BAY ORG

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

A560

Classification

1000

Street

EMBARCADERO AT BEACH STREET PIER 39

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

• PROGRAM #1: EXHIBITSBAY.ORG, WHICH OPERATES THE AQUARIUM OF THE BAY. IT IS THE ONLY SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATED AQUARIUM IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. IT PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY 500,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR WITH EXPERIENCES THAT EDUCATE AND INSPIRE CONSERVATION OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND ITS WATERSHED. IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 364 DAYS A YEAR. THE AQUARIUM DISPLAYS ABOUT 24,000 LOCAL MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS IN THEMED GALLERIES THAT FOCUS ON THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND REGIONAL HABITATS. THE AQUARIUM ADDRESSES RELEVANT ISSUES IN MARINE CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE WITH EXHIBITRY IN SEVEN GALLERIES. THE GALLERIES FOCUS ON DISCOVERING THE BAY, HABITATS OF LOCAL FISH, INVERTEBRATES, AND ALGAE, AND INCLUDES INFORMATION ON NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES. THE JELLIES GO WITH THE FLOW GALLERY DISPLAYS SIX SPECIES OF JELLYFISH ALONG WITH INFORMATION ON THEIR BIOLOGY, HABITATS, AND CONSERVATION. THE NEARSHORE TUNNEL GALLERY IS A 300-FOOT WALK-THROUGH TUNNEL FEATURING FISH AND INVERTEBRATES FOUND IN THE SHALLOWER WATERS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. THE OCTOPUS AND FRIENDS GALLERY EXHIBITS OCTOPUS, CRABS, ROCKFISH, TURBAN SNAILS, AND OTHER INTERESTING INVERTEBRATES. THE SHARKS OF ALCATRAZ IS A 300-FOOT ACRYLIC TUNNEL DISPLAY FOCUSED ON LOCAL SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS, AND STURGEON. THE BAY LAB GALLERY FEATURES FISH, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, AND SMALL MAMMALS. IN THIS GALLERY, ALL OF THE ANIMAL DISPLAYS AND INTERACTIVES ARE DESIGNED TO EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE DEVASTATING EFFECT IT HAS ON ANIMAL POPULATIONS. THE FINAL DISPLAY THAT VISITORS ENCOUNTER ARE THE RIVER OTTERS. WATERSHED AMBASSADORS GALLERY, LIVE RIVER OTTERS, EDUCATIONAL ELECTRONIC GRAPHICS, AND STAFF PRESENTATIONS COMPLETE THE GUEST EXPERIENCE.

  Expenses $6,854,719 · Revenue $6,605,634

• PROGRAM #2: EDUCATIONBAY.ORG PROVIDES A VARIETY OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM SCHOOL GROUPS, YOUTH GROUPS, FAMILIES, SCOUT TROOPS, AND VISITORS OF ALL AGES. EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE ON THE AQUARIUM OF THE BAY PREMISES, AT SCHOOLS, AT THE SEA LION CENTER LOCATED AT PIER 39, AND AT THE ECOCENTER AT HERON'S HEAD PARK. THROUGH THE MANY K-12 PROGRAMS OFFERED AT THESE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, BAY.ORG OFFERS FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR MORE THAN 20,000 STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND CHAPERONES ANNUALLY. THESE EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED AT SCHOOLS WITHIN THE NINE BAY AREA COUNTIES (SAN FRANCISCO, SAN MATEO, SANTA CLARA, ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, MARIN, SONOMA, NAPA, AND SOLANO). THESE CLASSES AND TOURS ARE INQUIRY-BASED, HANDS-ON, AND IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT ARE AGE-APPROPRIATE AND LINKED WITH NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS) FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE. THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS TAKING PART IN THE BAY.ORG FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS HAS INCREASED EACH YEAR SINCE 2001. ADDITIONALLY, BAY.ORG OFFERS TEACHER WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS ENCOURAGING TEACHERS TO ENGAGE THEIR STUDENTS FURTHER ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR EDUCATION PROGRAM. BAY.ORG'S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ALSO OFFERS EVENING AND WEEKEND SLEEPOVER PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND SCOUT GROUPS. FOR SCOUT GROUPS, THE SLEEPOVER ACTIVITIES HELP FULFILL BADGE REQUIREMENTS. THE SEA LION CENTER, LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE PIER 39'S K-DOCK AND HOME OF THE WORLD-FAMOUS SEA LIONS, OFFERS FREE INTERPRETIVE AND K-12 CLASSROOM PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS. THESE PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS FOCUS ON THE CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS, THEIR HISTORY AT PIER 39, AS WELL AS WHAT EVERYONE CAN DO TO HELP THESE CHARISMATIC MAMMALS SURVIVE IN THEIR THREATENED HABITAT. AS PART OF THE BAY.ORG FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS DESCRIBED ABOVE AT THE SEA LION CENTER, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS CAN PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF AGE-APPROPRIATE HOUR-LONG CLASSROOM PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CENTER IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC VISIT FOR FREE FROM 10 AM - 5 PM DURING THE SUMMER SEASON, AND 10 AM - 4 PM AT ALL OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR. VISITORS AT THE SEA LION CENTER CAN VIEW EXHIBITS, TOUCH SEA LION PELTS AND LEARN FROM A NATURALIST WHO PROVIDES PRESENTATIONS HOURLY DURING SUMMER MONTHS. NATURALIST ARE ALSO STATIONED AT K-DOCK WITH AN INTERPRETIVE CART OF ARTIFACTS AND BINOCULARS TO ANSWER GUEST QUESTIONS. BAY.ORG PARTNERED WITH A BAY MODEL VISITOR CENTER, AN EDUCATION CENTER ADMINISTERED BY THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, TO FORM THE BAY MODEL ALLIANCE. THROUGH THIS ALLIANCE, BAY.ORG OFFERS ENHANCED EDUCATION PROGRAMS ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN RIVER DELTA SYSTEM. THE ECOCENTER OF HERON'S HEAD PARK BECAME A NEW DIVISION OF BAY.ORG IN MARCH 2014. THE ECOCENTER IS AN INCREDIBLE SPACE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH THE BEAUTY OF SAN FRANCISCO'S WILD LANDSCAPES. IT REPRESENTS SAN FRANCISCO'S BEST EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO ADVERSE HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT. IT IS A MODEL FOR GREEN BUILDING, SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE CENTER, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THE ECOCENTER IS FREE TO VISIT AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC 4 DAYS PER WEEK, WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PROGRAMMING INCLUDES COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS IN COLLABORATION WITH CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO, AS WELL AS WEEKLY SCIENCE SATURDAY PROGRAMS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS. IT ALSO PROVIDES FREE TOURS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN SCHOOL, YOUTH AND ADULT GROUPS.

