Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
020523308
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Portsmouth, NH, USA
Phone
6034310260
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Protection of Endangered Species

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$461,055
Expenses
$494,737
Assets
$46,635
Liabilities
$4,850

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JENNIFER KENNEDY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNIFER KENNEDY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $76,081 total reported compensation
  • DIANNA SCHULTE (DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH): $56,874 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to protect marine life in the gulf of Maine through research, education, and inspiring action. Our most significant activities are studying marine life off the nh coast, conducting over 200 community beach cleanups each year, running educational programs at our blue ocean discovery center in hampton beach, nh, and lastly conducting interactive presentations for schools and groups throughout the new england region.

What it reported doing in 2025

Interactive educational programs - provide hands-on programs in schools and at our blue ocean discovery center in hampton beach, to teach people about marine life and inspire them to protect the ocean. School programs feature our life-sized inflatable whale and pollution prevention education. Our blue ocean discovery center features touch tanks and a variety of other exhibits about the gulf of Maine and marine conservation. Together, these programs reach approximately 22,000 people annually.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 17
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 64.6%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $138.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -7.3%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.09; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.9%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71% of revenue deployed · 64.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $320K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $76K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 7/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 22/100.