Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 261215705
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2009
- Location
- Charleston, SC, USA
- Phone
- 8439068686
- Rating
- 87
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Business and Industry
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $7,375,802
- Expenses
- $7,274,068
- Assets
- $3,359,786
- Liabilities
- $2,119,013
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
12 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DEBRA HERNANDEZ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- DEBRA HERNANDEZ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $200,056 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Secoora is the regional solution to integrating coastal and ocean observing data in the southeast united states to inform decision makers and the general public. The secoora region encompasses 4 states, over 42 million people and spans the coastal ocean from North Carolina to the west coast of Florida. We are creating customized products to address these thematic areas: marine operations; coastal hazards; ecosystems, water quality, and living marine resources.
What it reported doing in 2024
Provide ocean information to members and other parties. The organization is one of 11 regional coastal observing systems. Secoora collects data and creates tools that support human populations, coastal economies and a healthy, sustainable environment. Its observing system is comprised of multiple data products, moored and coastal stations, high-frequency radars, and a glider observatory.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 99% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 85% of its reported program spending out as grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 99
- Transparency & Controls: 68
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 33
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 98.2%; rating input score 98
- Program expense ratio: 99.5%; rating input score 100
- Fundraising efficiency: $4,035.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 85.3%; rating input score 85; 23rd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- 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: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 1.4%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.63; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2.8%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 98.2% of revenue deployed · 99.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7.2M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $200K · 12 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 43 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 42 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.
Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 39/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.
- Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
- High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.