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THE YEARS PROJECT INC
MELVILLE, NY · EIN 831071156 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C30 · Environment · Medium ($1M-$10M) · theyearsproject.com
revenue
$1.5M
expenses
$3.3M
net assets
$4.8M
employees
12
volunteers
3
program ratio
67%
mission · from form 990

THE CORPORATION'S CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ARE: 1) TO GENERATE A SUSTAINED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, 2) TO GALVANIZE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND 3) TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ACTION TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The YEARS Project is an Emmy award-winning nonprofit media organization that produces educational videos and content to raise public awareness about climate change and environmental issues. It uses storytelling and partnerships with scientists and experts to explain complex topics like clean energy, climate accountability, and environmental justice. The organization aims to inspire public and private action through emotionally engaging narratives.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Climate Media Internship
Paid internship program training individuals in climate-focused media production and storytelling
Years of Living Dangerously
Documentary series and content initiative exploring the human impact of climate change, including stories of climate refugees and global climate crises
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
    • Advance climate justice through policy advocacy and international engagement
      Engages in advocacy that contributed to Nigeria’s 2023 decision to end fossil fuel subsidies and participated in the 2023 African Climate Summit, helping adopt the Nairobi Declaration on climate justice. Also initiated legal action that inspired subsequent climate liability lawsuits by tribal nations and cities.
  • Ecological Habitat Restoration 1 activity
    • Advance native habitat restoration under energy infrastructure
      Covers pipeline and utility corridors with native grass and wildflower seed mixes to promote biodiversity and create semi-natural grassland habitats, while advocating for legal requirements to use native species in revegetation projects and under renewable energy infrastructure.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Distribute weekly climate action toolkits
      Produces and distributes a weekly action toolkit to individuals who join The YEARS Project, featuring current campaigns, actions, and events to support the climate movement.
  • Community Composting & Organic Waste Diversion 1 activity
    • Expand community composting access in Cleveland
      Engages in commercial composting to divert organic waste from landfills and enrich soil, while supporting the expansion of compost drop-off sites in Cleveland, Ohio, with a focus on ensuring accessibility for disadvantaged communities.
  • Community Recycling & Reuse Education 1 activity
    • Implement sustainable event initiatives through eco-village pop-ups and artist partnerships
      Organizes eco-village pop-ups at concerts and events to educate the public on the climate crisis and partners with venues and touring artists to replace single-use items with compostable, recyclable, or reusable alternatives. Develops customized sustainability plans and produces impact reports documenting environmental outcomes.
  • Paid Internships in Media & Publishing 1 activity
    • Operate a paid climate media internship program
      Offers a paid internship program focused on climate communication and media production to engage and train individuals in creating impactful climate content.
  • Nonprofit Investigative & Community Journalism 1 activity
    • Produce and distribute fact-checked climate media content
      Creates digital videos and multimedia reporting on climate change that incorporate expert interviews, peer-reviewed research, and frontline testimonies, with full source transparency provided at the end of all videos and print materials. Content is designed to educate, inspire action, and has generated significant views and impressions across digital platforms.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.48M
Contributions & grants$1.30M88%
Program service revenue$70K5%
Investment income$104K7%
Other revenue$6K
expenses
Total expenses$3.34M
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead29%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$2.20M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.07M
Cash$4.42M
Investments$0
Liabilities$265K
Net assets$4.80M
Liquid reserves15.9 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -80.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 8
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JOEL BACH PRESIDENT 40 $377K
ANDREW MAGRATTEN SECRETARY AND TREASURER 40 $279K
VERNON CHURCH MANAGING DIRECTOR 25 $235K
ANNA PINCHUK EDITOR 40 $155K
MAYA LILLY PRODUCER 40 $142K
AMY COLAVITA PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT 40 $120K
JOSH FUTTERSAK PRODUCER 40 $109K
JULIO C CRUZ EDITOR 40 $109K
board members · 3
  • ANNA JANE JOYNER — DIRECTOR
  • FRED SIEGEL — DIRECTOR
  • JACOB KORNBLUTH — DIRECTOR
relationships · 9

Who they work with

  • American Rescue Plan Act Government — Federal funding source used to support compost drop-off site expansion in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Environmental Defense Fund Partner — Collaborates with The YEARS Project, as endorsed by its president Fred Krupp, on climate change storytelling initiatives.
  • Ernst Conservation Seeds Partner — Collaborates with Ernst Conservation Seeds for native seed mixtures used in pipeline corridor revegetation efforts.
  • Florida Power & Light Partner — Featured in investigative reporting on utility practices and climate accountability.
  • ITM.earth Partner — Collaborates with ITM.earth as a platform for climate movement involvement.
  • REVERB Partner — Collaborates with artists, venues, and fans to implement sustainable practices at live music events.
  • Sher Edling Partner — Law firm representing Honolulu in the climate liability lawsuit against major fossil fuel companies.
  • The African Climate Foundation Partner — Cited as a source and intellectual collaborator in shaping sustainable energy transition frameworks for African petroleum-producing nations.
  • Wildlife Habitat Council Partner — Engages with the Wildlife Habitat Council's restoration planning framework for pipeline corridor revegetation.
strategies · 3

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.

  • Intersectional Climate Justice
    methodology: intersectional_climate_justice
    By framing climate change as inseparable from systemic injustices like racism, classism, and colonialism, we build more inclusive and effective movements, because addressing root social inequities strengthens both legitimacy and long-term resilience of climate solutions.
  • Legal Accountability for Climate Harm
    methodology: climate-liability-litigation
    By litigating against fossil fuel companies for deception and environmental damage, we create financial and reputational consequences that compel accountability, because assigning liability disrupts business-as-usual and funds just adaptation.
  • Storytelling as Empowerment and Engagement
    methodology: story-centered_engagement
    By using multimedia storytelling to share untold, dignified narratives about climate change, we inform and mobilize global audiences, because impactful stories drive emotional engagement and inspire action more effectively than data alone.