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OCEAN WISE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

EIN 98-0050185 CANADA

Revenue 2024
$10,870,264
Expenses 2024
$12,023,621

Program services were 65.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
Classification
1000
Street
VANCOUVER BRITISH COLUMBIA V6B 3X8

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

Mission

Ocean Wise Conservation Association endeavours to effect the conservation of aquatic life and habitats in British Columbia, around the Pacific Rim, and worldwide by exposing the maximum number of people possible to information about the aquatic world, by playing a major role in public education, by conducting scientific research, by developing and operating conservation programs.

Activities or mission (Part I)

OWCA is a self supporting, non-profit organization whose mission is to empower communities & individuals to take action to protect & restore our world's oceans.

  • Conservation & Research - Ocean Wise Seafood continues to drive responsible consumer choices in North America. The program, established to help businesses and customers identify and purchase sustainable seafood, has over 700 partner organizations around the world. Other activities include our shoreline cleanup program where over 17,000 kg of litter was picked up, led by over 25,000 participants performing 1,068 cleanups across Canada and the USA. Ocean Wise has a number of ongoing research programs with both onsite & field components. This involves research on cetaceans (including killer whales and humpback whales), ocean pollution and microplastics. Our citizen science research collects and analyzes valuable data on plastic pollution as well as cetacean sightings and we are advancing to restore kelp forests at scale in partnership with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia and in Chile.

    Expenses $4,272,572 · Grants $389,781 · Revenue $717,384

  • Education - Ocean Wise's education programs engage educators, students and parents by delivering curriculum-based video courses, take-home education kits, activities and virtual visits with ocean experts. Our youth service initiative, funded by the government of Canada's Canada Service Corps Program expanded to new geographies across the country including a direct action program, providing full-time, three-month placements for young professionals across Canada. As well, our Ocean Bridge and YouthtoSea programs provide part-time, six-month networking and service activities for young Canadians.

    Expenses $3,578,441 · Grants $232,501 · Revenue $16,899

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.

  • Mr Lars Gustafsson

    President & CEO

    Total calculated
    $308,245
    From this org
    $308,245
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $308,245
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    not reported
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $308,245
  • Ms Jennie Moushos

    COO

    Total calculated
    $251,051
    From this org
    $251,051
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $251,051
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    not reported
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $251,051
  • Dr Carlos Drews

    EVP, Conservation

    Total calculated
    $219,287
    From this org
    $219,287
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $219,287
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    not reported
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $219,287
  • Ms Nicole Straughan

    VP, Youth & Education

    Total calculated
    $129,286
    From this org
    $129,286
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5
  • Mr Terence Burmas

    Director, Finance

    Total calculated
    $115,290
    From this org
    $115,290
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5
  • Mr Nicholas Schulz

    Director, Communications

    Total calculated
    $113,154
    From this org
    $113,154
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5
  • Mr Guy Dean

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Rich Simons

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Keith Spencer

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Ian Warner

    Director, Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4
  • Ms Lisa Stewart

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Rod Campbell

    Director, V Chair, & Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4
  • Mr Martin Thibodeau

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Ms Alexandra Cousteau

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Ms Nina Jensen

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Richard Sparrow

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Brian Sullivan

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Ms Sarah MacDonald

    Director & Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4
  • Mr Michael Gerbis

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Ms Meghan Jeans

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Ms Isabella Lovin

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Pascal Mittermaier

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Mr Charles Rickards Jr

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Jasveen Brar

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Howard Chang

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

The first 25 listed. 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
    $10,870,264
    Expenses
    $12,023,621
    Contributions
    $5,821,520
    Grants paid
    $622,282
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $12,276,383
    Expenses
    $14,685,268
    Contributions
    $9,961,219
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $11,482,994
    Expenses
    $12,434,240
    Contributions
    $9,181,040
    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

  • 2024 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported
  • 2023 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported
  • 2022 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported
  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $9,992,401
    Expenses
    $14,217,589
    Assets (EOY)
    $45,446,866
  • 2021 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported
  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $17,110,694
    Expenses
    $27,274,655
    Assets (EOY)
    $55,229,239
  • 2020 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

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.

Grants made

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

Taxable family

From Schedule R Parts I, III and IV: entities that legally are the filer, and taxable partnerships, corporations and trusts it is related to. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money.

Disregarded entities on its 2024 return

  • Ocean Wise Nevada LLC

    Inactive · NV

Related corporations and trusts on its 2024 return

  • Ocean Wise Management Ltd

    C · Inactive · CA · 100% owned · controlled entity

  • Ocean Wise Research Ltd

    C · Inactive · CA · 100% owned · controlled entity

  • Ocean Wise Consulting Servs Ltd

    C · Consulting · CA · 100% owned · controlled entity

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 11 November 2026, under deductibility FORGN.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 9 November 2026 and read 9 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.