Algalita Marine Research and Education

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
330657882
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Long Beach, CA, USA
Phone
5625984889
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Marine Science and Oceanography

Reported finances

Revenue
$622,663
Expenses
$572,339
Assets
$830,035
Liabilities
$123,002

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KATIE ALLEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • MALLORY BURDEN (PRESIDENT)
  • NIKHIL DAVE (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • KATIE ALLEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $96,841 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To protect the marine environment and its watersheds through research, education, and restoration. The organization's main focus is onthe issue of plastic pollution and its effect on the marine ecosystem and potential risks to human health through the transfer of toxins from ingested plastic debris by fish and through the food chain. The organization's goal is to develop a clear understanding of the impact of plastics on our marine enviornment by educating the public about the ecological value and vulnerabilities of our oceans and how individual actions influence the marine ecosystem and human health.

What it reported doing in 2025

Algalita's education programs connect students to their local environment through hands-on, place-based learning that builds understanding of larger environmental systems. In 2025, 948 students and ~100 educators participated in 35 field trips, engaging in water quality testing, microplastics investigations, and ecosystem exploration. Through wayfinder society, our global education platform, we reached students in 100+ countries, engaging ~100,000 students through classroom toolkits and distributing 600+ kits. Students completed 1,289 environmental actions totaling 3,915 hours. Leadership opportunities included ocean action leadership camp (60 students selected) and paid internships for 8 community college students, supporting a pathway from learning to leadership.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 83
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.3%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 87.6%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $32.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.1%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.45; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.9%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.3% of revenue deployed · 87.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $501K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $97K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 29/100.