Surfrider Foundation
“To protect and enjoy the ocean, waves, and beaches.”
The work
What they do
Grassroots network dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION IS DEDICATED TO THE PROTECTION AND ENJOYMENT OF THE WORLD'S OCEAN, WAVES AND BEACHES, THROUGH A POWERFUL ACTIVIST NETWORK.”
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
The work as filed
$5.1MCHAPTER & STUDENT CLUBS NETWORK SUPPORT - WE DEVELOPED TRAINING MATERIALS, TRAINED AND ASSISTED VOLUNTEERS WITH CAMPAIGN PLANNING, AND FACILITATED THE CHAPTERS IN THEIR GRASS ROOTS ACTIVIST WORKS.
Read it as they filed it
CHAPTER & STUDENT CLUBS NETWORK SUPPORT - WE DEVELOPED TRAINING MATERIALS, TRAINED AND ASSISTED VOLUNTEERS WITH CAMPAIGN PLANNING, AND FACILITATED THE CHAPTERS IN THEIR GRASS ROOTS ACTIVIST WORKS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$3.7MVARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GRASS ROOTS VOLUNTEER ORGANIZING, PROMOTING REDUCTION IN SINGLE USE PLASTICS, PROMOTING OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDEN TECHNIQUES, PROMOTING BEACH WATER QUALITY, BEACH ACCESS AND BEACH AND...
Including $34,290 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GRASS ROOTS VOLUNTEER ORGANIZING, PROMOTING REDUCTION IN SINGLE USE PLASTICS, PROMOTING OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDEN TECHNIQUES, PROMOTING BEACH WATER QUALITY, BEACH ACCESS AND BEACH AND WAVE PRESERVATION.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Plastic Pollution Initiatives
$1.4MWE ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS, INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENTS TO PROTECT OUR OCEAN, WAVES AND BEACHES BY REDUCING PLASTICS IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT.
Read it as they filed it
PLASTIC POLLUTION INITIATIVES - WE ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS, INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENTS TO PROTECT OUR OCEAN, WAVES AND BEACHES BY REDUCING PLASTICS IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT. OUR RISE ABOVE PLASTICS AND OCEAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS PROGRAMS ADVOCATE FOR A REDUCTION IN SINGLE USE PLASTICS, FOR THE RECYCLING OF ALL PLASTICS AND DRIVES CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR THAT CREATES SCALABLE IMPACT TO REDUCE PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$825KWE PROTECT OUR COASTAL WATERWAYS, COMMUNITIES, AND WIDLIFE FROM WATER POLLUTION BY FOCUSING ON TWO MAIN PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE THE BLUE WATER TASK FORCE (BWTF) AND OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDENS (OFG).
Read it as they filed it
CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE - WE PROTECT OUR COASTAL WATERWAYS, COMMUNITIES, AND WIDLIFE FROM WATER POLLUTION BY FOCUSING ON TWO MAIN PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE THE BLUE WATER TASK FORCE (BWTF) AND OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDENS (OFG). CHAPTERS ALSO RUN CAMPAIGNS AGAINST PROJECTS THAT WILL CAUSE POLLUTION AND ADVOCATE FOR WISE MANAGEMENT OF OUR LAND AND WATER RESOURCES.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
81 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and Surfrider Foundation is nowhere near one.
Backed on the record by Resources Legacy Fund, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation and 2 others, latest filing FY24.
$11,728,925 programs, $1,251,009 management, $1,563,971 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The people
Who does the work
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 SF? Claim this page.
Those 50,000 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If SF is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 50,001The filings
14 years of filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $6,160,511 |
| 2012 | $6,712,936 |
| 2013 | $6,077,987 |
| 2014 | $5,714,958 |
| 2015 | $6,270,599 |
| 2016 | $7,267,265 |
| 2017 | $7,009,736 |
| 2018 | $8,618,975 |
| 2019 | $11,457,073 |
| 2020 | $12,597,004 |
| 2021 | $13,558,022 |
| 2022 | $12,280,357 |
| 2023 | $14,309,868 |
| 2024 | $14,490,016 |
From $6.2M in 2011 to $14.5M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years.
Fights alongside Center for Biological Diversity (1 shared case), Environment America (1 shared case), Friends of the Earth (1 shared case), Natural Resources Defense Council (1 shared case) and Oceana (1 shared case) and 2 more. Same case, same side, on the federal docket.
Their ground
The places they defend
See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Ways in
How to help
81 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with Surfrider Foundation
42 years on the ground, 50,000 volunteers, 81 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.