Silent Spring Institute Inc

“A copy of the form 990 is distributed to all board members for review and approval before it is filed.”

“Silent spring institute annually distributes a conflict of interest questionnaire to be completed and returned by all key employees and board of director members.”

“The executive director's salary is reviewed and approved annually by the board of directors at an executive session meeting. Salaries of executive directors at comparable agencies are used to determine the executive director's salary.”

“Governing documents, policies and statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Founded in 1994, silent spring institute is a leading scientific research organization dedicated to uncovering the links between chemicals in our everyday environment and women's health, with a focus on breast cancer prevention. With about 180 peer-reviewed scientific articles to date, the institute's research supports the development of safer chemicals, a market shift away from toxic chemicals in products, and more health-protective regulatory policies. Our accomplishments over the past year include: safer chemicals, safer products-- we are working to identify chemicals that increase breast cancer risk and create a roadmap for reducing exposures to cancer-causing chemicals in consumer products. In january 2024, we published a list of over 900 chemicals that are likely to promote the development of breast cancer. Ninety percent of these chemicals are found in products we use every day. Our list, published in environmental health perspectives, was accompanied by an invited commentary by researchers at the national cancer institute and the national institute of environmental health sciences on the study's significance. The list has received tremendous press coverage, including features in the washington post, newsweek, and npr. This paper has been downloaded nearly 30,000 times and is in the top 5% of all research outputs scored by altmetric, which measures impact based on metrics including social media mentions and news media coverage. Based on this work, we provided evidence to authoritative governmental agencies and organizations to prioritize exposure reduction for these potential breast carcinogens. We also concluded the first phase of our power study, a collaboration with the resilient sisterhood project. In the first phase of this study, we recruited social media influencers to post educational content for black women about harmful chemicals in beauty products. Content shared during our october 2023 campaign was viewed by more than 100,000 accounts. The second phase of the study will expand our scope to include new influencers and assessment tools. In december 2023, we published an analysis in frontiers in reproductive health of how social factors influence people's chemical exposures through menstrual products. Right to know, right to act-- silent spring develops digital tools that empower individuals to learn about environmental chemicals, share information, and take action individually and collectively to reduce exposure. This year: -silent spring's detox me app approached 400,000 downloads, providing science-based recommendations for reducing exposures to harmful chemicals. This free app translates decades of research into personalized guidance for healthier living. -our "pfas exchange" website, which serves as a vital hub for healthcare providers and pfas-impacted communities, received up to 7,700 monthly visitors, with visitors from 94 countries, and was featured in the washington post. -in collaboration with clinical providers, we developed a handout card on breast cancer and the environment that was distributed to patients at multiple hospitals. -in a commentary in environmental health perspectives, we described the obstacles that researchers and institutions face in reporting back personal exposure results to study participants, and we outlined specific recommendations for overcoming those challenges, including training and resources such as silent spring's innovative derbi web platform, which makes it practical for researchers to personalize reports in studies of any size.”

“Supporting communities-- silent spring is a national leader in community-engaged research. Engaging communities in the research process creates new knowledge and leads to better health. Two of silent spring's community-based studies achieved major milestones this year: -in may 2024, we completed the last of 241 home visits in rochester, ny, for our study evaluating the effectiveness of lead remediation programs at reducing exposures to other chemical hazards in the home. - we reported test results to nearly 800 adults and children in the massachusetts towns of hyannis and ayer as part of our study funded by the centers for disease control investigating health effects in communities impacted by pfas in drinking water. The year in review: overall, silent spring institute published 7 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals this year. Our work was mentioned in more than 100 news stories from major outlets including the new york times, the washington post, the boston globe, npr, national geographic, the hill, time, newsweek, discover, and scientific american. We provided scientific testimony on 8 federal and state bills and proposed rules, including testimony at the massachusetts state house, and we strengthened our networks through partnerships with over 32 research institutions and more than 30 community groups, worker unions, and other nonprofit partners.”

“The organization has a committee that assumes responsibility for oversight for the audit of its financial statements and selection of an independent accountant. This process has not changed during the year.”