irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $2.29MTHE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM CONSISTS OF ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DEVELOPING AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE GROWING BASE OF PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH; DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH-BASED PRODUCTS AND PROGRAMS TO INFORM AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF PSYCHEDELICS AND USING THE RESEARCH, DATA, AND TESTIMONIALS TO COUNTER THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHEDELICS AND TO HELP CHANGE THE LAWS LIMITING ACCESS TO PSYCHEDELICS AS THERAPEUTICS.
- #2 $527KHEROIC HEARTS PROJECT LEADS A NATIONAL ADVOCACY INITIATIVE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THROUGH OUR POLICY ARM, HEALING BREAKTHROUGH, WE WORK TO ENSURE THAT VETERAN VOICES AND REAL-WORLD OUTCOMES GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEDERAL AND STATE MENTAL HEALTH POLICY. IN 2025, WE ENGAGED POLICYMAKERS ACROSS MORE THAN 15 STATES AND ON CAPITOL HILL, BUILDING BIPARTISAN COALITIONS, PROVIDING TESTIMONY, AND DRAFTING POLICY LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT RESEARCH, CLINICAL ACCESS, AND PILOT PROGRAMS FOR PSYCHEDELIC THERAPIES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO LAUNCHED THE VETERAN ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP, TRAINING VETERANS TO SHARE THEIR HEALING JOURNEYS AND REPRESENT THEIR COMMUNITIES IN PUBLIC AND POLICY DISCUSSIONS. OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS HAVE INCREASED AWARENESS AMONG LAWMAKERS, GENERATED NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERAN-FOCUSED PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH, AND HELPED SHAPE NATIONAL CONVERSATIONS AROUND EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH REFORM. THROUGH EDUCATION, COALITION-BUILDING, AND STORYTELLING, HEROIC HEARTS PROJECT CONTINUES TO LEAD A VETERAN-DRIVEN MOVEMENT TO CREATE A SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE FUTURE FOR PSYCHEDELIC CARE.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Healing Breakthrough
Policy arm focused on expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans through advocacy, bipartisan coalition-building, testimony, and policy drafting at federal and state levels.
Heroic Hearts Process
Research-proven, veteran-built model of care that includes screening, preparation, psychedelic retreats, integration, and long-term alumni support to reduce PTSD symptoms in veterans.
Legal Psychedelic Retreat Programs
Domestic and international retreats using psilocybin or ayahuasca, designed by veterans for veterans, with licensed facilitators or traditional healers and structured around the Heroic Hearts Process.
Veteran Advocacy Fellowship
Program that trains veterans to share their healing journeys and represent their communities in public and policy discussions about psychedelic therapy.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Psychedelic Therapy Support & Advocacy 4 activities
- Advocate for expanded access to psychedelic-assisted therapy for veteransEngages in advocacy to increase domestic access and reduce costs of psychedelic treatment for veterans, including efforts to decriminalize psychedelic substances. In 2025, engaged policymakers in over 15 states and on Capitol Hill, built bipartisan coalitions, provided testimony, and drafted policy language to support legal reform and clinical access.
- Offer program scholarships for veterans and spousesProvides financial scholarships to veterans and veteran spouses to access psychedelic treatment programs, addressing barriers to participation.
- Support and conduct research on psychedelic treatments for veteransConducts and contributes to research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for veterans, including an observational study of over 400 veterans and collaboration with Onaya Science to study ayahuasca retreats. Preliminary findings indicate over 80% of participants experience meaningful improvement in PTSD symptoms.
- Train veterans in public and policy advocacyRuns the Veteran Advocacy Fellowship to equip veterans with skills to share their healing journeys and represent their communities in public and policy discussions on psychedelic therapy.
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Environmental Conservation Grantmaking 1 activity
- Fund indigenous healer support through The Elder’s FundFunds The Elder’s Fund to support indigenous healers in the Peruvian Amazon basin who practice Amazonian plant medicine and shamanism, preserving traditional knowledge and practices.
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Veteran Benefits and Reintegration Support 1 activity
- Provide psychedelic retreat programs for veterans and veteran spousesOffers legal psychedelic retreat programs in Oregon, Peru, Mexico, and Jamaica for over 1,500 veterans and veteran spouses to reduce PTSD symptoms and improve quality of life, with planned expansion to Colorado in 2026. Programs include pre- and post-retreat coaching and use the veteran-designed Heroic Hearts Process.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Deliver pre- and post-retreat coaching and integration supportProvides six hours of pre-retreat coaching (three private, three group sessions) and six hours of post-retreat integration coaching per participant with a Heroic Hearts Project coach, along with referrals to long-term care practitioners for alumni.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.46M
Contributions & grants$6.58M102%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$9K0%
Other revenue$-126K
expenses
Total expenses$6.23M
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead2%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$104K
Grants paid out$702K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$1.92M
Cash$1.78M
Investments$0
Liabilities$1.47M
Net assets$444K
Liquid reserves3.4 mo
3 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue +199.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JESSE GOULD | PRESIDENT | 50 | $70K |
board members · 7
- ALLISON WILSON — DIRECTOR
- ANDY JOHNS — DIRECTOR
- DEAN STOTT — DIRECTOR
- GARY GIGLIO — DIRECTOR
- JERED KENNA — DIRECTOR
- JULIANA MERCER — DIRECTOR
- KEITH HARRIS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 41
Who they work with
- 60 Minutes Partner — Featured the organization and veterans' recovery stories in media coverage.
