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Advocacy

Oceana

“To protect the world’s oceans.”

Home groundWashington, DC
Founded2001
KindAdvocacy 501(c)(3)
Led byKeith Addis

Every way to help ↓

The work

What they do

The largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation.

Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGES BY GOVERNMENTS AND CORPORATIONS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE OCEAN LIFE AND RETURN THE OCEANS TO THEIR FORMER ABUNDANCE.”

Where the money went, FY2024

The work, and what it cost

Reading every lease sale

$16.2M

INTERNATIONALIN THE OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE OCEANA OPERATES, OUR TEAMS WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO WIN POLICIES THAT PROTECT FISHERIES AND LIVELIHOODS THAT DEPEND ON A HEALTHY OCEAN.

Including $791,015 granted onward, most of it $90,625 to Center For Strategic And International Studies Inc.

Read it as they filed it
INTERNATIONALIN THE OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE OCEANA OPERATES, OUR TEAMS WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO WIN POLICIES THAT PROTECT FISHERIES AND LIVELIHOODS THAT DEPEND ON A HEALTHY OCEAN. OUR CAMPAIGNS INCLUDE ESTABLISHING MARINE PROTECTED AREAS THAT SERVE AS SANCTUARIES FOR COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT FISH TO BREED AND GROW, REFORMING OUTDATED FISHERY LAWS TO REQUIRE SCIENCE-BASED CATCH LIMITS, TRACKING OF FISHING VESSELS, AND PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT PLANS, BANNING THE USE OF DAMAGING BOTTOM TRAWLS, PROTECTING MARINE RESOURCES FOR SMALL-SCALE FISHERS, REBUILDING THE POPULATIONS OF FORAGE FISH TO STRENGTHEN THE MARINE FOOD CHAIN, PROTECT "BLUE-CARBON" ECOSYSTEMS SUCH AS KELP FORESTS AND MANGROVES FROM POLLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, BAN NEW OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING, AND LIMIT THE USE OF THROWAWAY PLASTIC THAT ENDS UP IN THE OCEAN.CORPORATE PLASTICS CAMPAIGNOCEANA HAS SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURED AMAZON, THE WORLD'S LARGEST ONLINE RETAILER, TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC THEY USE IN THEIR PACKAGING. WE ARE ALSO CAMPAIGNING FOR MAJOR BEVERAGE COMPANIES TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF REFILLABLE AND REUSABLE BOTTLES OFFERED TO CONSUMERS. WE ARE WORKING WITH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS AND VENUES TO SWAP THROWAWAY PLASTIC CUPS FOR REUSABLE CONTAINER, POTENTIALLY KEEPING MILLIONS OF PLASTIC CONTAINERS OUT OF WATERWAYS THAT LEAD TO THE OCEAN.SAILORS FOR THE SEA POWERED BY OCEANAOCEANA IS BUILDING A BASE OF ENGAGED OCEAN CONSERVATIONISTS WITHIN THE GLOBAL SAILING AND BOATING COMMUNITY. OUR GREEN BOATERS TAKE ACTION IN SUPPORT OF OCEANA'S CAMPAIGNS AND RAISE FUND WITH IN LOW-DOLLAR DONATIONS. OCEANA'S CLEAN REGATTAS PROGRAM IS THE WORLD'S LEADING SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION FOR WATER-BASED SPORTING EVENTS. OUR KIDS ENVIRONMENTAL LESSON PLANS (KELP) PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD TO EDUCATES AND INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION OF SAILORS TO BECOME OCEAN ADVOCATES.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.

Reading every lease sale

$10.6M

UNITED STATESIN THE UNITED STATES, OCEANA IS WORKING ON SCIENCE-BASED POLICY CAMPAIGNS TO STOP NEW OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT, REDUCE ILLEGAL FISHING, PROTECT MARINE HABITAT, SAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES, REDUCE SINGLE-...

Including $202,012 granted onward.

