Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 2002.
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.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
21 people listed on the 990; $1.2M paid to officers and key staff.
Mark J Spalding’s $272K as President is at the 55th percentile of top reported officer pay among 324 $10–100M 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark J Spalding | $271,551 | $361,013 | $331,854 | $300,258 | $285,586 |
| Shana Miller | $168,629 | $158,237 | $157,210 | $143,992 | $141,895 |
| Tamika Washington | $118,546 | $154,515 | $146,451 | $132,340 | $128,596 |
| Kate Morrison | — | $150,277 | $140,884 | $127,300 | $123,700 |
| Andrea Capuro | — | $137,200 | — | — | — |
| Erica Nunez | $136,630 | — | — | — | — |
| Benjamin Scheelk | $130,100 | — | — | — | — |
| Bobbi-Jo Dobush | — | $129,073 | — | — | — |
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
Programs and updates
Provides global communities with the financial, technical, and informational resources needed to restore marine habitats, improve ocean health, and build climate resilience.
Questions for The Ocean Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. The Ocean Foundation answers here, for everyone.
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Protecting Marine Habitats and Special Places- Our oceans are a mosaic of special places, from the bustling vibrancy of coral reefs to the tidal pools of the rocky coasts to the stark, glistening beauty of the frozen Arctic.
Expanding Ocean Literacy and Public Awareness- One of the most significant barriers to progress in the marine conservation sector is a lack of real understanding about the vulnerability and connectivity of ocean systems.
Protecting Species of Concern- For many of us, our first interest in the oceans began with an interest in the large animals that call it home. Whether it be the awe inspired by a gentle humpback whale, the undeniable charisma of a curious dolphin, or the ferocious gaping maw of a great white shark, these animals are more than just the…
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2024 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY24 | End FY24 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $1.9M | $564K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $14.5M | $14.5M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $26K | $1.1M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $21.9M | $23.2M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $3.1M | $4.4M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $18.8M | $18.9M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $1.7M | $1.7M | ||
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $99K | $99K | ||
| Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3 | $2.4M | $2.4M | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $551K | $494K | $19K | $38K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $3.7M | $2.6M | $831K | $247K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $212K | $147K | $51K | $14K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $354K | $242K | $91K | $21K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $325K | $226K | $77K | $22K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $338K | $321K | $16K | |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $17K | $17K | ||
| Lobbying feesLn 11d | $2K | $2K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $5.5M | $5.3M | $228K | $3K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $102K | $53K | $50K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $281K | $192K | $86K | $3K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $78K | $47K | $31K | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $225K | $82K | $134K | $9K |
| TravelLn 17 | $1.4M | $1.3M | $37K | $55K |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $205K | $188K | $7K | $10K |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $37K | $31K | $6K | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $77K | $30K | $46K | $41 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $1.2M | $1.2M | $8K | $8K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $26K | $6K | $17K | $3K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $18.8M | $16.6M | $1.8M | $432K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $13.2M | $15.8M | −$2.6M | $16.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 Viewing | $18.8M | $18.8M | $20K | $18.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $15.2M | $15.9M | −$762K | $15.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $11.8M | $11.5M | $255K | $15.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $9.1M | $8.5M | $640K | $15.6M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $18,847,028 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 14 of 15 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $18,847,028 across 10 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $18,826,931 across 22 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $23,212,933 assets, 20 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $18,850,836 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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