Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2017.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
84 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
9 people listed on the 990; $139K paid to officers and key staff.
Sherry Flumerfelt’s $139K as Executive Director is at the 58th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M education 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherry Flumerfelt | $138,749 | $105,100 | $57,211 |
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.
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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
- Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II1 listed
Programs and updates
Inspire curiosity through marine research, education, and art, celebrating scientific journeys.
Questions for Western Flyer Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. Western Flyer Foundation answers here, for everyone.
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The foundation maintained and operated the historic research vessel western flyer as the primary platform for its education, research, and outreach activities. During the fiscal year, the vessel supported expanded programming in monterey bay and completed its first extended expedition to mexico.
The western flyer foundation served over 1,700 students through marine science and place-based education programs delivered aboard the research vessel western flyer and in classroom and shore-based settings. Programs included at-sea and docked vessel experiences, a mentorship program, and science illustration and nature journaling.
The foundation conducted public outreach activities in california and mexico through events, presentations, free public vessel tours, and dockside programming, engaging approximately 10,000 community MEMBERS.THE foundation also advanced production of its short film,we simply liked it, extending its educational and storytelling reach.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $245K | $81K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $6.9M | $6.5M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $7.4M | $6.7M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $352K | $314K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $7.1M | $6.3M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $172K | $65K | $38K | $69K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $224K | $216K | $5K | $3K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $9K | $8K | $566 | $419 |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $20K | $18K | $838 | $603 |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $30K | $22K | $3K | $5K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $600 | $460 | $69 | $71 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $37K | $29K | $4K | $4K |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $375K | $283K | $48K | $44K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $1K | $133 | $1K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $55K | $45K | $4K | $7K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $7K | $2K | $4K | |
| TravelLn 17 | $75K | $34K | $478 | $41K |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $32K | $20K | $12K | |
| InterestLn 20 | $15K | $806 | $15K | |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $763K | $763K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $123K | $113K | $10K | |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $196K | $182K | $7K | $6K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $2.1M | $1.8M | $139K | $193K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest Viewing | $1.4M | $2.1M | −$743K | $6.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $2.1M | $1.4M | $613K | $7.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $2.0M | $397K | $1.6M | $6.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $1.5M | $112K | $1.4M | $4.6M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $703K | $152K | $551K | $3.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $1.1M | −$14K | $1.2M | $2.7M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,391,527 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,391,527 across 8 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,134,473 across 17 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $6,661,907 assets, 11 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,348,100 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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