Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation
81% goes to programs $7 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Monterey, California, registered in 1978, with $208,135,651 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 81% of spending to programs.
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA, 93940 EIN 94-2487469 Since 1978
Revenue (FY2024)
$208.1M
▲ 33.5% vs prior year
Animals median: $151K
Expenses (FY2024)
$123.5M
Net assets
$814.5M
Employees
658
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating81% to programs · $7 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation: 81% to programs · $7 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating79 mo reserves · +41% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation: 79 mo reserves · +41% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To inspire ocean conservation and advocate for the ocean and its wildlife.
What they do
Education and outreachsee schedule o for full description
Conservation and sciencesee schedule o for full description
Contact & location
- Address
- 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA, 93940
- City
- Monterey
- State
- California
- Category
- Animal-Related
- Subcategory
- Support Foundations & Fundraising
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $86.6M (FY2013) to $208.1M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $23.2MNet assets $814.5M
Operating margin
40.7%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$837.7M
Total liabilities
$23.2M
Net assets
$814.5M
Salaries & benefits
$64.8M
52% of expenses
Board members
18
17 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $208,135,651▲33.5% | $123,526,913▲13.6% | $814,473,070▲13.9% | $837,664,477▲13.3% | 990 |
| 2023 | $155,905,897▼25.2% | $108,770,852▲17.5% | $715,205,176▲11.4% | $739,524,414▲11.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $208,463,349▲82.1% | $92,597,542▲26.5% | $642,169,554▲3.0% | $663,947,623▲3.2% | 990 |
| 2021 | $114,460,200▲28.5% | $73,186,793▼7.8% | $623,721,277▲13.2% | $643,593,112▲14.0% | 990 |
| 2020 | $89,087,691▼26.8% | $79,342,191▼19.2% | $550,810,058▲5.6% | $564,471,028▲4.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $121,635,220▼2.6% | $98,211,659▲1.7% | $521,381,585▲12.9% | $541,058,075▲11.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $124,876,136▲23.2% | $96,605,501▲4.0% | $461,647,479▲1.6% | $485,041,278▲2.1% | 990 |
| 2017 | $101,381,737▼24.1% | $92,863,687▲4.0% | $454,474,847▲8.4% | $474,966,162▲8.5% | 990 |
| 2016 | $133,530,080▲64.5% | $89,299,945▲9.5% | $419,449,149▲13.1% | $437,722,162▲12.9% | 990 |
| 2015 | $81,153,883▼19.5% | $81,536,195▲6.5% | $370,900,411▼1.4% | $387,639,444▼1.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $100,827,641▲16.5% | $76,548,153▲12.9% | $376,108,354▲7.6% | $391,700,610▲7.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $86,558,017 | $67,807,875▲5.4% | $349,478,717▲14.7% | $363,472,520▲14.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $64,308,032▲2.1% | $304,704,564▲5.1% | $318,596,646▲5.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $63,012,140▲6.9% | $289,841,343▼1.3% | $302,117,793▼1.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $58,922,876 | $293,558,289 | $305,851,550 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Christina Fekeci — $423,464 (0.34% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Fekeci | Chief Development Officer | 40 | $423,464 |
| Julie Packard | Vice Chair & Executive Director | 28 | $417,615 |
| Bradley Rutherford | Exec Vp and Deputy Director | 40 | $412,221 |
| Ann Marie Nemanich | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $308,983 |
| Dana Allen-greil | Chief Marketing Officer | 40 | $272,627 |
| Margaret Spring | Chief Conservation & Sci Officer | 40 | $265,929 |
| Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly | Vp of Global Ocean Conservation | 40 | $233,244 |
| Jon Hoech | Vp of Animal Care | 40 | $231,559 |
| Pauline Parrish | Controller | 40 | $217,754 |
| Mary-beth Redmond-jones | Vp of Exhibs/facs (thru 11/21/24) | 40 | $215,395 |
| Aimee David | Vp Us & Ca Ocean Conservation | 40 | $212,803 |
| Fernanda Sampaio | Vp of Marketing | 40 | $206,735 |
| Ann Dabovich | Vp of Gift Planning | 40 | $205,624 |
| Maria Hemmesch | Vp of People & Culture | 40 | $202,931 |
| Soo Dean | Vp Member & Donor Relations | 40 | $189,903 |
| Nicole Sanchez | Chief People & Culture Officer | 40 | $153,836 |
| Karin Kiessling | Assist Secretary (bod) | 40 | $122,756 |
| Robert Young | Vp of Finance (thru 8/30/24) | 40 | $116,193 |
| Armando Vidal Arata | Assist Secretary (bod) | 40 | $88,645 |
| Alisha Johnson Wilder | Trustee | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Frank M Booth Inc | Construction | $7,412,026 |
| Blach Construction Company | Construction | $5,764,401 |
| Service Systems Associates Inc | Retail and Culinary Service | $4,438,176 |
| Impacts Experience | Advertising | $4,047,976 |
| Power Engineering Construction Co | Construction | $3,139,325 |
Grants received · $101.7M total
238 grants to Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation totaling $101.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
Grants made · $587K in FY2023
5 grants totaling $587K in FY2023. All grants made by Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute | Research | $500,000 |
| Regents of the University of California At San Diego | Research | $39,552 |
| Planet Women | Research | $25,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | Research | $15,813 |
| Resources Legacy Fund | Research | $7,000 |
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Compare Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation
Frequently asked questions
- Is Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-2487469, based in Monterey, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation's EIN?
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-2487469.
- How much revenue does Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation report?
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation reported $208,135,651 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation spends about 81% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation's latest Form 990 is $423,464, paid to Christina Fekeci (Chief Development Officer).
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Data for Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation (EIN 94-2487469) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.