Oceana
Oceana reported $34.7 million in revenue and $45.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $72.92 went to program services, $15.61 to management and general costs and $11.47 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $554,390 (COUNSEL THRU 7/24; CEO AS OF 7/24). 70 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 10% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $46MFor 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 $35MOther revenue was negative: −$324K. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 72.9% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.6% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 11.5% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.15 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.6% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $554,390 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.22% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 70 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 13.4 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 26 of 27 | 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 expenseInternationalin the other countries where oceana operates, our teams work with local communities to win policies that protect fisheries and livelihoods that depend on a healthy ocean. Our campaigns include establishing marine protected areas that serve as sanctuaries for commercially important fish to breed and grow, reforming outdated fishery laws to require science-based catch limits, tracking of fishing vessels, and practical management plans, banning the use of damaging bottom trawls, protecting marine resources for small-scale fishers, rebuilding the populations of forage fish to…
United statesin the united states, oceana is working on science-based policy campaigns to stop new offshore oil and gas development, reduce illegal fishing, protect marine habitat, save endangered species, reduce single-use plastics, and defend the nation's conservation laws.in 2024, our campaign goals included banning new offshore oil drilling in 625 million acres of federal waters, rebuilding the populations of pacific sardines, the basis of the food chain in the waters off the US west coast, saving endangered north atlantic right whales from the threats of ship collisions and entanglement…
Marketing and communicationskey achievements of oceana's marketing and communications department in 2024 are highlighted below:- oceana's grassroots base consisted of 6.3 million organizational supporters. - oceana has 9 million supporters worldwide
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COUNSEL THRU 7/24; CEO AS OF 7/24 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $498,693 | $0 | $55,697 | $554,390 |
| CHIEF POLICY OFFICER, NORT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $368,683 | $0 | $30,913 | $399,596 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $314,414 | $0 | $47,547 | $361,961 |
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER THRU 6/24 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $307,397 | $0 | $42,408 | $349,805 |
| CHIEF OF STAFF Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $295,541 | $0 | $45,595 | $341,136 |
| VP, GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $304,372 | $0 | $36,228 | $340,600 |
| SR. VP, STRATEGIC INITIATI Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $276,435 | $0 | $46,958 | $323,393 |
| CHIEF SCIENTIST & SVP Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $243,122 | $0 | $30,871 | $273,993 |
70 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Oceana (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.3M (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–1b27 · 26 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 2Yes
- 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 5175
- Volunteers Part I, line 635,149
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| M&R STRATEGIC SERVICES INC Digital advertising / fundraising consul | $488,940 |
| OGLETREE DEAKINS PC Legal counsel | $343,305 |
| BRITE IDEAS INC Av servies | $206,670 |
| ENGAGING NETWORKS Fundraising platform subscription & serv | $196,771 |
| ORACLE AMERICA INC Global financial reporting software | $167,371 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 11 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
121 private foundations reported grants to Oceana totaling $14M 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 Oceana's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Oceana, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Oceana spent in 2024, $72.92 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All environment charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of Oceana's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Oceana reported that 72.9% of its $45.5 million in expenses went to program services, 15.6% to management and general and 11.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Oceana pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Oceana reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $554,390, for the role of COUNSEL THRU 7/24; CEO AS OF 7/24 (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Oceana get its money?
Of $34.7 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 99.6% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Oceana a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 51-0401308 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 202502739349301935 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202412939349300501 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202332439349300448 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202201969349300005 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202102049349300745 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202021569349300042 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 51-0401308: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.