Sea of Clouds
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 821980331
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2018–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2024
- Location
- San Diego, CA, USA
- Phone
- 6194555119
- Rating
- 87
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Alliance/Advocacy Organizations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $88,857
- Expenses
- $80,511
- Assets
- $28,596
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
4 people listed
People named in this filing
- MICHAEL BLUM (Executive Dir.)
- BRET LEECE (Treasurer)
- JACOB RAUZON (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-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Sea of clouds is a multidisciplinary, nonprofit organization interested in coastal spaces and the communities connected to them. Sea of clouds' practice spans the fields of heritage conservation/historic preservation and environmental conservation. Sea of clouds' work illuminates the human dimensions of natural ecosystems--essential connections between nature and culture.
What it reported doing in 2024
(1) to recognize and commemorate long beach, California's (los angeles county) early surfing history, the site of the 1938 national surfing and paddleboard championships event. This contest, viewed by 40,000 spectators, was one of the sport's first organized contests in the continental united states. To recognize this community history, sea of clouds researched, prepared, and documented a California point of historical interest nomination with the California office of historic preservation. Nomination was recommended by the California state historical resources commission at their quaterly meeting in april, 2023.(2) to expand California's state marine conservation program to include areas of significant cultural, historical, and recreational value. Through sea of clouds advocacy: (1) the California fish and game commission has recommended within their 10-year workplan (2022-2032) to incorporate such maritime heritage conservation into the states marine protected area network design, and (2) the California department of parks and recreation has agreed to consider maritime heritage conservation within their strategic planning.(2) in collaboration with dr. Andy kirk, unlv department of history, initiated a national register of historic places multiple property submission (mps) on the growth of surfing in California. The mps will deliver a multiple property document cover sheet on the growth of surfing and three, new national register of historic places nominations based on the mpd. The mps is supported by the us national park service.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
- 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
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 80
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Sustainability: 36
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 77%; rating input score 77
- Program expense ratio: 85%; rating input score 85
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 9.4%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
- Officer compensation ratio: 86.9%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 14.6% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 77% of revenue deployed · 85% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $68K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
- Consistency: 6 of 6 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 0/100.