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HUMAN IMPACTS INSTITUTE INC
Brooklyn, NY · EIN 452589652 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE C30 · Environment · Small ($100K-$1M) · humanimpactsinstitute.org
revenue
$368K
expenses
$299K
net assets
$182K
employees
3
volunteers
52
program ratio
97%
mission · from form 990

The Human Impacts Institutes mission is to build a global cultural movement to inspire big, bold and beautiful climate action.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Human Impacts Institute builds a global cultural movement for climate action by connecting art, culture, and community leadership. It empowers youth and frontline communities through creative programs like storytelling collectives, art exhibitions, and leadership fellowships. The organization focuses on amplifying marginalized voices in the climate movement, particularly from BIPOC and Global South communities, using participatory research and cross-sector collaboration.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $135K
  2. #2 $59K
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Artivism and Amplifiers
Program connecting youth leaders from the Global North and South, especially from frontline and BIPOC communities, through creative projects, leadership training, and storytelling to amplify climate action.
Artivism and Amplifiers Fellowship
Paid fellowship for youth from frontline communities that includes mentorship, skill-building, and creative outreach, culminating in projects showcased at the Creative Climate Awards.
Artivism and Amplifiers Storytelling Collective
Platform for frontline youth and allies to share video or audio stories about climate justice, demands, and visions for the future.
Creative Climate Communications Lab (C3 Lab)
NYC-based pilot program connecting researchers, artists, and community leaders to develop innovative climate communication strategies and measure social amplification.
Creative Climate Forum
Annual day-long gathering in New York City featuring performances, workshops, panels, and installations that unite art and climate justice, hosted during Climate Week NYC.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Youth Leadership Development Programs 2 activities
    • Deliver creative climate education and leadership programs
      Develops leadership and civic engagement through hands-on learning, community service, workshops, and fellowship programs for youth and frontline leaders. Includes paid fellowships that produce podcasts, PSAs, and photo series, and programs like the Urban Environmental Health Lab that offer free environmental testing and art-based education.
    • Train community climate communicators
      Trains community-identified social amplifiers and youth leaders in creative climate communication techniques, supporting them to design and launch localized campaigns that promote climate justice and civic engagement.
  • Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 2 activities
    • Facilitate international and community gatherings for collaboration
      Organizes international creative gatherings and forums to convene partners, amplifiers, artists, and community members for idea exchange and collaborative action. Includes the Creative Climate Forum and day-long gatherings focused on culture, dialogue, and collective climate solutions.
    • Host and facilitate climate action salons and dialogues
      Hosts salon-style events that bring together diverse stakeholders to explore global environmental issues through local perspectives and foster collective action. In 2020–2023, hosted between 5 and 17 events annually, engaging 300 to over 3,000 participants per year.
  • Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
    • Advance civic engagement through participatory urban initiatives
      Engages residents in sustainable urban development through participatory projects in cities like Marseille, including community mapping campaigns, public idea surveys, interactive digital maps of local initiatives, and video series featuring resident voices on environmental and civic issues.
  • Documentary Film Production 1 activity
    • Amplify underrepresented voices in climate justice
      Creates platforms to include and amplify the voices of women, youth, frontline communities, BIPOC individuals, and social amplifiers through storytelling initiatives, multimedia projects, and public engagement campaigns. Includes the Impact Stories series, "Echoes of Change" sound installation, and the Artivism and Amplifiers Storytelling Collective launched during Climate Week NYC 2023.
  • Climate Change Public Awareness & Advocacy 1 activity
    • Conduct research on climate communication and justice
      Produces evidence-based reports and studies on the role of arts, culture, and everyday voices in advancing environmental justice and climate action. Published key reports including 'Social Amplifiers: How Everyday Voices Drive Big Change' and 'Sparking Environmental Justice Action', and builds citizen-science databases from environmental testing data visualized through public art.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Organize public art exhibitions and cultural events for climate action
      Produces and curates public art exhibits, performances, film festivals, and community activations through initiatives like the Creative Climate Awards, Human Impact Stories, and international partnerships. Hosted 3 to 58 exhibits annually between 2020 and 2023, engaging thousands of participants; showcased over 250 artists from 51 countries in prominent locations including Times Square and the Manhattan Bridge.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Develop open-source toolkits and educational resources
      Creates and distributes open-source, research-based guides to support community-driven climate action, including the 'Cultivating Local Leaders for Climate Action' series and the three-part 'The Art of Environmental Justice Action' guide. Resources are made available under Creative Commons licensing for non-commercial civic and climate use.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$368K
Contributions & grants$368K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$299K
Program expenses97%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$137K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$182K
Cash$50K
Investments$0
Liabilities$157
Net assets$182K
Liquid reserves2.0 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +28.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Tara DePorte Executive Director 40 $74K
relationships · 35

