Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jun 2014.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
6 people listed on the 990; $13K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).
Ira Levine’s $221K as CEO is at the 88th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1851 $1–10M environment nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 6 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ira Levine | $221,000 | $201,577 | $162,000 | — | — |
| Jakob Nalley | — | — | $13,400 | $7,900 | $4,750 |
| Jesse Traller Ojeda | — | — | $3,780 | — | — |
| Phillip Pienkos | — | — | — | $3,400 | — |
| Philip Pienkos | — | — | $2,000 | — | — |
| Jesse Traller | — | — | — | $2,000 | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
See Algae Foundation executive salaries →Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Promotes algae's power for sustainable energy, nutrition, products, and ecological services globally.
Questions for Algae Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. Algae Foundation answers here, for everyone.
Algae Technology Educational Consortium
The first initiative of the algae foundation in stem workforce development is the establishment of the algae technology educational consortium (atec) to develop algal based education and training platforms to develop the next generation of algal professionals and an algal literate nation. The efforts include: 1.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2021. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 46-2312083) · Dispute this lineCompleted independent contractor contracts and entered into agreements with university of california, san diego, austin community college, new mexico film resources, inc, and university of texas, austin.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2021. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 46-2312083) · Dispute this lineProvided grants to eligible students to attend the virtual algae biomass summit. Students were able to attend all sessions of interest. The students also attended private sessions with scientists, professors, and private sector algal industry leaders.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2021. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 46-2312083) · Dispute this lineFunders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $449K | $533K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $449K | $533K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $1K | $4K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $448K | $529K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5 | $13K | $13K | ||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $64K | $57K | $7K | |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $6K | $5K | $607 | |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $20K | $20K | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $2K | $2K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $2K | $1K | $805 | |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $7K | $7K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $36K | $18K | $18K | |
| TravelLn 17 | $55K | $55K | ||
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $3K | $3K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $4K | $4K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $241K | $241K | ||
| All other expensesLn 24e | $24K | $19K | $5K | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $478K | $420K | $58K | $0 |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Oct 6, 2025 | $1.2M | $1.1M | $82K | $1.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 6, 2024 | $1.5M | $1.0M | $465K | $1.4M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2023 | $986K | $756K | $230K | $739K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Oct 27, 2022 | $559K | $478K | $81K | $529K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS May 12, 2021 | $356K | $376K | −$20K | $448K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990
Part I · Summary $558,844 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 3 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $558,844 across 5 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $478,081 across 13 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $532,706 assets, 10 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $528,613 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file FY2021 from the IRS (about our sources) · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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