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THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE PROJECT INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 842405175 · Form 990EZ · FY2020 · NTEE B99 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · thehumanexperienceproject.net
revenue
$59K
expenses
$41K
net assets
$19K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

Our goal is to create visual and narrative content that supports the mission of organizations, institutions, and individuals who work to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Human Experience Project creates visual and narrative content that highlights stories of cultural heritage, social justice, and community resilience. It collaborates with artists, activists, and educators to produce multimedia storytelling projects focused on education, human rights, and civic engagement. The organization operates through documentary photography, text-based narratives, and exhibitions that amplify underrepresented voices and historical legacies.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

CHIMISKOLI: Investing in People
Storytelling project highlighting coffee growers and artisans in Mexico through photography and narrative, promoting cultural preservation and economic empowerment
FIREFIGHTERS ON THE LINE
Photographic documentation of the annual memorial ceremony honoring fallen firefighters, particularly those lost on 9/11, and related educational outreach
LA PEQUEÑA DESPENSA
Community-led mutual aid initiative providing grocery bags to families in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx during the pandemic
OPENING ACT: Access to Theater Arts
After-school theater arts program for underserved NYC public high school students, including those in alternative education settings, fostering confidence and creative expression
SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER: The Life of Bayard Rustin
Exhibition and archival project documenting the life and legacy of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, featuring personal artifacts and fine art photography
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Disability Rights Advocacy & Self-Advocacy Empowerment 1 activity
    • Conduct pro-bono advocacy campaigns for deaf and hard of hearing individuals
      Runs pro-bono campaigns to raise awareness and funds supporting the legal advocacy work of Gitlin, Horn & Van De Kieft LLP on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Distribute groceries to families in need
      Packs and distributes grocery bags containing staple food items to families in need, including a documented effort distributing 300 bags using $6,000 in raised funds.
  • Disaster and Line-of-Duty Memorialization 1 activity
    • Document annual Firefighters' Memorial ceremony in New York City
      Organizes and documents the annual commemorative gathering at the Firefighters' Memorial on Riverside Drive to honor the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001, with photographic documentation spanning 16 consecutive years.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Organize and host public exhibitions on civil rights and cultural history
      Launches and operates public exhibitions such as "Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin," featuring over 500 personal items and fine art photography, and "Outside the Lorraine Motel: A Contemporary Pilgrimage," hosted at institutions like the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN.
  • Documentary Film Production 1 activity
    • Produce and publish documentary and multimedia projects on social, cultural, and historical themes
      Creates long-term visual and narrative documentary projects exploring people, cultures, and movements globally, including the legacy of Bayard Rustin, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., J’Ouvert, Kumbh Mela, youth climate activism, and community initiatives like La Pequeña Despensa and Opening Act. These projects are part of a body of work titled "The Human Experience" spanning over 30 years.
  • Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
    • Provide free after-school theater arts and college readiness programs for NYC youth
      Offers a long-term, free after-school theater arts program to over 50 high schools across New York City’s five boroughs, along with a College and Career Readiness Program (Act 2) launched in 2017 and a developing middle school theater arts curriculum.
  • Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
    • Publish HEP Magazine and online publications
      Produces and publishes HEP Magazine (Volumes 1–3) and online publications such as 'The Mural: Reaction + Response,' contributing to public discourse on social and cultural themes.
  • Smallholder Agricultural Development 1 activity
    • Support coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico through sustainable business model
      Works with indigenous coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, applying founder expertise to develop a sustainable business model and directing proceeds from coffee sales back to support these communities and their crops.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$59K
Contributions & grants$59K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$41K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$19K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$19K
1 years on record · 2020–2020
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • David Katzenstein Partner — Provided fine art photography capturing artifacts from Bayard Rustin’s life for the exhibition.
  • David Katzenstein Partner — Visual collaborator whose photography is part of the CHIMISKOLI storytelling initiative and linked to his larger body of work, The Human Experience.
  • District 79 Partner — Partnership with NYC Department of Education’s Alternative High School program to serve disconnected youth.
  • FDNY Foundation Partner — Partner organization that funds the FDNY Captain Vernon A. Richard High School for Fire and Life Safety.
  • Gay Feldman Partner — Served as curator of the exhibition 'Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin'.
  • Gay Feldman Partner — Text contributor for the CHIMISKOLI storytelling project.
  • Gitlin, Horn & Van De Kieft LLP Partner — Partner organization whose disability rights legal work is supported through pro-bono awareness and fundraising campaigns.
  • HBO Funder — Financial supporter of Opening Act.
  • Katzenstein Partner — Artist whose visual explorations form part of The Human Experience Project's work on cultural documentation.
  • Katzenstein Partner — Artist whose visual explorations form part of The Human Experience Project, including the J’Ouvert documentation.
  • Katzenstein Partner — LA PEQUEÑA DESPENSA is part of Katzenstein’s larger body of work, The Human Experience, which includes visual explorations spanning over 30 years.
  • Kenny Leon Partner — Tony award-winning director who has provided artistic support, including directing the gala presentation Hear Me Here.
  • Lorena Márquez Partner — Founder and owner of CHIMISKOLI, leading the initiative to support coffee-growing communities in Chiapas.
  • National Civil Rights Museum Partner — Hosted the exhibition "Outside the Lorraine Motel: A Contemporary Pilgrimage."
  • National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel Partner — Collaborated to launch the exhibition 'Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin' and house Rustin's archive.
  • The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Partner — Collaborates with The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity through The Library Project.
  • Walter Naegle Partner — Provided access to Bayard Rustin's personal archive and contributed personal items for exhibition.
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.

  • Art and Media as Activism and Public Dialogue
    methodology: media-as-activism
    By leveraging public art, media, and magazine formats as activist tools, we generate public awareness and mobilize dialogue around social change, because the medium itself shapes perception and engagement, making art a catalyst for reflection and collective action.
  • Arts Education as Youth Development and Efficacy Building
    methodology: arts-education-for-youth-development
    Through long-term, free theater arts programming, we build confidence and personal efficacy in underserved youth, because sustained creative engagement fosters pride, self-expression, and resilience in students who face systemic disconnection from traditional education.
  • Community-Driven Economic Empowerment with Cultural Preservation
    methodology: community-driven-economic-development
    By sourcing coffee directly from indigenous and vulnerable farming communities and directing consumer spending toward community investment, we advance economic development and cultural preservation, because equitable trade models empower communities to sustain both livelihoods and heritage.
  • Systemic Advocacy for Marginalized Populations
    methodology: systemic-advocacy
    By focusing legal advocacy on high-impact cases affecting deaf and hard of hearing individuals in housing, employment, and criminal justice, we address systemic inequities, because targeted legal intervention can dismantle structural barriers and set precedents that benefit entire communities.
  • Visual Storytelling for Empathy and Cross-Cultural Understanding
    methodology: visual_storytelling
    By using immersive visual storytelling—particularly fine art photography and narrative documentation—we foster cross-cultural understanding and emotional transformation, because seeing authentic human experiences across diverse cultures disrupts stereotypes and builds empathetic connection.