Ocean Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy reported $48.8 million in revenue and $49.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $74.07 went to program services, $11.42 to management and general costs and $14.51 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 94.2% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $750,028 (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER). 86 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 45% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $49MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $49MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 74.1% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.4% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 14.5% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.16 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 94.2% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 2.2% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $750,028 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.52% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 86 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 20.9 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 14 of 15 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseCross-cutting work: Ocean Conservancy has multiple cross-cutting programs to support the three key pillars - protecting biodiversity, preventing ocean plastics, and mitigating climate change. Our government relations work engages directly with governments at all levels to advance policies that protect the ocean. Ocean Conservancy is an evidence-based organization that ensures we are pursuing solutions that are backed by science. Our communications and marketing work inspires people to care about and take action for our ocean through the media as well as digital and social channels. This…
Protecting biodiversity: our ocean is home to an incredible diversity of life, feeding billions and supporting cultures and livelihoods around the world. But the ocean's bounty is under threat from unsustainable extraction, overfishing, plastic pollution and a warming ocean. Ocean Conservancy works in partnership with indigenous and local communities to ensure that the ocean and the people who rely on it can thrive for generations to come. We protect biodiversity hotspots with an emphasis on the arctic, work toward zero lost or discarded fishing gear in the ocean and supporting sustainable…
Preventing ocean plastics: 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually equivalent to a garbage truck's worth of plastic every single minute. Plastic pollution can be deadly to marine animals that eat or become trapped in it. Grounded in our cutting-edge research, Ocean Conservancy focuses on two critical solutions to the crisis: reducing production of the single-use plastics most dangerous to ocean life, and cleaning up 1 billion pounds of ocean plastic by 2050. Ocean Conservancy advocates at the global, national, state and local levels for policies that reduce production of…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Director/trustee, officer, 50.00 hrs/week | $687,729 | $0 | $62,299 | $750,028 |
| CHIEF CONSERVATION OFFICER Key employee, 45.00 hrs/week | $298,884 | $0 | $29,863 | $328,747 |
| FORMER EVP (UNTIL 06/2024) Former, 45.00 hrs/week | $297,680 | $0 | $24,575 | $322,255 |
| VP, CONSERVATION Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $242,866 | $0 | $56,374 | $299,240 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 45.00 hrs/week | $259,558 | $0 | $31,627 | $291,185 |
| CHIEF BRAND & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Officer, 45.00 hrs/week | $250,940 | $0 | $39,646 | $290,586 |
| DEPUTY CHIEF OF DEVELOPMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $220,024 | $0 | $53,397 | $273,421 |
| SENIOR ADVISOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $203,283 | $0 | $45,497 | $248,780 |
86 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Ocean Conservancy (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.9M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b15 · 14 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5174
- Volunteers Part I, line 6566,079
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| 17 SPORT SAS Brand/marketing consulting | $628,138 |
| NEWPORT ONE INC Fundraising consulting | $463,964 |
| COMMUNITY COUNSELING SERVICE CO LLC Change management consulting | $437,250 |
| NATURAL RESOURCES CONSULTANTS INC Project management and consulting | $324,550 |
| THREESPOT MEDIA LLC Communication and marketing consutling | $293,894 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 25 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
256 private foundations reported grants to Ocean Conservancy totaling $15M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Ocean Conservancy's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Ocean Conservancy, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Ocean Conservancy spent in FY2025, $74.07 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Sustainable Energy UtilityDover, DE · revenue $49M · programs 95.1% · FY2025
- Climate United FundBethesda, MD · revenue $49M · programs 69.9% · FY2025
- Center for International Forestry ResearchAlexandria, VA · revenue $49M · programs 84.2% · 2024
- Great Basin InstituteReno, NV · revenue $50M · programs 87.1% · 2025
- The Living DesertPalm Desert, CA · revenue $48M · programs 88.0% · FY2025
All environment charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of Ocean Conservancy's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Ocean Conservancy reported that 74.1% of its $49.5 million in expenses went to program services, 11.4% to management and general and 14.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Ocean Conservancy pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Ocean Conservancy reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $750,028, for the role of CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Ocean Conservancy get its money?
Of $48.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 94.2% came from contributions and grants (including 2.2% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Ocean Conservancy a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-7245152 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (amended), object 202601389349301550 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202540909349300414 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202410519349301101 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202310459349300031 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202240459349301774 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202140299349300149 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-7245152: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.