Mission, Financial Transparency and Governance

Science Literacy Project/Genetic Literacy Project Mission Statement

The Science Literacy Project is a nonpartisan, media-driven science nonprofit dedicated to deepening public understanding of the breakthrough innovations transforming society — from sustainable agriculture and biotechnology to health breakthroughs, vaccines, low- and zero-carbon energy, and artificial intelligence. SLP engages the public, journalists, and policymakers while championing transparent, evidence-based regulation, challenging misinformation and disinformation, and advancing a constructive worldview rooted in realistic optimism about the transformative power of science and technology. SLP stands by two principles: ‘Science Not Ideology’ and ‘Fact-Based Science Serving the Public Interest.’

SLP/GLP History and Governance

The Science Literacy Project (SLP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which that operated under the name Genetic Literacy Project from 2011 to 2026. The SLP family of sites also included the Epigenetics Literacy Project and GENeS (Genetic Expert News Service, which ran without editorial oversight from the GLP from 2012 to 2014; neither is currently operating.

The SLP, under its founding name of Genetic Literacy Project, was conceived in 2010-2011 by Jon Entine, who had authored numerous books on genetics, chemicals, and risk, and hundreds of articles on sustainability and genetics. It was launched in December 2011 with donations from the Templeton Foundation and the Searle Freedom Trust.

To be eligible for donations from independent nonprofit foundations, GLP affiliated with the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS), a 501(c)(3) housed at George Mason University. STATS, where Entine was an unpaid senior fellow, provided accounting services and administrative support from its inception until 2014, when it ceased to exist.

In 2015, the surviving board voted that Science Literacy Project dba Genetic Literacy Project would inherit STATS’ 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal status. Science Literacy Project expanded to include two educational outreach websites: Epigenetics Literacy Project and GENeS—Genetic Expert News Service. In 2026, Genetic Literacy Project formally became Science Literacy Project, its registered name with the IRS.

Science Literacy Project takes its tagline—Science Not Ideology—very seriously. SLP stands for transparency and challenges bias. SLP is funded by grants from independent foundations and charities. In 2020, the Board agreed to allow the SLP/GLP to accept donations from corporations and associations to support ongoing operations but not for specific projects. As is the case with all donations to the SLP, any grant must be disclosed on that fiscal year’s 990. SLP has no formal or informal affiliation with any institution, foundation, corporation, or private individual beyond those listed in our 990 filings, other than donations under $500 from private individuals.

Executive Director Jon Entine was a senior fellow (unpaid) at the Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy at the University of California-Davis World Food Institute from 2014-2016 and was previously a senior fellow at George Mason University’s Center for Health and Risk Communication from 2011-2014. Neither Entine nor the SLP engages in lobbying. You can find more information about Jon Entine on his website.

Science Literacy Project/Genetic Literacy Project Donation Policy: The SLP/GLP does not accept donations from political parties, elected officials, candidates seeking public office, advocacy groups, or other sources with a conflict of interest as determined by the SLP/GLP. With unsettled financial markets in 2020, the SLP/GLP Board decided to consider donations from corporations, but only on the condition that such contributions be walled off from editorial activities and not tied to deliverables.