Form 990 for tax year 2024
Filed by SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY.
Totals
- Total revenue
- $2,040,487
- Total expenses
- $1,498,543
- Contributions and grants received
- $1,078,846
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $955,771
- Investment income
- $5,268
- Other revenue
- $602
- Total assets, end of year
- $917,123
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $146,545
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $770,578
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $1,252,619
- Management and general expenses
- $139,309
- Fundraising expenses
- $106,615
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $1,252,619
Program services were 83.6% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.
Line items
Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.
Revenue
Part VIII, the statement of revenue.
-
1b · Membership dues
$25,337
-
1e · Government grants (contributions)
$389,888
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$663,621
-
1g · Noncash contributions included above
$21,000
-
2a · Program service revenue: Habitat and restoration
total $955,771 · related or exempt $955,771
-
3 · Investment income
total $5,268 · excluded $5,268
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0
-
6d · Net rental income or loss
total $0
-
7d · Net gain or loss
total $0
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total $0
-
9c · Net income from gaming
total $0
-
10c · Net income from sales of inventory
total $0
-
11a · Other revenue: Other revenue
total $602 · excluded $602
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$602
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $101,908 · program services $40,763 · management and general $35,668 · fundraising $25,477
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $0
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $860,493 · program services $744,892 · management and general $68,591 · fundraising $47,010
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $0
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $92,616 · program services $83,415 · management and general $5,483 · fundraising $3,718
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $71,506 · program services $59,388 · management and general $6,904 · fundraising $5,214
-
11a · Fees: management
total $0
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $0
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $14,598 · management and general $14,598
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $0
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $14,808 · program services $14,808
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $0
-
13 · Office expenses
total $90,220 · program services $70,059 · management and general $1,861 · fundraising $18,300
-
14 · Information technology
total $24,162 · program services $20,275 · management and general $2,257 · fundraising $1,630
-
15 · Royalties
total $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $11,136 · program services $9,554 · management and general $931 · fundraising $651
-
17 · Travel
total $27,486 · program services $27,481 · management and general $3 · fundraising $2
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $850 · program services $850
-
20 · Interest
total $0
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $12,911 · program services $12,911
-
23 · Insurance
total $18,898 · program services $15,971 · management and general $1,722 · fundraising $1,205
-
24a · Other expenses: Program expense
total $123,705 · program services $123,705
-
24b · Other expenses: Donated goods
total $21,000 · program services $20,360 · management and general $320 · fundraising $320
-
24c · Other expenses: Dues, licenses, service fees
total $8,578 · program services $5,117 · management and general $619 · fundraising $2,842
-
24d · Other expenses: Staff development
total $3,668 · program services $3,070 · management and general $352 · fundraising $246
-
24e · All other expenses
total $0
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $75,660 · end of year $143,746
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $115,755 · end of year $145,767
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
end of year $0
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $181,583 · end of year $284,984
-
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people
end of year $0
-
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons
end of year $0
-
7 · Other notes and loans receivable
end of year $0
-
8 · Inventories for sale or use
end of year $0
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $12,704 · end of year $24,105
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$77,617
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$40,251
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $28,543 · end of year $37,366
-
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities
beginning of year $5,324 · end of year $281,155
-
12 · Investments: other securities
end of year $0
-
13 · Investments: program-related
end of year $0
-
14 · Intangible assets
end of year $0
-
15 · Other assets
end of year $0
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $169,200 · end of year $101,545
-
19 · Deferred revenue
beginning of year $21,735 · end of year $45,000
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $218,798 · end of year $735,780
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $9,836 · end of year $34,798
Mission and programs · 2024
Mission
The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats through science and outreach.
Activities or mission (Part I)
The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory uses science to conserve birds and habitats. Our avian monitoring and habitat restoration activities provide critical data that we use to educate land managers and the public, and contribute to informed conservation decisions.
