Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Great Lakes Fishery Commission reported $80.3 million in revenue and $70.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $92.41 went to program services, $7.59 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 85.1% of the total. Government grants made up 85.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $299,333 (Communications Program Director). 10 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 27% between FY2021 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $70MFor context, the median across 245 covered animal-related charities: $83.96 programs, $9.42 management, $6.62 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $80MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 92.4% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 7.6% | 9.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 6.5% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 85.1% | 67.3% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 85.1% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 19.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $299,333 | $314,886 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.43% | 1.63% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 10 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 16.8 | 26.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 9 of 9 | 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 expenseResearch Program - Research contracts, workshops, and task forces were elements of a coordinated program of the Great Lakes Research Program designed to recommend to the U.S. and Canadian federal governments the measures needed to permit maximum sustained productivity of fish stocks
Sea Lamprey Management Program - Great Lakes Fishery Commission contracts annually with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to conduct a program that eradicates or minimizes sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes. This is a current and long-term goal. Lampricides are chemicals used as the major means of controlling sea lamprey in the commission's ongoing program of sea lamprey management in the Great Lakes. These chemicals are purchased annually
Infrastructure - The Great Lakes Fishery Commission relies on physical infrastructure in its programs including 1) sea lamprey barriers, 2) sea lamprey traps, 3) biological stations, 4) workspace, and 5) researcher accommodations. Sea lamprey barriers are extremely cost-effective and provide an assumed 50-year life span. Barriers are used as a means of controlling sea lamprey by blocking streams and rivers in which they migrate to spawn. These are current and long-term projects
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communications Program Director Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $251,755 | $0 | $47,578 | $299,333 |
| Director of Corporate Services Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $246,648 | $0 | $34,733 | $281,381 |
| Fishery Management Program Director Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $217,757 | $0 | $63,117 | $280,874 |
| Science Program Director Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $213,669 | $0 | $55,484 | $269,153 |
| Sea Lamprey Control Program Director Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $206,870 | $0 | $29,009 | $235,879 |
| Communications Program Director Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $167,825 | $0 | $52,257 | $220,082 |
| Executive Secretary Key employee, former, 40 hrs/week | $151,185 | $0 | $420 | $151,605 |
10 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Great Lakes Fishery Commission (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $262K (Part IX, line 5).
5 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–1b9 · 9 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13No
- 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 534
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Great Lakes Fishery Commission's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Great Lakes Fishery Commission, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Great Lakes Fishery Commission spent in FY2025, $92.41 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- RewildAustin, TX · revenue $75M · programs 92.3% · FY2025
- Omaha Zoological SocietyOmaha, NE · revenue $82M · programs 93.2% · 2024
- Petsmart CharitiesPhoenix, AZ · revenue $71M · programs 92.9% · FY2026
- Houston ZooHouston, TX · revenue $83M · programs 86.2% · 2024
- Nashville ZooNashville, TN · revenue $70M · programs 85.7% · 2025
All animal-related charities · Largest charities in Michigan
Questions people ask
How much of Great Lakes Fishery Commission's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Great Lakes Fishery Commission reported that 92.4% of its $70.0 million in expenses went to program services, 7.6% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Great Lakes Fishery Commission pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Great Lakes Fishery Commission reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $299,333, for the role of Communications Program Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Great Lakes Fishery Commission get its money?
Of $80.3 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 85.1% came from contributions and grants (including 85.1% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Great Lakes Fishery Commission a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 38-1539304 as a 501(c)(3) organization (supporting organization (509(a)(3))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 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 September 30, 2025, object 202632129349300348 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202512209349301751 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202432139349300603 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202312099349300526 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202310109349300506 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 38-1539304: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.