Crystal Cove Conservancy
Crystal Cove Conservancy reported $3.9 million in revenue and $4.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $77.60 went to program services, $10.40 to management and general costs and $12.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 89.2% of the total. Government grants made up 43.3%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $289,559 (PRESIDENT/CEO). 3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 59% 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 $4.3MFor context, the median across 237 covered recreation & sports charities: $88.05 programs, $10.89 management, $1.06 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 $3.9MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 77.6% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.4% | 10.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 12.0% | 1.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.15 | $0.05 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 89.2% | 25.2% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 43.3% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 3.8% | 61.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $289,559 | $365,322 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 6.75% | 2.14% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 28.8 | 14.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 23 of 23 | 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 expenseRestore:located on the historic unceded lands and waters of the acjachemen and tongva tribal nations, Crystal Cove state park comprises 400 acres of coastal bluff habitat, 3.2 miles of mostly undeveloped beaches, 2400 acres of backcountry habitat, an 1100-acre offshore marine protected area, and a 12-acre historic district listed on the national register of historic places. As part of its mission as the nonprofit partner to Crystal Cove state park, Crystal Cove Conservancy (the conservancy) has restored 41 of the 46 historic structures in the park - an enclave of 45 beach cottages and a world…
Educate:the conservancy's unique value proposition holds the critical importance of equipping young people for the environmental challenges of tomorrow at its core and acknowledges that the best way to learn science is by doing science: teach students while they explore real world problems in real contexts alongside real scientists and engineers. Currently, the conservancy's STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education programs engage more than 6,785 k-12 students from 76 schools in 2 states in real conservation work is helping further understanding of how Crystal Cove and…
Protect:Crystal Cove state park is part of an interconnected landscape. While the boundaries that define it are invisible to the plants and animals that live here, how we manage the land within those boundaries has impact far beyond its borders. The park is one of the last remaining undeveloped stretches along orange county's coastline and includes riparian and oak woodland habitats, as well as a rocky intertidal zone and a transient kelp forest in the offshore underwater park. These projected ecosystems are part of the larger south coast wilderness open space, which stretches to laguna coast…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT/CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $281,667 | $0 | $7,892 | $289,559 |
| VICE PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $204,909 | $0 | $5,983 | $210,892 |
| CHIEF OF OPERATIONS (UNTIL 10/2024) Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $0 | $196,404 | $11,214 | $207,618 |
| DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $102,757 | $0 | $2,750 | $105,507 |
3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Crystal Cove Conservancy (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $500K (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–1b23 · 23 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 11aNo
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 538
- Volunteers Part I, line 6175
Private foundation grants it received
19 private foundations reported grants to Crystal Cove Conservancy totaling $790K 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 Crystal Cove 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 Crystal Cove Conservancy, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Crystal Cove Conservancy spent in FY2025, $77.60 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All recreation & sports charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Crystal Cove Conservancy's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Crystal Cove Conservancy reported that 77.6% of its $4.3 million in expenses went to program services, 10.4% to management and general and 12.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Crystal Cove Conservancy pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Crystal Cove Conservancy reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $289,559, for the role of PRESIDENT/CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Crystal Cove Conservancy get its money?
Of $3.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 89.2% came from contributions and grants (including 43.3% from government grants) and 3.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Crystal Cove Conservancy a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 33-0878633 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, object 202631349349303928 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 (amended), object 202531829349301913 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401369349317710 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202332909349300003 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202201339349310200 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202111379349307481 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 33-0878633: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.