Marine Science Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
832515263
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2019
Location
Stuart, FL, USA
Phone
4108019404
Rating
53
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Marine Science and Oceanography

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,557,079
Expenses
$1,981,918
Assets
$14,919,443
Liabilities
$560,434

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BRADLY KING (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • WILL FRISHE (H.C. EMPLOYE): $226,007 total reported compensation
  • DENNIS KINGSLEY (H. C. EMPLOY): $225,279 total reported compensation
  • SHARI KING (CHIEF FINANC): $221,000 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 bring the latest advancements in sensor and data collection/analysis technology to marine sceintists and laboratories to further marine conservation research.

What it reported doing in 2025

Msf's purpose is to bring the latest in sensor and data collection.analysis technology advancements to marine scientist and laboratories around the world to advance marine conservation and research.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 18
  • Sustainability: 77
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 40.8%; rating input score 41
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 64.3%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.53; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 53%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 25.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 35.3% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 48.7% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 40.8% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $226K · 5 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $421K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 41/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D land buildings reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.