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Washington DC | IRS ruling year: 2002 | EIN: 71-0863908
Founded in 2001, The Ocean Foundation (TOF) is a unique community foundation with a mission to support, strengthen, and promote those organizations dedicated to reve ... (More)
Founded in 2001, The Ocean Foundation (TOF) is a unique community foundation with a mission to support, strengthen, and promote those organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world. They work with a community of donors who care about the coasts and oceans. In this manner, they grow the financial resources available to support marine conservation in order to promote healthy ocean ecosystems and benefit the human communities that depend on them. TOF increases the capacity of conservation organizations, hosts projects and funds, and supports those working to improve the health of ocean species globally. (Less)
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.
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 10/1/2021 | 2020 | 99.69 | |
| 6/1/2020 | 2019 | 95.00 | |
| 7/1/2019 | 2018 | 96.46 | |
| 6/1/2018 | 2017 | 93.79 | |
| 5/1/2017 | 2016 | 94.69 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2015 | 95.99 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 10/1/2015 | 2014 | 84.23 |  |
| 9/1/2015 | 2014 | 80.99 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 7/1/2014 | 2013 | 93.27 | |
| 6/1/2014 | 2013 | 92.70 | |
| 6/1/2013 | 2012 | 96.10 | |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for The Ocean Foundation is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
The Ocean Foundation 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 Applicable
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) 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. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a 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 or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
| Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) | |
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 3.20% - 10/10 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 3.20% - 10/10 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio - 1.81 years - 10/10 ptsWorking Capital Ratio - 1.81 years - 10/10 pts
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency - $0.06 - 10/10 ptsFundraising Efficiency - $0.06 - 10/10 pts
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expense Ratio - 8.20% - 10/10 ptsAdministrative Expense Ratio - 8.20% - 10/10 pts
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expense Ratio - 8.20% - 10/10 ptsFundraising Expense Ratio - 8.20% - 10/10 pts
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 83.50% - 9.57/10 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 83.50% - 9.57/10 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. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth - 11.06% - 10/10 ptsProgram Expense Growth - 11.06% - 10/10 pts
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
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.
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Mark J. Spalding, President
$274,918 (3.14% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
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 (The Ocean Foundation) or EIN (710863908) 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.
The Ocean Foundation reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Challenges: Our organization makes a number of domestic and international grants to conservation organizations around the world and raises money for a number of partners on the ground conducting conservation and restoration work. Part of attracting and retaining donors is being able to conduct site visits and capture local footage to share. During the pandemic we were unable to conduct these site visits and many of our local partners and grantees experienced difficulty obtaining project materials due to supply chain and transportation issues. Opportunities: Given the international nature of our work, travel to international conferences focused on sustainability and marine conservation are vital to participate in. One opportunity in the pandemic was the ability to participate virtually and thus reduce our carbon footprint. We have used this experience to re-evaluate travel and tighten our procedures on what is classified as necessary to carry out our mission.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Challenges: Our organization was meeting in person regularly prior to the pandemic and had to move all organizational staff meetings, program meetings and staff trainings to an online format. The organization also traditionally convenes stakeholder engagement meetings and educational seminars, and was unable to convene in person out of safety protocols. Opportunities: The organization was able to maintain our programmatic services and mission virtually and learned that this opened up a new opportunity to hire staff outside of our headquarters’ location. This allowed us to attract new talent in key programmatic areas and expand our hiring options. The organization also used this opportunity to call for more equitable practices in participating in international negotiations and dialogues on ocean conversations, specifically island voices to be a part of the key conservations.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
The organization moved to a work from home format and provided both equipment and funding to make this happen for each staff. We increased our staff check ins and revised our health and safety protocols for entering the office. The organization allowed staff to take time off to get the vaccine and provided time off to recover if needed. In addition to maintaining our support with individual and foundation donors, the organization took proactive measures and applied and secured federal support from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). We continued to engage our staff and community by implementing virtual happy hours and more weekly meetings to maintain work implementation. We were also able to reallocate travel funds during the pandemic back into the organizations and to our partners around the world who were all experiencing their own unique challenges during this time.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
The organization has maintain a largely work from home format to provide greater flexibility for staff since productivity actually increased in this format over the past two years. Staff are still able to utilize the office as needed but also have equipment set up to work remotely. This has been helpful as many of our partners are around the world and require unique times for calls given time zone differences. We also increased our digital communication to our donors during the pandemic which is now maintained as standard practice. Our community of supporters were extremely supportive during this time and continued to donate at the same level as in recent previous years.
