SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

988 MARKET ST STE 600, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-4007

In care of

% MICHAEL STOLL

Principal officer (990 for 2024)

Lila LaHood, 44 Page Street Suite 504, San Francisco, CA 94102

Signed the 990

Lila LaHood, Treasurer

Phone

(415) 495-7377

Website

https://sfpublicpress.org

California records

California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 27-1275141 or by the name SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS.

Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers

Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)

Secretary of State, bizfile Online

Corporation status, entity number, agent for service

Franchise Tax Board

Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)

Mission

The mission of the San Francisco Public Press is to enrich civic life by publishing investigative and solutions journalism that engages diverse audiences and promotes public accountability. The San Francisco Public Press (sfpublicpress.org) is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization that produces independent public-interest journalism about under-covered topics, with a focus on under-served audiences. Online and via community radio station KSFP-LP, broadcasting on 102.5 FM in San Francisco, we offer local investigative and solutions reporting. Coverage areas include environmental protection, housing affordability, public health, transportation safety, homeless services, digital privacy, immigration and elections. For every local election, we produce a comprehensive, multimedia nonpartisan voter guide.

Program accomplishments

• The San Francisco Public Press is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization that produces independent public-interest journalism about under-covered topics, with a focus on under-served audiences. Online and on community radio station KSFP-LP, broadcasting on 102.5 FM in San Francisco, we offer local investigative and solutions reporting. Coverage areas include environmental protection, housing affordability, public health, transportation safety, homeless services, digital privacy, immigration and elections. The Public Press experienced a leadership transition in early 2024 as Lila LaHood, who previously served as publisher, stepped into the role of executive director, previously held by Michael Stoll for 15 years. Stoll and LaHood co-founded the Public Press with the support of a volunteer steering committee in 2009. Following the 2024 leadership change, Stoll remained on the board of directors and transitioned into a new newsroom role as senior editor so he could return to his first passion, science and environment reporting. We published our biggest project toward the end of 2024: "Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point," a series of six articles by Chris Roberts and two podcast episodes by Rebecca Bowe. Michael Stoll served as project editor. The following spring, "Exposed" won the 2025 national Izzy Award from the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College. For "Exposed," our team sifted through thousands of pages of obscure records, interviewed experts and tracked down elderly veterans who were subjected to ethically questionable radiation exposure by the U.S. Navy in San Francisco during the Cold War (see: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/exposed/). What we found reveals a troubling history with effects still felt today. The Guardian (U.K.) was a publishing partner. Public Health Watch and The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper republished articles and reached some of the people most affected. Community organizations repeatedly shared the project and referred to it in a current day court case. For every local election, the Public Press produces a comprehensive, multimedia nonpartisan voter guide. In 2024, we produced guides for the March and November elections. In 2024, the team for "Civic," our local public policy interview podcast and radio show, produced two seasons, with in-depth reporting and highly produced episodes. Early in the year, investigative reporter Sylvie Sturm and producer Liana Wilcox produced an episode about drug policy and addiction specialists' opposition to a San Francisco ballot measure that would compel adult welfare recipients to undergo drug screening before collecting cash benefits and another about the increase in overdose deaths among the city's Maya immigrants, highlighting the need for culturally competent drug treatment services. This reporting built on Sturm's previous coverage of the city's opioid crisis. Wilcox worked with reporter Zhe Wu on an episode about community groups' efforts to address concerns about violence against Asian Americans in San Francisco. Mel Baker, our director of programming for KSFP, produced an episode looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic and public health lessons learned from it. Election-related episodes with Lila LaHood explored increased spending in judges races that used to go uncontested and a primer on the process for electing party representatives to county central committees, which California voters are asked to do every four years, while Baker explored dueling ballot propositions designed to overhaul the city's commissions and how the existing system came to be. Wilcox and Baker also led production of episodes on a wide range of topics built around reporting by other journalists in our newsroom, some of which are described below. (See: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/civic). In addition to his work on "Civic," Baker diligently reached out to a diverse array of local audio producers with offers to broadcast their podcasts on KSFP, which now showcases dozens of voices representing communities from around the Bay Area. For our website, Wu, who joined our newsroom through the California Local News Fellowship program, reported extensively on San Francisco's Chinese American communities. Her stories included reporting on volunteer efforts to save culturally significant records in Chinatown, the new dragon unveiled for the Chinese New Year Parade finale and a cultural history of this annual event that dates back nearly 175 years, conflict over amplified sound at outdoor events, and a public art registry for Chinatown. She also reported more broadly on inadequate translation services at City Hall, and neighbors opposing a cannabis dispensary. Wu was the first local journalist to report on significant opposition to a ballot measure aiming to close a section of San Francisco's Great Highway and turn it into a park. She followed up with an in-depth analysis of what would happen to traffic in the neighborhood if this roadway were closed to cars. She brought all of this reporting together for a "Civic" podcast episode. After voters approved the measure in a citywide election, Wu reported on how a group of community members sought to initiate a recall of their own supervisor, who helped put the proposition on the ballot. Throughout 2024, many of our reporters cover issues related to homelessness and housing insecurity. In April, Madison Alvarado reported on the city's efforts to house some migrant families temporarily in hotels. In May, we published a pair of stories by Madison Alvarado and Yesica Prado - supported in part by a grant from The Carter Center - about San Francisco's complex public health response system for helping people who suffer mental health crises on the streets. Alvarado also reported on how outreach to people experiencing homelessness declined as city departments shifted their priorities, how budget cuts threatened food programs for older adults and people with disabilities, how unhoused San Franciscans can vote in elections, a ballot proposition intending to lower rents for more than 550 units designated for low-income seniors, families and people with disabilities, how an increase in encampment sweeps might make it more difficult for people experiencing homelessness to access support services, a profile of a man who struggled with homelessness for 16 years and who now works to increase civic engagement among his neighbors, and how the city of San Francisco could not show that it was following its own encampment clearing policies. Audrey Mei Yi Brown joined our newsroom in 2024 as a Report for America corps member reporting on environmental health equity and corporate accountability. Brown reported on a job training program associated with the new electrification of Bay Area ferries, efforts to do green retrofits on apartment buildings without displacing vulnerable tenants, a government program that gives air purifiers to low-income tenants, how environmental activist groups were using a new data analysis tool to identify the worst toxic sites in the Bay Area. In addition to the "Civic" episodes mentioned above, Sylvie Sturm continued reporting on the overdose crisis - a main focus of her work in 2023 - examining the success of an overdose prevention center in New York as a case study for what might have unfolded in San Francisco had the city pursued previous efforts to open such facilities. She also reported on social service providers seeking to restore Spanish-language programming in San Francisco's jails, a local lawmaker's proposal to strengthen protections for reproductive health care facilities on the receiving end of increased direct, unwanted attention and intimidation efforts from anti-abortion activists, a new mental health program for Spanish speakers that combines an app and trained support coaches from their community, and a program offering culturally attuned addiction recovery support for LGBTQ immigrants from Latin America. Freelance reporter Viji Sundaram reported on California's family courts and efforts to allow electronic recording when court reporters aren't available, efforts to help domestic violence survivors stay housed, legislation that would prevent domestic violence abusers from using apps to track their partners, and how two groups representing low-income survivors of domestic violence sued trial courts in four California counties to get them to resolve the ongoing court reporter shortage. Freelance reporter Seth Rosenfeld continued reporting on the California Public Utilities Commission's regulation of the ride-hailing industry, including a proposed ruling by a state consumer protection unit against Uber for providing substandard rides through Uber Black that was later reduced by an administrative law judge.
  Expenses $432,641 · revenue $1,551