Read it as they filed it
UNITED STATESIN THE UNITED STATES, OCEANA IS WORKING ON SCIENCE-BASED POLICY CAMPAIGNS TO STOP NEW OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT, REDUCE ILLEGAL FISHING, PROTECT MARINE HABITAT, SAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES, REDUCE SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, AND DEFEND THE NATION'S CONSERVATION LAWS.IN 2024, OUR CAMPAIGN GOALS INCLUDED BANNING NEW OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING IN 625 MILLION ACRES OF FEDERAL WATERS, REBUILDING THE POPULATIONS OF PACIFIC SARDINES, THE BASIS OF THE FOOD CHAIN IN THE WATERS OFF THE US WEST COAST, SAVING ENDANGERED NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES FROM THE THREATS OF SHIP COLLISIONS AND ENTANGLEMENT IN FISHING GEAR, PROTECTING FRAGILE SEAFLOOR HABITAT IN ALASKA FROM DESTRUCTIVE BOTTOM TRAWLING, SUPPORTING THE USE OF TRAPS AND NETS THAT DO NOT INDISCRIMINATELY KILL THOUSANDS OF UN-TARGETED MARINE ANIMALS, ENACTING POLICIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT BAN UNNECESSARY SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, AND DEFENDING THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT, THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, AND THE MAGNUSON STEVENS CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT FROM ATTEMPTS TO WEAKEN LEGISLATION OR DEFUND AGENCIES THAT ENFORCE THESE LAWS.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.

Bringing people into the fight

$2.9M

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONSKEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF OCEANA’S MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IN 2024 ARE HIGHLIGHTED BELOW:- OCEANA’S GRASSROOTS BASE CONSISTED OF 6.3 MILLION ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORTERS.

Read it as they filed it
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONSKEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF OCEANA'S MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IN 2024 ARE HIGHLIGHTED BELOW:- OCEANA'S GRASSROOTS BASE CONSISTED OF 6.3 MILLION ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORTERS. - OCEANA HAS 9 MILLION SUPPORTERS WORLDWIDE.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.

Follow the dollar

73 cents of every dollar goes to the work

73¢
73¢ the work16¢ keeping the lights on11¢ finding the next member

Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.

Backed on the record by David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and 1 other, latest filing FY24.

$33,193,063 programs, $7,108,441 management, $5,220,783 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.

The people

Who does the work

175paid staff
35,149volunteers last year
27board members
25years on the ground
James F Simon President GenCounsel Thru 7/24; Ceo As Of 7/24Comp $498,693, FY2024
Jacqueline SavitzChief Policy Officer, NortComp $368,683, FY2024
Christopher M SharkeyChief Financial OfficerComp $314,414, FY2024
Sam WaterstonBoard ChairVolunteer, 6 hrs a week, $0

Chairs the 27-member board.

Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at Oceana? Claim this page.

Those 35,149 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Oceana is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.

Make it 35,150

The filings

14 years of filings

14 years of filings

Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.

$25M$50M$34.7M FY2420112024
Total revenue by fiscal year
YearRevenue
2011$19,694,080
2012$15,226,982
2013$44,676,531
2014$20,639,382
2015$18,368,767
2016$24,741,722
2017$48,279,729
2018$51,896,477
2019$38,632,475
2020$36,350,526
2021$35,660,414
2022$43,967,787
2023$46,497,996
2024$34,668,686

From $19.7M in 2011 to $34.7M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years.

Fights alongside Friends of the Earth (1 shared case), Natural Resources Defense Council (1 shared case), Sierra Club (1 shared case) and Surfrider Foundation (1 shared case). Same case, same side, on the federal docket.

The record

On the Hill

Oceana has hired federal lobbyists: 22 filings from 2019 to 2026, naming 4 bills. The filings, at the Senate.

Most filed on environment/superfund, animals and marine/maritime/boating/fisheries.

Stand with Oceana

25 years on the ground, 35,149 volunteers, 73 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.

Sources and methodFinancials, headcounts, and program text: IRS Form 990, FY2024 and 13 prior filings via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 51-0401308. Leadership and compensation: Form 990 Part VII and the return’s signature block, FY2024 filing. Grantees: Schedule I, same filing. Related organizations: Schedule R of the same filing, matched to our directory by EIN. Allies: co-litigation edges derived from the same dockets, same case and same side. Funders: the funders’ own returns (Schedule I and 990-PF Part XV) via ProPublica, names and years only. Lobbying: Senate LDA filings naming Oceana as client or registrant, read from the MTJP LDA corpus. Org-reported figures are always labeled. Data verified as of 2026-09-23. Nothing on this page is pay-to-play.