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2456 South Signal Street
San Pedro CA 90731
San Pedro CA | IRS ruling year: 2014 | EIN: 46-3977904
TO BRING TOGETHER SCIENCE, BUSINESS AND EDUCATION TO GENERATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABILITY. ALTSEA WORKS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE OC ... (More)
TO BRING TOGETHER SCIENCE, BUSINESS AND EDUCATION TO GENERATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABILITY. ALTSEA WORKS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE OCEAN IS INTERGRAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF HUMANKIND AND THE HEALTH OF THE EARTH. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 98%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 10/11 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 10/11 - 25/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 1.80% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 1.80% - 15/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 70.90% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 70.90% - 25/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
No Data Available
Key Persons data is currently unavailable for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles) or EIN (463977904) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Administrative Capacity
General operations (working from home)
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Fundraising was made more difficult. We normally have robust and active outreach to prospective donors and other supporters including site tours. This had to be modified using Zoom which was effective but less personal. Also, all donors including foundations were rethinking their giving in reaction to the pandemic.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
We offer in-person STEM education for K-12 students including fieldtrips. This had to be drastically reimagined. We offered online resources to help parents and online educators. We also provided online education programs working with LAUSD.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We became a virtual office during the pandemic by necessity. This had ripple effects to our operations. For example, we now have two staff meetings via Zoom and a "Coffee Chat" also on Zoom every week. We speak to each other much more frequently by phone. In order to continue operating outside the office we moved almost all of our files and records to a cloud server. Overall, we relied much more heavily on technology.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We created webinars and live chat programs on Zoom during the pandemic that featured leaders in ocean science and STEM. These were highly successful and, while we intend to move back to in-person programming as conditions improve, we also plan to continue with these online events. They extend our geographic reach for participants and speakers.
Not Currently Scored
Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles reported its largest program on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
EXPAND SCIENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCEAN. ALTASEA IS WORKING TOCONVENE AND SUPPORT THE WORLD'S BEST MARINE SCIENTISTS IN ASTATE-OF-THE ART URBAN OCEAN-BASED RESEARCH FACILITY, IN WHICH THEWORLD ... (More)
EXPAND SCIENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCEAN. ALTASEA IS WORKING TOCONVENE AND SUPPORT THE WORLD'S BEST MARINE SCIENTISTS IN ASTATE-OF-THE ART URBAN OCEAN-BASED RESEARCH FACILITY, IN WHICH THEWORLD'S LEADING RESEARCHERS WILL ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCEAN ANDDEVELOP CREATIVE AND CROSS-DISCIPLINARY SOLUTIONS.CATALYZE THE CREATION OF RELEVANT NEW INDUSTRIES. ALTASEA IS WORKING TOESTABLISH A BUSINESS HUB WHICH WILL SUPPORT NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESSESTHAT COMMERCIALIZE SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESTO CREATE OCEAN-RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.PIONEER CUTTING-EDGE EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS. ALTASEA ISDEDICATED TO IGNITING ENGAGEMENT AND EXCITEMENT IN PERSONS OF ALL AGESAND BACKGROUNDS WITH PROGRAMS THAT COMMUNICATE ABOUT THE OCEAN AND ITSIMPORTANCE TO OUR LIVES. (Less)
Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles has earned a 83% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - No Data Available - UnscoredConstituent Feedback - No Data Available - Unscored
Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 83/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 83/100 pts
100% of beacon score
This organization's score of 83 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 4 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (2/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (2/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Altasea at the Port of Los Angeles has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just and equitable world.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
We will turn to the ocean to develop solutions for some of the planet’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, energy supply and global food security – and prepare today’s generation of students for future jobs in science, technology, engineering, business and the ocean.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Complete installation of a solar energy array atop our 180,000 square foot ocean research and development facility.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: Expand STEM education programs with a continued focus on increasing access to STEM education and preparation for in-demand STEM careers among minoritized populations.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Complete renovation of the Center of Innovation that will house clusters in sustainable aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, and underwater robotics.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Staff and leadership including board members participated in a three-day workshop on social equity on a personal and company-wide level. Additionally, we completed a 360-degree review of leadership through an anonymous survey and follow-up discussions which led to several changes to policy and management practices.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
Partnerships are part of AltaSea's core strategy and we have formed many alliances with like-minded non-profit organizations as well as business ventures. We regularly participate in conferences and also host thought leaders at our site and online. In addition, we recently partnered with the LAEDC to produce an analysis of the growing Blue Economy in Los Angeles County. Every quarter, we hold open house events where the public is invited to learn about issues related to our mission. We rely heavily on our marketing and social media to push out or message and have also joined forces with a number of organizations such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development to amplify and support our common goals.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
In the face of the COVID-19 epidemic, AltaSea had to make many changes to adapt to developing conditions while continuing to serve our constituents and pursue our mission. Perhaps the most exciting change was the creation of Project Blue education programs. Initially conceived as an online response to the need for remote learning that would keep students safe, Project Blue has quickly grown into one of our most important educational resources for students, parents and teachers. Through Project Blue programs, and in conjunction with our collaborative partners, we provide a strong knowledge base in ocean science topics through virtual education experiences, including in-school classes, workshops, internships, and other learning resources available through our dedicated Project Blue website. Project Blue has proven a valuable asset and will continue to be an important part of our educational programming. Another successful adaptation is the creation of our Live Chat and Webinar series. Once or twice a month, we offer Zoom discussions featuring thought-leaders in ocean and STEM fields. These highly popular events were intended to fill the space left by our pre-pandemic Open House events. Open House programs took place at our site and became impossible. Given the positive reaction to the Webinar and Live Chat format, we intend to use this as an additional way to reach and inform the public. In terms of operations, AltaSea made the decision to shift to a virtual office environment. This response to the pandemic turned out to be highly effective and even increase our efficiency. After several months, leaderships made the decision to adopt this virtual work arrangement into our post-pandemic plans. We have now moved our office space to our project site and staff continues to work in a partially virtual manner. This has helped all of us to make advancements in managing the site and has also reduced our overhead expenses.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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