Organization
Kai Poma
Not yet reviewed by this nation. What follows comes from public records and research. It does not speak for the nation.
Kai Poma, a nonprofit formed by three Pomo tribal governments, received the 136-acre Blues Beach in Mendocino County from Caltrans; the deed was recorded July 6, 2026, per The Mendocino Voice.
- Kind
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by three Pomo tribal governments
- Native-led
- yes-verified
- Works with
- Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians; Round Valley Indian Tribes; Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
- Region
- Willits, CA; Blues Beach near Westport, Mendocino County
- Focus
- Receive and steward Blues Beach (136 acres), first state-owned land transfer of its kind in California per ActiveNorCal
- Registry
- EIN 88-0548030 (ProPublica; exempt March 2022; FY2023 Form 990-EZ revenue $117K)
What happened
Kai Poma is a nonprofit founded by representatives of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Round Valley Indian Tribes and Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, three tribes with ancestral ties to the Mendocino County coast, according to KRCR. ProPublica lists Kai Poma in Willits, California, under EIN 88-0548030, with tax exemption issued in March 2022. Its own website showed only a "coming soon" page.
KRCR reported on July 13, 2026 that a 136-acre beach property near Westport, Blues Beach, would be transferred from the state to Kai Poma. Caltrans described it as the first transfer of land managed by Caltrans and owned by California to a Native nonprofit. The California Transportation Commission approved the transfer on June 26. The Mendocino Voice reported that legislation by Sen. Mike McGuire, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, allowed Caltrans to transfer the beach at no cost to a qualified nonprofit.
Kai Poma Chairman Eddie Knight said preserving and restoring the beach supports tribal practices such as "harvesting food, harvesting medicine, and safeguarding sites of historical and spiritual significance." Governor Newsom said the land will be managed under the stewardship of local tribes.
Reports differ on timing. KRCR says the land will be transferred; The Mendocino Voice says it has been transferred, as Caltrans announced. The Mendocino Voice reports the deed was recorded on July 6, 2026.
Good to know. Reports differ on whether Blues Beach has already been transferred or will be. Kai Poma has no donation channel.
Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error
What the sources say, and how this was checked
Supported by the sources below; some details rest on one source.
The land will be transferred to Kai Poma, a nonprofit founded by representatives of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians
KRCR - California returning 136 acres of Mendocino County coast to Native tribesThe California Transportation Commission approved the land transfer of Blues Beach on Friday, June 26.
KRCR - California returning 136 acres of Mendocino County coast to Native tribesallowed Caltrans to transfer Blues Beach near Westport at no cost to a qualified nonprofit corporation
The Mendocino Voice - Blues Beach near Westport transfers to local tribal nonprofitPreserving and restoring Blues Beach supports ongoing tribal practices such as harvesting food, harvesting medicine
KRCR - California returning 136 acres of Mendocino County coast to Native tribesTax exemption issued: March 2022
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Kai Poma
Research notes. Timing is unsettled: KRCR (July 13, 2026) says "will be transferred"; The Mendocino Voice (July 2026) says "has been transferred." The record notes the deed was not recorded as of July 7, 2026. The Mendocino Voice article is paywalled after its first paragraph. The 2021 bill number was not read in a fetched source. Kai Poma has no donation channel; its site is a placeholder, so do not list a donation URL.
We have not verified this organization well enough to link to it. See our donation integrity policy.
Connections
Links marked “suggested” were matched automatically by name or date and have not yet been reviewed by a person.
Works with 4
- Coyote Valley Band of Pomosuggested
- Pomosuggested
- Round Valley Indian Tribessuggested
- Sherwood Valley Band of Pomosuggested
Works in 1
- Californiasuggested
Supports the return of 1
Sources
No source is linked to this record yet. That is a gap we are working to close.
The record’s fields
- Vetting notes
- kaipoma.org is a 'new website coming soon' placeholder with no donation channel. Do NOT list a donation URL. Transfer approved by the California Transportation Commission June 26, 2026; deed not recorded as of July 7, 2026 reporting. [V3 2026-10-16] HOLD: confirmed that kaipoma.org is a WordPress "Coming Soon" page with no donation channel; the website field no longer carries a link and no URL node should be built for it. EIN 88-0548030 resolves on ProPublica to Kai Poma, Willits CA (exempt Mar 2022, FY2023 revenue $117,000). Do not list any giving channel until Kai Poma publishes one. Website: kaipoma.org is a "coming soon" placeholder as of 2026-10-16; no official site found; do not render as a link.
- Kind
- Organization
- Confidence
- Medium
- Nation review
- Not yet reviewed by this nation