Sea Turtle Adventures Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 813999409
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2021–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020, Form 990-N 2018
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL, USA
- Phone
- 5617045911
- Rating
- 83
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Wildlife Preservation, Protection
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $527,375
- Expenses
- $553,662
- Assets
- $105,487
- Liabilities
- $207
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
6 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JACQUELYN LORNE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- JACQUELYN LORNE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $47,167 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The mission of sea turtle adventures inc ("sta") is to conserve local populations of sea turtles, educate the public about the marine environment, and provide nature-based programs to underserved communities.
What it reported doing in 2025
Sea turtle adventures, inc. Organization" is permitted through the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (fwc) to conduct activities related to sea turtle conservation. Activities include monitoring sea turtles nesting activities, responding to sea turtle stranding calls and conducting outreach and educational programs. The organization monitors a three-mile section of beach in south Florida (the southern park of ocean ridge, briny breezes, gulfstream park, and the town of gulf stream) for sea turtle nesting activity from march ist through october 31st. The organization usually monitors 600-700 nest each sea turtle nesting season. The organization also responds to sea turtle stranding and distress calls around palm beach county. Sick and injured turtles are transported to local rehabilitation facilities, while deceased turtles will have data collected and salvaged for research/educational purposes and/or properly disposed of according to fwc regulations. The organization also offers classroom programs through the sea turtle education program (s.t.e.p) to schoolgroups, hoas, and other community organizations. In addition, the organization also provides beach cleanups and educational opportunities for the public. In 2025, the organization documented 652 sea turtle nests resulting in 39,307 hatchlings, conducted 5 nightime lighting surveys to ensure dark beaches for nesting turtles, responded to 19 injured sea turtle stranding calls and facilitated 81 private sea turtle nest adoption for families. In addition, the organization held 14 cleanups with over 250 volunteers, removing over 600 pounds of trash, hosted two public sea turtle nest digs attended by over 40 volunteers, organized two mommy & me events attended by over 35 individuals and participated in five community sponsored educational events.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 89% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 79
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 25
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 90.5%; rating input score 90
- Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
- 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -5%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 8.5%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 10.3% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 24.8% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 90.5% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $477K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $47K · 6 people listed
- Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 10/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 41/100.