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209 MISSISSIPPI ST
San Francisco CA 94107-2528
San Francisco CA | IRS ruling year: 2015 | EIN: 46-4381820
MARALLIANCE EXPLORES, ENABLES AND INSPIRES CONSERVATION ACTION FOR THREATENED MARINE WILDLIFE, THEIR CRITICAL HABITATS AND DEPENDENT HUMAN COMMUNITIES.
Great
This charity's score is 99%, 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 As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Maralliance is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Maralliance 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 - 7/8 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 7/8 - 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 - Has Audit/Review - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Has Audit/Review - 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 - 2.62% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 2.62% - 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 - 92.95% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 92.95% - 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 (Maralliance) or EIN (464381820) 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.
Maralliance reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
We were unable to undertake field-work for over a year, and most of our partner fishers were prohibited from going to sea to conduct marine wildlife monitoring efforts that also serve as income supplementation or alternative for many. We could not meet in person to deliver education, training or planning for the team and online meetings are often not possible due to lack of access to internet or electronics by a range of our community based team members. We pivoted as best we could to online training, education and meetings for those who had access and equipment.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
The pandemic impacted our fundraising, as much of our work is conducted in the field and in person. As we recognized the pandemic would likely have longer term impacts than most expected, we took many precautions that were later seen as prescient. We closed all of our offices to save operational costs, placed our equipment into cheaper storage, and the team operated remotely in 5 countries. We cut our salaries to 50% for several months to ensure longer term survival of MarAlliance. Fortunately, we were able to move up to 75% salaries in the fall of 2020, and back to 100% salaries in the summer of 2021. During the height of the pandemic, when our fisher partners were prohibited from going to sea, we fundraised to provide living stipends to our 22 fisher partner families across 5 countries. For most, this was the only source of income they realized over the 5 funded months.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
We were unable to undertake field-work for over a year, and most of our partner fishers were prohibited from going to sea to conduct marine wildlife monitoring efforts that also serve as income supplementation or alternative for many. We could not meet in person to deliver education, training or planning for the team and online meetings are often not possible due to lack of access to internet or electronics by a range of our community based team members. We pivoted as best we could to online training, education and meetings for those who had access and equipment.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Same as above: We closed all of our offices to save operational costs, placed our equipment into cheaper storage, and the team operated remotely in 5 countries. Staff were given the tools to better work remotely, and we have remained in this modality since. We will likely now continue to work remotely, as the flexibility has enabled the hiring of talented individuals who otherwise would not have joined our organization. We are also taking the cost savings to improve salaries and hold more frequent localized team building and planning meetings, including an annual in person meeting, These are very helpful to bond our team across seascapes and country boundaries.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
As noted above: We will likely now continue to work remotely, as the flexibility has enabled the hiring of talented individuals who otherwise would not have joined our organization. We are also taking the cost savings to improve salaries and hold more frequent localized team building and planning meetings, including an annual in person meeting, These are very helpful to bond our team across seascapes and country boundaries. Due to our size, our lack of bureaucracy and dynamic, passionate team, we were nimbly able to pivot from marine wildlife research and conservation to provide community basic support such as PPE and food in areas where we represented the only outside support. We will retain this ability to support communities for future emergencies.
