Reefs Unknown
Legal name: Reefs Unknown Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 660970417
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2022–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2021
- Location
- St. Thomas, VI, US
- Phone
- 3407767235
- Rating
- 55
- Verdict
- MIXED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Marine Science and Oceanography
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $507,852
- Expenses
- $20,944
- Assets
- $1,493,656
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
5 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- VIKTOR BRANDTNERIS (PRESIDENT)
- SARAH HEIDMANN (VICE PRESIDENT & BOARD CHAIR)
People named in this filing
- VIKTOR BRANDTNERIS (PRESIDENT)
- SARAH HEIDMANN (VICE PRESIDENT & BOARD CHAIR)
- ANDREW HEMMERT (DIRECTOR)
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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Promoting research, education, and conservation of marginal coral reefs throughout the Eastern Caribbean and the world.
What it reported doing in 2024
Usvi deep lettuce coral reef study: reefs unknown also will research deep lettuce coral reefs, which are found by the drop offs in the virgin islands at depths between 190 to 240 feet. These very deep reefs are greatly threatened by climate change and human impacts. This activity will involve diving these reefs to gain a better understanding of the corals and then using the explorational dives to produce media used for educational purposes, thus increasing awareness of this vulnerable ecosystem. The deep lettuce coral reef study will utilize approximately 25% of the organization's resources, and about 50% of the principals' time. Mr. Brandtneris and ms. Heidmann will conduct the dives but will collaborate with educational institutions and with media outlets to share their productions with the community and beyond. This project will be financed by private donations. The usvi deep lettuce coral reef study will advance scholarship and educate the community about a variety of coral reefs that are highly threatened.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 90% 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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 12
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 76
- Sustainability: 96
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 2.5%; rating input score 3
- Program expense ratio: 32.2%; rating input score 32
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- 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: 95.9%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 71.32; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 47.3% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 48.2% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 4 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 8 operating locations identified
- Where the money goes: 2.5% of revenue deployed · 32.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
- Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
- 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 3/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 32/100.
- Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.