Not Currently Scored
The Ocean Foundation 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.
Learn More
The Ocean Foundation reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Protecting Marine Habitats and Special Places
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Protecting Species of Concern
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Ocean Literacy and Public Awareness
The Ocean Foundation has earned a 93% 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 - UnscoredConstituent Feedback - Data Available - Unscored
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. However, it did not respond to one or more survey questions, and therefore is not eligible for a score on this metric. (View our beacon methodology.) 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.
The Ocean Foundation serves communities around the world who have needs in advancing their local ocean science efforts, conservation and/or restoration efforts, and more; our staff's vast expertise is always working to help fund or collaborate with others on unique and tailored solutions for marine conservation. Policymakers and governments, local conservation organizations and practitioners, and scientists are all part of the community we serve. We also help sole practitioners and small groups of experts gain access to funding and the larger marine conservation network by hosting them fiscally and lifting the administrative burden from them so that they can focus on their work.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys
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 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 funders, Our community partners
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 pts
100% of beacon score
This organization's score of 93 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 8 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 (3/7) | |
|---|---|
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 (5/7) | |
|---|---|
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. | |
The Ocean Foundation 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
The Ocean Foundation (TOF) is a unique community foundation with a mission to support, strengthen, and promote those organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world. We work with a community of donors who care about the coasts and ocean to grow the financial resources available to support marine conservation in order to promote healthy and abundant ocean ecosystems and benefit the human communities that depend on them. We operate using a well-established business model (the community foundation) to serve donors and partners interested in marine conservation. As such, TOF works towards increasing the capacity of conservation organizations, hosting projects and funds, and supporting those working to improve the health of ocean species globally.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
TOF envisions a future in which human interaction with the ocean and coasts is more sustainable because we leverage a diverse, vibrant and engaged community of donors, grantees and projects to respond to urgent issues and seize on key opportunities. And, where members of the ocean conservation community are working together with a better understanding of potential solutions to emerging threats to the marine environment, along with greater capacity to implement those solutions.
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: Establish a global network of well-trained ocean acidification science practitioners who are supported through well-designed adaptation and mitigation policies designed in partnership with TOF.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Sequester/store carbon via nature-based solutions through the restoration and conservation of critical blue carbon habitats and the implementation of seaweed-based regenerative agricultural practices.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Develop and synthesize original science for legislative standards for the polymers and additives used in producing plastics so that plastic has been reengineered to be Safe, Simple and Standardized.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
TOF has furthered its leadership development by deepening our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (D.E.I.J) practices among our own staff and Board by increasing internal training on D.E.I.J principles. In external programming we have increasing funding activities, providing oversight to implement those activities, and designating staff to support additional D.E.I.J. activities in the community. We have called for the rest of the marine community to do the same. In addition, over the past year, TOF became the host of EquiSea, a fund focused on equitable scientific research and capacity building and The Climate Strong Islands Network, which focuses on bringing island communities together to share lessons learned and to build a coalition that drives more equitable distribution of resources to all U.S. islands, territories and states.
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
TOF has overseen the allocation of $55.1 million in direct grants and services to protect and restore healthy ocean and coastal ecosystems around the world, and has a nearly 20 year track record of direct engagement with the marine and philanthropy communities. In addition, with nearly 50 fiscally hosted projects that span diverse conservation issues, as a fund manager for a number of international groups like the Climate Strong Islands Network, TOF is at the forefront of emerging ocean threats, potential solutions and key actors. With official designated Observer Status to participate in convenings such as the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP), TOF is uniquely positioned in the international dialogue around climate and the ocean. Mark J. Spalding, TOF President, represents TOF at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) on the Ocean Studies Board, in another example of the external engagements that TOF upholds.
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.
Internally, in response to COVID-19, TOF took proactive measures to prioritize the health and wellbeing of its employees while ensuring financial stability of the organization. TOF provided support to staff and needed accommodations to work remotely, offered paid time off for staff to recover if they experienced vaccine side effects, maintained and actually grew its staff over the past year, and created a invested reserve fund to help the organization effectively plan for the future. Programmatically, many of our own webinars, trainings, and capacity building efforts have proceeded online – often with many more attendees than we might otherwise have expected. Many international treaty meetings or ocean conferences moved to a virtual format. We were able to maintain our engagement and participation. Working in a virtual setting also supports equitable access and knowledge sharing while minimizing the carbon footprint of meetings, and are working on ways to do that. Despite the challenges from COVID-19, all three core programs at TOF grew in both budget and staff over the past year, and TOF maintained consistent communication with our community during our time working remotely.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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