 · NTEE B05 · Education · Small ($100K-$1M) · conversationalist.org
revenue
$417K
expenses
$597K
net assets
$0
employees
program ratio
92%
profile · synthesized from sources

The Whistle Rebellion is a decentralized, grassroots network of activists, 3D printer owners, and mutual aid organizers across the United States focused on producing and distributing 3D-printed whistles to alert communities of ICE presence. The effort, driven largely by women and gender-minoritized individuals, combines feminist organizing principles with accessible technology to resist immigration enforcement. The network operates through distributed logistics, with participants printing and shipping whistles on demand and supporting communities through mutual aid.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Ojos (Eyes) Network
Community surveillance and alert system in New Orleans using social media and chat networks to monitor and respond to ICE activity
Operation Metro Surge Response
Mutual aid initiative in Minneapolis providing food, supplies, legal support, and mental health resources to families affected by ICE operations
Whistle Crew
Distributed network of 3D printer owners and organizers producing and shipping 3D-printed whistles to communities at risk of ICE raids; coordinates through Signal and a public wiki
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Distribution of PPE and Crisis Supplies 1 activity
    • Distributes 3D-printed whistles for community defense against ICE raids
      Produced and distributed over 1.5 million 3D-printed whistles to support community defense, supplied filament for approximately 300,000 additional whistles, and shared resources and guidance to enable decentralized replication of the effort.
  • Women's Rights and Empowerment Grants 1 activity
    • Funds nonprofit organizations through general operating support grants
      Provides general operating support grants to external organizations including the Anti-Nihilist Foundation and Every Woman Treaty to advance shared advocacy goals.
  • Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
    • Produces independent nonprofit journalism through conversational storytelling
      Creates and publishes articles, newsletters, podcasts, and social media content from a global feminist perspective, emphasizing voices of women and people of color and stories from over 45 countries. All content is produced under full editorial control, with corrections and updates issued when necessary.
  • Women's Wellness and Empowerment Programs 1 activity
    • Provides mentorship on feminist geopolitics and personal wellness
      Offers personal mentorship on topics including feminist geopolitics, herbal remedies for menstrual health, and skincare practices.
  • Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement Services 1 activity
    • Provides personal and community-based care and support
      Offers emotional, personal, and post-medical care support to friends and immigrants, including serving as emergency contact, aiding recovery from procedures, and helping resist discrimination to build belonging in new environments.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Supports immigrant street vendors and families impacted by immigration enforcement
      Organizes mutual aid efforts including emergency fundraising, food and supply deliveries, eviction prevention, tenant rights clinics, and community gatherings for families affected by ICE raids. Manages the Hire a Vendor program to connect vendors with events and uses Vendor Buyout funds to purchase food for broader distributions across Los Angeles.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Conducts research to build alternative models and narrative projects
      Produces research-driven content including an ongoing series titled "Old Friends" on adult friendships and a restaurant guide based on field visits to ramen shops in Tokyo, as part of broader efforts to explore future economies and social dynamics.
    • Shares open-source resources to enable decentralized mutual aid
      Published a public Wiki with instructions and resources to support decentralized replication of 3D-printed whistle production and distribution efforts.
financials · form 990PF · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$417K
Contributions & grants$417K100%
Program service revenue
Investment income$00%
Other revenue
expenses
Total expenses$597K
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits
Grants paid out$37K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$0
Cash$15K
Investments$0
Liabilities$33K
Net assets$0
Liquid reserves0.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -63.0%
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • Anna Lind-Guzik Partner — Individual donor whose contributions exceed $5,000
  • Anti-Nihilist Foundation Partner — Receives general operating support grants
  • Bluesky Partner — Platform used for public communication and content sharing
  • Cosmic Standard Partner — Produces The Conversationalist Podcast
  • Dark Matter Labs Partner — Co-founded and operates Governing Together within Dark Matter Labs, a nonprofit research and design lab.
  • Dr. Sophia Yen Partner — Featured guest on The Conversationalist Podcast discussing perimenopause.
  • Every Woman Treaty Partner — Receives general operating support grants
  • Facebook Partner — Platform used for public communication and content sharing
  • Harvard Kennedy School Partner — Hosts Executive Director Erin Zimmer Strenio as a Shorenstein Fellow.
  • Instagram Partner — Platform used for public communication and content sharing
  • Institute for Nonprofit News Network — Follows editorial standards developed by the Institute for Nonprofit News.
  • Ktown For All Partner — Partnered with and adapted mutual aid strategies from this Koreatown-based organization to launch the Westside Vendor Buyout.
  • LinkedIn Partner — Platform used for public communication and content sharing
  • Mar Vista Voice Partner — Los Angeles-based community organization leading the Westside Vendor Buyout initiative.
  • Maryam Partner — Long-term personal mentor and friend who provided emotional and practical guidance, especially during early adulthood and entry into sex work.
  • María Medem Partner — Created the cover art for The Conversationalist Podcast
  • Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Partner — Referenced in connection with research on kinship dynamics and cousin relationships.
  • Old Friends Coalition — Part of an ongoing series exploring how adult friendship evolves, in which The Conversationalist contributes personal narratives.
  • Protoplant, Inc. Partner — Supplies discounted and donated 3D printer filament to support whistle production.
  • Solder and Bubblegum Partner — Seattle-based makerspace contributing technical resources and community engagement to the whistle printing effort.
  • The Infatuation Partner — Collaborated on a restaurant guide for Tokyo ramen shops.
  • Unión Migrante Partner — Collaborates with this New Orleans-based migrant rights organization operating the Ojos alert system.
  • X Partner — Platform used for public communication and content sharing
  • corrections@conversationalist.org Partner — Designated contact point for reporting potential errors in published stories.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Anti-Hierarchical Mutual Aid Networks
    methodology: anti-hierarchical_mutual_aid
    By organizing through decentralized, non-hierarchical collectives rooted in care and mutuality, we enable sustainable community defense and action because power-sharing and trust-based relationships foster resilience and reduce dependency on external institutions.
  • Conversational Journalism as Resistance
    methodology: journalism-as-conversation
    By using dialogue-driven storytelling and centering marginalized voices, we foster empathy and cultural change because personal narrative disrupts dominant frames and rehumanizes underrepresented communities.
  • Intersectional Feminist Editorial Framework
    methodology: intersectional-feminism
    By applying intersectional feminism to journalism and community engagement, we challenge patriarchal and exclusionary narratives because inclusive analysis reveals systemic inequities and centers those most impacted in solutions.
  • Preventive Peacebuilding Through Relational Infrastructure
    methodology: preventive_peacebuilding
    By cultivating trust, psychological safety, and everyday democratic practices, we reduce the likelihood of social violence because strong relational conditions are foundational to resilient communities and nonviolent governance.
  • Slow, Empathetic Storytelling for Democratic Renewal
    methodology: slow journalism
    By publishing fewer, deeper stories with emotional honesty and global context, we counteract news fatigue and reframe democracy as a lived, everyday practice because sustained attention and empathy foster meaning and civic belonging.