- All-Secure Foundation Partner — Supports special operations veterans and families in healing from post-traumatic stress through education and resiliency programs.
- Angel Flight West Partner — Provides no-cost transportation for veterans to medical or therapeutic treatments, including those supported by HHP.
- Ayahuasca Foundation Partner — Offers holistic healing using Ayahuasca and Shipibo tradition for balance and harmony of body, mind, and spirit.
- Beckley Retreats Partner — Bridges scientific research with ancient wisdom traditions to create enriched psychedelic experiences for participants.
- Bend Inner Alchemy Partner — Licensed service center providing transformative psilocybin treatment sessions for trauma healing and personal growth.
- Bendable Therapy Partner — Nonprofit partner enabling access to clinically proven mental health therapies and professional support.
- CNN Partner — Featured the organization and veterans' recovery stories in media coverage.
- Chacruna Institute Partner — Aligned in promoting reciprocity, psychedelic justice, and protection of sacred plants and cultural traditions.
- Cohen’s Veteran Network Partner — Partners with Cohen’s Veteran Network to provide access to mental health services and case management for post-9/11 veterans.
- Colorado Government — Plans to offer legal psychedelic retreats in Colorado beginning in 2026.
- Cora Center Partner — OHA-licensed psilocybin service center offering safe, ethical, and culturally attuned psilocybin experiences in Portland.
- Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley Partner — Lead researcher directing an observational study on veterans in HHP-program settings.
- Etheridge Foundation Partner — Collaborates on advancing plant medicine and psychedelic therapies for opioid use disorder through research and advocacy.
- Fireside Project Partner — Partner organization focused on psychedelic harm reduction and integration support, including veteran-specific services.
- Fireside Project Partner — Provides referrals to Fireside Project for 24/7 support during difficult psychedelic experiences and integration support.
- Hayes Whitney Partner — Veteran Experience Manager for International Retreats.
- Healing Breakthrough Partner — Policy arm of Heroic Hearts Project focused on expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapy through federal and state mental health policy advocacy.
- InnerTrek Portland Partner — State-licensed Center for Psilocybin Services offering professionally facilitated psilocybin care in Portland.
- Jesse Gould Partner — Founder of Heroic Hearts Project, former Army Ranger whose personal healing journey inspired the organization's mission.
- La Medicina Partner — Offers transformative ayahuasca retreats in the Peruvian Amazon for veterans, combining ancient traditions with modern therapy.
- Omnia Group Ashland Partner — Provides licensed psilocybin facilitation in Southern Oregon with a focus on healing, creativity, and well-being.
- Onaya Science Partner — Collaborated on research studying the impact of ayahuasca retreat programs on veterans with combat and military trauma.
- Oregon Government — Provides legal psychedelic retreats in Oregon under state legalization of psilocybin.
- Oregon Psychedelic Solutions Partner — Offers transformational psilocybin experiences for healing from trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use.
- Psychedelic Support Partner — Directs veterans to Psychedelic Support for resources, therapist directories, and information on clinical trials.
- Reason For Hope Partner — Works to advocate for policy and legal reforms to enable safe and affordable access to psychedelic medicine.
- Reconsider Partner — Partnership focused on integrating transformational medicines by bridging science and the mystical in addressing mental health challenges.
- SOC-F (Special Operations Care Fund) Partner — Provides medical, financial, and other support to special operations forces members and their families when unmet by other sources.
- SOF-Network Partner — National nonprofit serving the special operations community through clinical directory, mentorship, and research initiatives.
+ 11 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Experiential and Location-Based Healing Retreatsmethodology: experiential_location_based_healingBy situating healing retreats in symbolically resonant locations such as Vietnam, the organization supports deeper trauma processing in veterans, because place-based experiences create powerful contextual triggers that facilitate reconciliation and emotional closure related to combat history.
- Integrated Peer-Supported Healing Modelmethodology: integrated_peer_supported_modelBy combining psychedelic retreats with professional coaching, peer support, and structured community-based care—including screening, preparation, integration, and long-term support—the organization produces sustained healing from military trauma, because holistic and relational support systems increase treatment adherence, reduce isolation, and reinforce post-retreat behavioral change.
- Psychedelic-Assisted Healing for Veteran PTSDmethodology: psychedelic_assisted_therapyBy providing supervised psychedelic-assisted therapy (e.g., ayahuasca, psilocybin) in intentional set and setting, the organization produces significant symptom improvement in veterans with PTSD, because altered states of consciousness enable emotional processing and trauma resolution that conventional treatments often fail to achieve.
- Veteran-Led Advocacy and Evidence-Driven Policy Changemethodology: evidence_and_story_driven_advocacyBy leveraging real-world observational research, personal testimonials, and veteran-led public education, the organization drives policy change and expands legal access to psychedelic therapies, because credible data combined with authentic narratives reduces stigma and increases political will for decriminalization and government-supported treatment programs.