Reef Environmental Education Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
650270064
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2016
Location
Key Largo, FL, USA
Phone
3058520030
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,587,911
Expenses
$2,816,760
Assets
$8,442,457
Liabilities
$391,832

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

People named in this filing

  • BYRON BISHOP (VICE CHAIR)
  • MARTA HILTON BONATZ (CHAIR)
  • JANET CAMP (TRUSTEE)

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

Reef environmental education foundation (reef) was established as a nonprofit organization in 1990. Reef conserves marine environments worldwide. Our mission is to protect biodiversity and ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public through citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community. Reef connects ocean enthusiasts and the dive community with scientists and resource managers through data collection activities and education initiatives. The reef campus in key largo, fl serves as a visitors center for education and outreach to the public.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2023, reef continued to protect marine environments through education, service and research. Reef provides education and outreach activities to build and inspire a community of ocean stewards. The reef campus in key largo fl serves as a visitors center to educate and engage the public with marine conservation. We also conduct online programming such as webinars and other interactive content. We conduct in-person programming led by reef staff as well as the wide network of partners including dive shops and clubs, nature centers, and public aquaria. Public engagement with conservation is also fulfilled through the volunteer fish survey project, regarded as one of the most effective and powerful ocean citizen science programs. It gives divers and snorkelers an engaging and meaningful way to support marine conservation. Participants scuba dive and snorkel to collect and report information on marine fish populations as well as sea turtles and select invertebrate and algae species. This data is used to better understand and protect ocean ecosystems worldwide. Fisheries protections around the world depend on high-quality data. With reef data, submitted by citizen scientists, researchers are making exciting discoveries about marine ecosystems, and policymakers have more information to refine conservation efforts. Volunteers collect and submit data on marine life sightings. It has generated the largest marine life sightings database, an unparalleled source of information that provides invaluable insight into the health, status, and threats of ocean habitats and animals.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 80% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 53.9%; rating input score 54
  • Program expense ratio: 87.3%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $39.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 38.6%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 53.9% of revenue deployed · 87.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 54/100.