  Expenses $425,692 · Revenue $40,332

• PROGRAM #3: FIELD CONSERVATIONTHE SAN FRANCISCO BAY HAS BEEN ALTERED DRASTICALLY FROM THE PRISTINE ESTUARY THAT EXISTED IN THE 1800S. HUNDREDS OF MILES OF EARTHEN DIKES BUILT AROUND THE BAY'S SALT MARSHES SERVED THEIR CONNECTION TO ITS TIDEWATERS. THE DIKED MARSHES WERE DRAINED AND CONVERTED TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS. THEIR SIZE WAS REDUCED BY ONE THIRD. AS A RESULT OF THIS WETLAND DESTRUCTION, THE BAY'S BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTIVITY PLUMMETED. ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF BAY.ORG IS TO EXPAND AND ACCELERATE THE EFFORT TO PROTECT AND RESTORE MANY OF THE WETLANDS THAT WERE DRAINED. FURTHER, BAY.ORG EMPLOYS SCIENTIFIC AND POLICY EXPERTISE TO PROMOTE REFORMS IN THE WAY CALIFORNIA MANAGES ITS WATER SUPPLIES AND PROTECTS THE ECOLOGICAL VALUES OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY-DELTA ESTUARY AND ITS WATERSHED. IN ADDITION, TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND ITS WATERSHED, BAY.ORG IS ENGAGED IN RESTORING THE RELATED COASTAL AND NEAR-SHORE OCEAN AREAS.

  Expenses $332,386 · Revenue $11,244

• BAY MODEL ALLIANCE

  Revenue $20,056

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2024

  Revenue

  $8,043,142

  Expenses

  $9,264,585

  Contributions

  $1,333,375

  Grants paid

  $0

• 2023

  Revenue

  $9,299,623

  Expenses

  $11,284,954

  Contributions

  $1,608,785

  Grants paid

  $0

• 2022

  Revenue

  $9,985,264

  Expenses

  $10,641,255

  Contributions

  $1,354,288

  Grants paid

  $0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $9,278,217

  Expenses

  $8,844,102

  Assets (EOY)

  $6,325,609

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,879,822

  Expenses

  $7,779,928

  Assets (EOY)

  $6,004,478

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $10,099,501

  Expenses

  $10,552,100

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,335,055

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $10,525,751

  Expenses

  $11,672,632

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,886,692

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $11,587,205

  Expenses

  $11,614,725

  Assets (EOY)

  $9,376,256

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $11,583,979

  Expenses

  $10,974,538

  Assets (EOY)

  $10,102,733

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $11,373,264

  Expenses

  $11,263,468

  Assets (EOY)

  $10,174,513

• 2013 · 990

  Revenue

  $10,202,687

  Expenses

  $9,468,523

  Assets (EOY)

  $11,620,401

• 2012 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $8,925,066

  Assets (EOY)

  $11,379,085

• 2011 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $7,702,896

  Assets (EOY)

  $11,746,109

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Form 990-N e-Postcard, tax year 2008

Tax period

1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008

Principal officer

Christina Swanson

Mailing address

695 De Long Avenue Suite 100Novato CA 94945

As filed, from the IRS e-Postcard file of 9 November 2026. The IRS publishes only each organization's most recent postcard, so earlier years are not shown. A 990-N carries no financial detail. The postcard also gives the principal officer's address, which is not shown here.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $250,000

  2024 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $85,605

  2023 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

  $61,259

  2022 · SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTOR.

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $16,500

  2023 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

• NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

  $16,334

  2023 · SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION

• SAN FRANCISCO ROTARY FOUNDATION

  $14,333

  2023 · 3D PRINTING LAB

• SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION

  $10,000

  2022 · ADVISED - TO SUPPORT THE BAY INSTITUTE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF WORKING ON SJR RESTORATION AND BAY-DELTA PROTECTION.

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $7,000

  2022 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

Other IRS files