The Water Institute of the Gulf
The Water Institute of the Gulf reported $17.5 million in revenue and $16.7 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $75.77 went to program services, $24.23 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 96.6% of the total. Government grants made up 93.9%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $324,401 (CEO/PRESIDENT). 23 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 88% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $17MFor 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
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $17MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 75.8% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 24.2% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 96.6% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 93.9% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $324,401 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.94% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 23 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 2.6 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 10 of 11 | 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe Water Institute connects academic, public, and private research providers and conducts applied research to serve communities and industry. The institute conducts applied research that will help coastal communities and economies become more resilient to land subsidence, storms, rising sea levels, and other coastal threats. Key initiatives include development of numerical modeling and decision support tools, real-time forecasting, and comprehensive integrated risk assessment modeling to establish scientific benchmarks and provide guidance that will better inform policy makers, communities…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO/PRESIDENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $300,500 | $0 | $23,901 | $324,401 |
| SVP/COO Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $265,500 | $0 | $26,439 | $291,939 |
| SVP/CHIEF SCIENTIST Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $265,500 | $0 | $26,438 | $291,938 |
| DIRECTOR OF COASTAL & COMPOUND FLOOD RISK Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $230,900 | $0 | $17,144 | $248,044 |
| DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & POL Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $212,514 | $0 | $22,082 | $234,596 |
| DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL SOLUTI Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $211,800 | $0 | $22,332 | $234,132 |
| DIRECTOR OF COASTAL & DELT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $211,514 | $0 | $22,390 | $233,904 |
| VICE PRESIDENT FOR APPLIED RESEARCH Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $204,658 | $0 | $22,039 | $226,697 |
23 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Water Institute of the Gulf (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $832K (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
2024 · 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–1b11 · 10 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 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 598
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| APTIM ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE Subcontracts | $829,633 |
| LSU-OFFICE OF SPONSORED PROGRAM ACCOUNTI Subawards | $795,396 |
| COLIBRI ECOLOGICAL CONSULTING LLC Subcontracts | $749,636 |
| NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY Subawards | $132,352 |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Subawards | $118,697 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Water Institute of the Gulf's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Water Institute of the Gulf, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Water Institute of the Gulf spent in 2024, $75.77 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of The Water Institute of the Gulf's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, The Water Institute of the Gulf reported that 75.8% of its $16.7 million in expenses went to program services, 24.2% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Water Institute of the Gulf pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Water Institute of the Gulf reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $324,401, for the role of CEO/PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Water Institute of the Gulf get its money?
Of $17.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 96.6% came from contributions and grants (including 93.9% from government grants) and 3.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Water Institute of the Gulf a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 45-1066585 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202533189349313758 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413209349323696 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202323199349314102 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202213189349314776 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123409349301112 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202023219349321657 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 45-1066585: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.