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

27-1275141

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

2012

Accounting year ends

December

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Education (B990)

Assets (IRS master file)

$42,592

Income (IRS master file)

$562,012

Revocation and reinstatement

Exemption revoked

May 15, 2012

Posted by the IRS

March 11, 2013

Reinstated

Effective January 15, 2013

From the IRS automatic revocation list: organizations that did not file a required return or e-Postcard for three consecutive years.

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 27-1275141).

Questions about SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS

What is the EIN of SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS?

The employer identification number (EIN) of SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS is 27-1275141.

Is SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS revoked its exemption on May 15, 2012 and reinstated it effective January 15, 2013.

Are donations to SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS due?

The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending December 31, 2025) is due May 15, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2024.

Who is the principal officer of SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 names Lila LaHood.

Who are the officers and directors of SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 lists 9 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $27,946 (Michael Stoll, Director & Secretary).

How much revenue does SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC PRESS have?

On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 it reported revenue of $562,012, expenses of $535,007 and total assets of $42,592 at year end.

Other nonprofits in SAN FRANCISCO

• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION
  EIN 94-2829914 · last filed 990 for 2025
• UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
  EIN 94-1156628 · last filed 990 for 2025
• SHINE BC-LA
  EIN 84-3947799 · last filed 990 for 2025
• WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION ORG
  EIN 20-0049703 · last filed 990 for 2025
• KIPP FOUNDATION
  EIN 94-3362724 · last filed 990 for 2025
• CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
  EIN 94-1156485 · last filed 990 for 2025
• FIVE KEYS SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS
  EIN 81-0622701 · last filed 990 for 2025
• BRILLIANT CORNERS
  EIN 56-2379862 · last filed 990 for 2025

All nonprofits in SAN FRANCISCO · California · Education