Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770342442
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Carmel, CA, USA
Phone
8316497139
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities

Reported finances

Revenue
$192,801
Expenses
$97,570
Assets
$734,970
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

People named in this filing

  • JOHN ONEIL (CHAIR)
  • TODD BULLMAN (VICE CHAIR)
  • BEN HIGBIE UNTIL 0425 (SECRETARY)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Cclk's primary purpose is to promote public awareness, knowledge, and understanding of all maritime history of California's central coast and to restore and preserve point sur state historic park. The state park consists of the 19th century point sur light station and the cold war era former point sur naval facility.

What it reported doing in 2025

Cclk's largest program expense was for the preservation, restoration, and maintenance work on the 19th century buildings of point sur state historical park. Restoration work continued on the triplex that housed three keepers and their families. The work continued for the rebuild the porches on the west side of the building. Work began on the interior of the building that included the framing and installation of storm windows in the kitchen. Installed interior doors on the ground floor. The windows in the head keeper quarters were replaced and a new electrical system was installed at the former naval facility. Cclk continued its efforts to bring back the fresnel lens into the lantern room.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.9%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 94%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 49.4%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.53; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0% per year; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -8.5% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.9% of revenue deployed · 94% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $92K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.