Not Currently Scored
Maralliance 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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Maralliance reported its largest program on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
MARALLIANCE CONDUCTS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MARINE MEGAFAUNA WITH A FOCUS ON HIGHLY MIGRATORY AND THREATENED SPECIES in CORAL REEF/COASTAL HABITATS in TROPICAL COUNTRIES. THE ORGANIZATION UNDERTAKES L ... (More)
MARALLIANCE CONDUCTS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MARINE MEGAFAUNA WITH A FOCUS ON HIGHLY MIGRATORY AND THREATENED SPECIES in CORAL REEF/COASTAL HABITATS in TROPICAL COUNTRIES. THE ORGANIZATION UNDERTAKES LONG-TERM MONITORING OF POPULATIONS IN RELATION TO THEIR HABITATS, AND ASSESSES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONSERVATION MEASURES, NOTABLY THE USE OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS) IN THE LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF MARINE MEGAFAUNA. TRAINING, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE ORGANISATION'S OBJECTIVES TO PROMOTE THE INCLUSION OFMARINE MEGAFAUNA IN MANAGEMENT PLANS, CONSERVATION ACTIONS, ANDSUSTAINABLE NON-CONSUMPTIVE USES, SUCH AS WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER TOURISM. THESE PROGRAMS TARGET 1) RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION PARTNERS,INCLUDING MPA MANAGERS AND DECISION-MAKERS, 2) FISHERS AND TOURISM GUIDES, 3) STUDENTS, AND 4) THE GENERAL PUBLIC. (Less)
Maralliance has earned a 90% 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 - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. 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.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
While conducting our field work, education, training work we are generally working with small scale fishers, local and international university students, scientists (local and international), marine protected areas managers, other NGOs, government decision-makers, community-based women, and the private sector both small and medium sized.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Implementing changes based on feedback received e.g. increased comms and meetings has led to greater trust from and availability of stakeholders. It has also been key to ensuring that ownership of processes and outcomes are better owned by the constituents served, in many cases fisher partners and MPA managers.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from our clients, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
We communicate our results more frequently via social media in ways that are more accessible to a broader public. Post pandemic, we are starting to meet with constituents again to gauge the progress, impacts and outcomes of our projects, to plan collaboratively and to listen for feedback on direction, necessary changes and perceptions of work.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 85/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 85/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 85 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 5 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 (1/7) | |
|---|---|
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 (4/7) | |
|---|---|
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. | |
Maralliance 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
MarAlliance explores, enables and inspires conservation action for threatened marine wildlife and their critical habitats with dependent communities.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Marine wildlife thrives throughout healthy tropical seas and stewarded by communities.
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: Create scientific baselines and long term monitoring programs for threatened marine wildlife as a tool to engage, empower local actors and measure legislative and conservation effectiveness.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Two: Replicate successes and scale approaches and conservation action while remaining nimble to easily pivot and meet needs articulated by our stakeholders in a rapidly changing field and world.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Three: Expand, strengthen and diversify our team further to ensure strong local leadership and stewardship of projects, processes and ultimately marine wildlife.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
In the past year, we have enabled 3 staff to take part in formal leadership training and 12 to take part in informal leadership work. We expect to increase this investment to more staff, young adults and fisher partners in 2023 with hoped for increases in funding.
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
We have catalysed and form part of several strategic partnerships and networks including the Whitley Fund for Nature, the Wildlife Conservation Network, the Belize Network of NGOs, the Panamanian NGO Alliance, the IUCN Species Specialist Groups and more. We regularly present at conferences (local and international), publish peer reviewed research as well as lay articles. Our work is founded on building the capacities of others, especially young local scientists and fishers. Our comms and media are active across multiple platforms that share our work, our mission and also uplift partners and other like work and conservation efforts. We help to bridge community based science and work with country and international level policies, with species and site specific policies put in place due to our efforts and work with decision-makers.
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.
As with so many worldwide, the externally induced changes from the pandemic over the past year brought tumult to our work and our team members' lives. As we were forced to work remotely, the isolation and oppressive sense of uncertainty impacted the mental health of so many. To combat this and sustain a sense of normalcy and purpose in our work that is so field and community based, we instigated weekly zoom meetings across countries and sites, just to enable us all to connect, talk, and share the hard stuff. As we moved out of the critical period of the pandemic, we added planning to the meetings and used this as a launching pad for many side meetings. These created new connections, strengthened trust and working relationships, all of which have been the glue that binds our team, key as we will likely continue to work remotely in the day to day. The pandemic has also provided opportunities, notably that of flexibility in work hours and work locations, enabling us to hire talented individuals who are the best fit for our work and mission. These examples reflect our approach of realistic optimism and always looking for the silver lining in difficult situations, approaches that drives our work and our team.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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