irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $24KOrganizational Training: The Organization works with other charities and individuals who are invested in activating the role of civil society actors to build stronger civil engagement in their communities through training on non-violent and strategic organizing. Trainings are facilitated by both Beautiful Trouble core staff and independent contractors to supplement the staff.
named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Get Up, Rise Up! Fund
Microgrant program supporting grassroots groups using creative nonviolent action to challenge injustice and build people power
Organizational Training
Provides training for charities and individuals on nonviolent and strategic organizing, facilitated by core staff and independent contractors
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Political Leadership Training for Underrepresented Groups 2 activities
- Conducts training on nonviolent and strategic organizingProvides hands-on training and workshops in nonviolent direct action, strategic campaigning, and creative tactics for activists, organizers, and grassroots movements. Training formats include in-person sessions, online modules, and Training for Trainers programs, reaching over 15,000 people globally.
- Operates the Resistance HotlineRuns a 1-800 support line providing activists and organizers with tools, training, and action plans to support nonviolent direct action and movement-building efforts.
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Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Funds grassroots direct actions through microgrant programsProvides microgrants to grassroots groups globally through the Get Up Rise Up (GURU) fund, supporting small-scale, creative nonviolent actions and trainings that challenge injustice and build collective power. Selects 1 to 3 actions per funding round for financial support.
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Storytelling and Literacy Resource Development 1 activity
- Produces and distributes educational tools and publicationsProduces and distributes action-ready educational materials, including the Beautiful Trouble book (sold in over 25,000 copies across 7 languages), strategy card decks with QR-linked online resources, and a podcast series featuring global stories of creative resistance. Materials are produced through worker-owned cooperatives using sustainable practices.
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Human Rights & Peace Education Curriculum 1 activity
- Supports educational use of activism tools in academic settingsProvides study guides, guest lectures, and strategy cards for use in university classrooms to teach social movement history, nonviolent change, and campaign strategy. Engages with institutions such as California State University San Marcos and Loyola Marymount University through workshops and course-integrated programming.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Conducts research on creative resistance and liberation movementsProduces research publications such as “Beautiful Rising: Creative Resistance from the Global South” (2017) and “Beautiful Solutions: A Toolbox for Liberation,” which document and analyze nonviolent activism and strategic frameworks from the Global South and beyond.
- Develops and maintains educational resources for creative activismCreates and maintains the Beautiful Trouble online toolbox and print publications, including books and strategy card decks, featuring tactics, principles, and stories from over 175 frontline activists. The resources are available in multiple languages and under Creative Commons licensing to ensure broad accessibility.
- Operates the Action Lab to incubate creative campaignsRuns the Action Lab, a creative campaign incubator that has supported the development of initiatives such as the Climate Ribbon, Resistance Hotline, Climate Clock, and Solidarity Not Aid, by providing strategic and logistical support for innovative, people-powered actions.
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financials · form 990 · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$347K
Contributions & grants$288K83%
Program service revenue$49K14%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$10K
expenses
Total expenses$171K
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$37K
Grants paid out$10K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$258K
Cash$258K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$258K
Liquid reserves18.1 mo
2 years on record · 2019–2020 · YoY revenue +107.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NADINE BLOCH | Vice President | 20 | $23K |
| ANDREW BOYD | President | 20 | $13K |
| MARA RANVILLE | Treasurer | 20 | $1K |
board members · 1
- DAVE MITCHELL — Director
relationships · 43
Who they work with
- 350.org Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- ActionAid Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- ActionAid Denmark Partner — Collaborated to develop the Beautiful Rising toolkit for the Global South.
- ActionAid International Partner — Co-developed the Beautiful Rising toolkit with frontline activists across the Global South.
- Africans Rising Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- Ahel Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- Backbone Campaign Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- Beyond the Choir Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- BlackOUT Collective Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- CODEPINK Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- California State University San Marcos Partner — Delivered a training program as part of The Activist Lab series at the university's Cross-Cultural Center.
- Community Printers Partner — Collaborated with Community Printers, a worker-owned union shop, for environmentally responsible printing of the Strategy Cards.
- Creative Commons Network — Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License
- Danish International Development Agency Funder — Funded the Beautiful Rising partnership between ActionAid and Beautiful Trouble.
- Escola de Ativismo Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- Get Up, Rise Up Fund Partner — Grantmaking initiative managed by Beautiful Trouble Inc to fund grassroots direct actions.
- Global Platforms Partner — Co-producer of the TROUBLEMAKERS podcast.
- Global Platforms Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- Hammer Museum Partner — Co-hosted a training on creative direct action at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
- Highlander Center Partner — Partnered to co-create the Beautiful Solutions toolbox for liberation.
- IfNotNow Partner — Partnered to deliver a Training for Trainers on nonviolent action for young leaders.
- Independent contractors Partner — Supplement core staff in facilitating organizational trainings.
- Loyola Marymount University Partner — Conducted a workshop on art as a tool for social change for students returning from alternative break social justice trips.
- MOVE, the Global Social Movement Centre Partner — Co-producer of the TROUBLEMAKERS podcast.
- MS TCDC Partner — Co-producer of the TROUBLEMAKERS podcast.
- Makani Themba Partner — Movement strategist and contributor supporting Beautiful Trouble's work
- Naomi Klein Partner — Endorser and supporter of Beautiful Trouble's publication
- New Economy Coalition Partner — Partnered to co-create the Beautiful Solutions toolbox for liberation.
- Nonviolence International Partner — Partner organization contributing to toolbox content and collaborating on trainings.
- Peoples Hub Partner — Partnered to co-create the Beautiful Solutions toolbox for liberation.
+ 13 more
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.
- Creative Empowerment Through Interconnected Frameworksmethodology: creative_empowermentBy providing an interconnected web of ideas and adaptable tools, the organization empowers activists to innovate and act strategically, because access to modular, context-sensitive frameworks enhances creativity and campaign effectiveness.
- Decolonizing Knowledge and Power in Movement Buildingmethodology: decolonizationBy centering Indigenous and marginalized voices, crediting original sources, and dismantling privilege within activist spaces, the organization strengthens movement legitimacy and effectiveness, because equitable knowledge sharing and power redistribution foster more authentic and transformative change.
- Leadership from the Most Impactedmethodology: take-leadership-from-the-most-impactedBy following leadership from frontline communities most impacted by systemic oppression, the organization ensures that strategies are grounded in lived experience and more effectively address root causes of injustice, because those closest to the problem often hold the most relevant solutions.
- Strategic Navigation of Movement Lifecycle Phasesmethodology: movement_lifecycleBy applying a movement compass and lifecycle framework, activists can make better strategic decisions based on their movement’s current phase, because understanding progression patterns increases the likelihood of sustained momentum and tactical relevance.
- Training-Based Capacity Building for Grassroots Organizingmethodology: training-based_capacity_buildingBy delivering hands-on trainings and mentoring to activists, the organization strengthens grassroots organizing, because skill development and direct support increase the strategic capacity and sustainability of social movements.