Global Orca Charity

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
920492790
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Oakland, CA, USA
Phone
2139056722
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$952
Expenses
$97,380
Assets
$6,307
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Ingrid N Visser (President-Chair)

People named in this filing

  • Ingrid N Visser (President-Chair)
  • Diane Fraleigh (Vice-Chair)
  • Terry Hardie (Treasurer)

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

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

Overview

Mission

The Global Orca Charity's primary purpose is to promote research & conservation of wild & captive orca. We achieve these goals by providing charitable assistance for scientific research, public education and professional expertise to better understand and protect wild and captive orca (killer whales, Orcinus orca) and to advance global awareness of the species, as well as environmental threats and human impact on orca health and welfare.

What it reported doing in 2025

Conferences / Workshops / Presentations: During the 5th International Orca Symposium (16-22 February 2025), at Tarifa Spain, a total of thirteen presentations (abstracts, oral, posters, video, workshops ) were supported by the GOC including (live and video presentations by Directors Cazenave, Fraleigh, Hardie, Makowski, Spiegl and Visser as follows: Bolaños-Jiménez, J., Visser, I. N. & Henriquez, A. (2025). The candidate IMMA "Southern Caribbean Upwelling System" is important for Orcinus orca. Abstract #42. Available from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Cooper, T. E. & Visser, I. N. (2025). Pelagic Predation A preliminary list of prey for an ecotype in New Zealand waters. Abstract #16. Available from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Copello, J. M., Cazenave, J., Coscarella, M. A., Bellazzi, G. M. & Visser, I. N. (2025). Rinse and repeat. The development of intentional stranding by orca (Orcinus orca) at Punta Norte, Argentina, through training, practice & cultural learning. Abstract #15. Available from www.pn_orca.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Copello, J. M., Pine, M. K., Cazenave, J., Coscarella, M. A., Tortolini, V., Bellazzi, G. M. & Visser, I. N. (2025). Waves of noise. The use of AI models to detect calls of Punta Norte Patagonia orca (Orcinus orca) recorded by intertidal hydrophones. Abstract #15. Available from www.pn_orca.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Fraleigh, D., Makowski, K., Sommer, H. & Visser, I. N. (2025). Head Banging: A graphic and gravely concerning behaviour in captive orca (Orcinus orca). Abstract #8. Oral Presentation with video, given at the plenary session. Available upon request from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. Tarifa, Spain. Hardie, T. M. & Visser, I. N. (2025). WTF[emale]!? Male orca (Orcinus orca) with mammary slits. Abstract #46. Available from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Song, Y. & Visser, I. N. (2025). Ultimate Generalist Predator: Global review of Orca (Orcinus orca) prey includes >200 species Abstract #9. Available from www.pn_orca.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Spiegl, M. V. & Visser, I. N. (2025). Don't Ask, Don't Tell. A Case Study of Ethical and Legal Considerations for a Wild-Born Orca in Captivity. Abstract #86. Available from http://www.freemorgan.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Spiegl-Visser-2025-Dont-Ask-Dont-Tell.-Morgan-Case-Study-FINAL.pdf. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Towers, J. R., Visser, I. N. & Prigollini, V. (2025). Underlying mechanisms, proximate causes, ultimate benefits and implications of why some wild killer whales offer prey to people. Abstract #63. Available from www.baycetology.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa, Spain. Visser, I. N. (2025). Mangrove estuaries, a unique hunting ground for orca. Going Green. Abstract #71. Available from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa, Spain. Visser, I. N., Van Ginneken, A., Ellifrit, D. K., Copello, J. M. & Cazenave, J. (2025). Orca (Orcinus orca) carry, consume, use as camouflage and 'catch' kelp. Abstract #39. Available from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa Spain. Visser, I. N., Talty, C. M., Black, N., Brodsky, E., Bubel, M., Cooper, T. E., Grimm, H., Hardie, T. M., Morandini, A. C., Robinson, C. & Shimotomai, T. (2025). Spicy food or stinging toys? Interactions between orca and jellyfish. Abstract #7. Available from www.orcaresearch.org. 5th International Orca Symposium. 16-22 February. Tarifa, Spain. Over the course of the video session of the 5th International Orca Symposium, Director Cazenave, as a representative of the Punta Norte Orca Research team, presented a compilation

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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 revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 99
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 98.3%; rating input score 98

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -10,129%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.06; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 144.5% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -144.1% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -67.3% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 98.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 4 filed program accomplishments · $96K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.