Protecting whales and their habitats

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$37K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $106K a year · 40% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
96%
of spending
Looks good: 96% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$37K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
24 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 24.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $66K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$283K
+35% vs prior year
Spent
$187K
To programs
96%
Net assets
$381K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$283K
FY2024▲ +35%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$76K
FY2021$78K
FY2022$216K
FY2023$210K
FY2024$283K
FY2025$360K
Expenses
$187K
FY2024▲ +28%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$56K
FY2023$146K
FY2024$187K
FY2025$255K
Net assets
$381K
FY2024▲ +34%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$76K
FY2021$70K
FY2022$203K
FY2023$285K
FY2024$381K
FY2025$485K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2014.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

96 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 96% · $178K Management & general 4% · $8K Fundraising 0% · $421

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

1 person listed on the 990; $37K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$36,667Pt VII · Sec A

Michael Fishback’s $52K as President is at the 60th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1220 $100K–1M animals 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Michael Fishback$51,667—————
Michael Fishbach—$36,667$40,000$15,777$23,000$21,000

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 Great Whale Conservancy executive salaries →

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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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Protects and aids the survival of large whale populations.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $178K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Educating the public at various locations

$178Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$283K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$283K
Money outPt IX
$187K
Ln 25
Programscol B$178K
Managementcol C$8K
Fundraisingcol D$421
Owns and owesPt X
$381K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$381K
Total assetsLn 16$381K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
1
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$283K
Total revenueLn 12$283K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$381K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$381K
Total assetsLn 16$381K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$381K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$290K$381K
Total assetsLn 16$290K$381K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K$0
Net assetsLn 32$285K$381K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$37K$37K$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$37K$37K$0$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$553$0$553$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$8K$8K$0$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$0$1K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$6K$6K$0$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$4K$4K$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$3K$0$3K$0
Information technologyLn 14$2K$0$2K$0
OccupancyLn 16$3K$3K$0$0
TravelLn 17$17K$17K$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$59K$59K$0$0
InsuranceLn 23$26$26$0$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$10K$8K$903$421
Total functional expensesLn 25$187K$178K$8K$421

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $360K$255K$105K$485K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $283K$187K$96K$381K 990 PDF
FY2023 $210K$146K$64K$285K 990 PDF
FY2022 $216K$56K$160K$203K 990 PDF
FY2021 $78K$70K 990 PDF
FY2020 $76K$76K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $282,560 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $209,736$282,560
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $209,736$282,560
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $5,925$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $94,666$81,934
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $45,262$104,691
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $145,853$186,625
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $63,883$95,935
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $282,560 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$30,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$252,560
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$282,560
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$282,560
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $186,625 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $36,667 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$36,667
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $36,667 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$36,667
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $0 · Management $553 · Fundraising $0$553
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,047 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$8,047
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $1,050 · Fundraising $0$1,050
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $6,000 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$6,000
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $4,107 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$4,107
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $0 · Management $3,048 · Fundraising $0$3,048
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $0 · Management $2,344 · Fundraising $0$2,344
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,771 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$2,771
IX-17 TravelPrograms $16,865 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$16,865
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $58,674 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$58,674
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $26 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$26
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $8,482 · Management $903 · Fundraising $421$9,806
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $178,306 · Management $7,898 · Fundraising $421$186,625
Part X · Balance sheet $380,550 assets, 6 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $289,710$380,550
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $289,710$380,550
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,095$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $284,615$380,550
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $284,615$380,550
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $289,710$380,550
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $380,550 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$282,560
XI-2 Total expenses$186,625
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$95,935
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$284,615
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$380,550

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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