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Nonprofiteer
← SYLVIA EARLE ALLIANCE MISSION BLUE

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by SYLVIA EARLE ALLIANCE MISSION BLUE.

Totals

Total revenue
$3,865,306
Total expenses
$3,371,591
Contributions and grants received
$3,857,051
Grants paid
$847,766
Program service revenue
$7,166
Investment income
$1,089
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$3,285,587
Total liabilities, end of year
$384,528
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$2,901,059
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,550,148
Management and general expenses
$318,183
Fundraising expenses
$503,260
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,550,148

Program services were 75.6% 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.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $3,857,051

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Consulting

    total $7,166

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $1,089

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $299,573 · program services $299,573

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $0

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $548,193 · program services $548,193

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $446,514 · program services $225,600 · management and general $16,723 · fundraising $204,191

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $0

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $556,140 · program services $442,264 · management and general $113,876

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $16,889 · program services $10,643 · management and general $1,364 · fundraising $4,882

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $47,100 · program services $22,439 · management and general $22,815 · fundraising $1,846

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $66,151 · program services $39,259 · management and general $10,962 · fundraising $15,930

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $0

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $89,103 · program services $3,914 · management and general $3,050 · fundraising $82,139

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $30,425 · management and general $30,425

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $0

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $0

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $541,627 · program services $394,850 · management and general $43,963 · fundraising $102,814

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $14,009 · program services $12,194 · management and general $518 · fundraising $1,297

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $19,439 · program services $7,628 · management and general $3,866 · fundraising $7,945

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $33,410 · program services $32,547 · management and general $863

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $17,803 · program services $1,780 · management and general $16,023

  • 17 · Travel

    total $519,568 · program services $454,465 · management and general $6,571 · fundraising $58,532

  • 18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

    total $0

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $31,966 · program services $9,613 · management and general $577 · fundraising $21,776

  • 20 · Interest

    total $0

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $3,407 · management and general $3,407

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $22,514 · program services $2,681 · management and general $19,833

  • 24a · Other expenses: Equipment, supplies and software

    total $40,768 · program services $23,820 · management and general $16,029 · fundraising $919

  • 24b · Other expenses: Website

    total $6,763 · program services $6,763

  • 24c · Other expenses: Telecommunications

    total $16,764 · program services $10,893 · management and general $5,106 · fundraising $765

  • 24d · Other expenses: Bank Charges

    total $1,771 · program services $835 · management and general $712 · fundraising $224

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $1,694 · program services $194 · management and general $1,500

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $2,048,339 · end of year $2,229,860

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $26,052 · end of year $26,062

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $149,885 · end of year $717,314

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $21,572 · end of year $30,889

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $37,783

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $25,698

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $9,206 · end of year $12,085

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $59,120 · end of year $67,387

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $200,370 · end of year $200,390

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $1,645 · end of year $1,600

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $116,511 · end of year $384,528

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,037,449 · end of year $1,938,530

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $362,229 · end of year $962,529

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Explore protect the ocean by advancing public awareness of the oceans importance as Earths life support system, furthering scientific knowledge of ocean systems igniting public support for a network of MPAs--Hope Spots--Mission Blue aims to save and restore the ocean. Collectively, with the ocean community, our goal is 30 protection by 2030.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean through a global network of Hope Spots, advancing science, community leadership, and policies to protect 30 of the ocean by 2030.

  • Hope Spot Program Mission Blue designates and supports ecologically significant ocean regions known as Hope Spots to promote marine conservation and community-led protection. Hope Spots are nominated by local scientists and advocates, then supported through capacity building, communications, science tools, and partnerships that drive measurable conservation outcomes. As of 2025, the Hope Spot Network includes 167 sites across 115 countries, spanning approximately 58 million square kilometers of ocean.

    Expenses $853,318 · Grants $442,578

  • The Science and Exploration Program strengthens Mission Blues data-driven conservation work. Through partnerships with Esri, universities, and research institutions, the program uses GIS technology, environmental DNA eDNA, and field expeditions to map biodiversity, track ocean health, and inform protection strategies. This science underpins Hope Spot designations, policy advocacy, and management planning. The program also hosts scientific workshops and supports data integration for the global Hope Spot Network.

    Expenses $532,117 · Grants $133,340

  • Withheld by Nonprofiteer: this text may name a private individual.

    Expenses $618,058 · Grants $185,000

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here. A text marked withheld matched a screen for wording that may name a private individual, such as an honorific or "in memory of". Most of what it withholds names no one; it is withheld so that what does is never shown.

Listed in Part VII

  • Laura Cassiani

    Chief Advancement Officer

    Total calculated
    $180,641
    From this org
    $174,500
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,141
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $174,500
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $5,090
    Nontaxable benefits
    $2,173
    Filer's total
    $181,763

  • Robert Martin

    Treasurer/CFO

    Total calculated
    $174,092
    From this org
    $172,264
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $1,828
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $85,006
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    $82,220
    Deferred
    $1,828
    Nontaxable benefits
    $3,500
    Filer's total
    $172,554

  • Maximiliano Bello

    Policy

    Total calculated
    $138,416
    From this org
    $136,217
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $2,199
    Hours/week
    40

  • Debra Castellana

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $100,808
    From this org
    $99,750
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $1,058
    Hours/week
    40

  • Sylvia A Earle PhD

    President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    50

  • Shari Sant Plummer

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Robert Nixon

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Linda K Glover

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Shannon O'Leary Joy

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Sharon Kwok

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Gabrielle McGee

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • John Vermilye

    Co Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Will Travis

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Dona Bertarelli

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Vasser Seydel

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Hussain Aga Khan

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Philippe Prufer

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Nicola Esposito

    Director

    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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment

Answered no

  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

Part I Line 4a
Robert Martin 85,720

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
14 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202523189349306237

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