Who they work with

  • ALL ARTS Partner — Media partner collaborating on climate media lab and immersive installations
  • Advisory Committee Partner — A diverse, NYC-based group of artists, environmental justice advocates, and climate communication scholars who guide the development of the C3 Lab through a participatory and inclusive approach.
  • Antoine Jaunard Partner — Collaborated on the creation of "Echoes of Change," a sound installation commissioned by the Human Impacts Institute.
  • C3 Lab Partner — Collaborated with C3 Lab to develop the 'Cultivating Local Leaders for Climate Action' toolkit series.
  • Coalitions & Accreditations Coalition — Member of select coalitions and accredited organizations to further mission impact
  • DUMBO Business Improvement District Funder — Provides financial support for the 2026 Creative Climate Awards.
  • DearTomorrow Partner — Partner organization contributing the Letters to the Future installation
  • Decolonizing Wealth Project Partner — Partner organization involved in the Creative Climate Forum
  • Drum Roll Composter Partner — Doug Semmes, Board President of Human Impacts Institute, is affiliated with Drum Roll Composter.
  • Earthjustice Partner — Partner organization involved in the Creative Climate Forum
  • FDNY Partner — Wendy Star, Advisor to Human Impacts Institute, is affiliated with FDNY.
  • Ford Foundation Funder — Sponsor of the Artivism and Amplifiers Storytelling Collective project.
  • Global Alliance of Territorial Communities Partner — Partner organization in the Artivism and Amplifiers Storytelling Collective project.
  • Green Map Marseille Partner — Collaborative initiative led by Human Impacts Institute to map sustainability and cultural projects in Marseille.
  • Indigenous youth Partner — Collaborates with Indigenous youth as part of its fellowship program to advance environmental justice and community-led solutions.
  • Jahtiek Long Partner — Serves as a curator for the 2026 Creative Climate Awards.
  • MFTA Partner — Serves as a curator for the 2026 Creative Climate Awards.
  • Marseille Partner — Host city partner for the 2025 Creative Climate Awards, co-hosting programming with New York City.
  • Movilizatorio Partner — Partner organization in the Artivism and Amplifiers Storytelling Collective project.
  • NRDC Partner — Partner organization involved in the Creative Climate Forum
  • NYC DOT Arts Program Funder — Provides financial support for the 2026 Creative Climate Awards.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides public funding for the Creative Climate Awards 2026 in partnership with the City Council.
  • New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Partner — Partner organization involved in the Creative Climate Forum
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Funding partner supporting the Creative Climate Communications Lab through its Environmental Justice Grants program
  • Sandy Davis Partner — Collaborated on the creation of "Echoes of Change," a sound installation commissioned by the Human Impacts Institute.
  • Select Current Sponsors Funder — Receives sponsorship support from a group of current funders
  • Select Partners Partner — Collaborates with a network of programmatic partners on learning and programming initiatives
  • Serica Initiative Partner — Creative partner in the Climate Media Lab and immersive climate storytelling experiences
  • TECO Funder — Provides financial support for the 2026 Creative Climate Awards.
  • THIRTEEN Partner — Media partner collaborating on climate media lab and immersive installations
+ 5 more
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.

  • Arts and Culture as a Catalyst for Climate Action
    methodology: arts_and_culture_for_social_change
    By integrating art, storytelling, and cultural expression into climate engagement, the organization fosters emotional resonance and shifts public perceptions, because creative narratives make abstract environmental issues tangible and inspire collective agency and action.
  • Community-Centered Co-Creation and Leadership
    methodology: community_led_storytelling
    By centering frontline communities, youth, and underrepresented voices in storytelling, decision-making, and solution design, the organization builds collective ownership and resilience, because inclusive co-creation transforms marginalized groups from victims into solution-bearers and strengthens the legitimacy and impact of climate justice efforts.
  • Experiential and Interdisciplinary Innovation Model
    methodology: living_lab_model
    By combining experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and living lab experimentation, the organization generates scalable climate strategies, because hands-on, co-created learning environments bridge research and practice, enabling real-world testing and adaptation of solutions across local and global contexts.