-
Our science programs are the Snowy Plover and Least Tern Program, Waterbird Program, Landbird Program, Climate Change Program, Habitats Program. The Snowy Plover and Least Tern Recovery Program works toward the recovery of the federally threatened Western snowy plover and endangered California least tern. Biologists monitor breeding snowy plovers and least terns by surveying former salt ponds, stormwater retention ponds, and other suitable habitat of the San Francisco Bay where the birds breed. Program biologists work closely with local land managers and restoration projects to implement management practices to help recover the snowy plover and least tern populations in the Bay. The Waterbirds Program collects crucial data on the ecology and management ecosystems at a landscape-scale across California. Program biologists, along with approximately 70 volunteers, collect and analyze large-scale data on waterbird abundance and distribution from across the Bay Area, including nonbreeding surveys, monitoring breeding waterbird colonies, and documenting disease outbreaks. These data are especially effective in tracking trends in our local bird populations and informing management of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Program, the largest tidal marsh restoration on the Pacific Coast of North America. The past year saw several major new accomplishments. We expanded colonial waterbird monitoring across the North Bay, with surveys now encompassing all nine counties of the Bay Area. We also developed a new behavioral study of phalarope foraging efficiency in different habitats to understand potential drivers of a 98% decline in this species within San Francisco Bay. In Oakland, we developed and completed a nesting habitat selection study and analysis for black-crowned night herons in urban environments to try and identify the factors causing the birds to nest in dangerous city streets that imperil both their health and human health. Lastly, we redesigned analysis of salt pond waterbird monitoring from the ground up to better focus on identifying drivers of change in waterbird population trends to better inform decision-making of land management agencies.
Expenses $717,986 · Revenue $572,173
-
The Habitats Program is a science-based restoration program focused on sustainable restoration of tidal marsh-upland transition zone habitats. In 2024, we added another 5 acres of restoration work at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve and Alviso Marina County Park while managing 27 acres of restored habitat around the Bay. We also secured funding to restore an additional 4 acres of habitat at Eden Landing this coming year. We wrapped up renovating a native plant nursery at Don Edwards NWR in Fremont which will greatly expand our plant producing capacity, allowing for us to take on bigger projects in the future. Restoring tidal marsh-upland transition zones provides critical high tide refugia for tidal marsh fauna, including the federally endangered Ridgways rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. Healthy marsh vegetation also protects bayside communities from flooding by absorbing energy from incoming storm surges and accelerating sediment accumulation. Ecologists use applied research to find innovative methods for restoration, and work with land managers to integrate transition zone habitat into larger restoration projects. We continued our successful partnership with Santa Clara County Parks and educational nonprofit Marshmallow Mind to teach 5th and 6th graders from Title I schools about San Francisco Bay ecology and host them for restoration work and a short hike at Alviso Marina County Park.
Expenses $464,213 · Revenue $381,284
-
Our Education-Outreach Program connects people with our mission to promote sustainability in the Bay Area and beyond by engaging communities in avian science, habitat restoration, and education. We offer youth and adults activities virtually and in the field to teach them about birds, conservation, and science. We also participate in region-wide efforts to compile long term datasets to guide restoration and conservation planning efforts, and offer opportunities for the general public to be involved in scientific research by participating as volunteer community scientists in our scientific and habitat programs.
Expenses $70,420 · Revenue $2,314
As filed on the 2024 return.
Listed in Part VII
-
Chris Overington
Executive Dir.
- Total calculated
- $101,907
- From this org
- $85,517
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $16,390
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Lynne A Trulio
Co-President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Bruce Paton
Co-President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Debbie Wong
Secretary
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1.25
-
William Whitmer
Treasurer
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2.5
-
Karan Gathani
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Caroline Selfridge
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1.25
-
Shubha Tuljapurkar
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Anshuman Mohapatra
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
David Aguilar Rodriguez
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.
Grants on this return
No itemized grants to organizations on this return.
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2024
- Filed
- 5 August 2025
- IRS schema version
- 2024v5.2
- Source object
- 202532179349300148
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