Surfrider Foundation
“To protect and enjoy the ocean, waves, and beaches.”
33 comments to the agencies, 81 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Grassroots network dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches.
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Chapter & student clubs network support - we developed
$5.1M, 35% of spendingChapter & 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.
Various environmental activities such as grass roots
$3.7M, 26% of spendingVarious 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…
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
$1.4M, 9% of spendingWe 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.
Clean Water Initiative
$825K, 6% of spendingWe 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
A good sign, not a scorecard: what matters is the extremes, and this is nowhere near one.
$11,728,925 programs, $1,251,009 management, $1,563,971 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The backers
Backed on the record by Resources Legacy Fund, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Western Conservation Foundation and Robertson Foundation, latest filing FY24.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at the Surfrider Foundation? Claim this page.
Those 50,000 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If the Surfrider Foundation is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap 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.
In court
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 dockets on CourtListener.
The record
On the record with the agencies
33 comments on federal decisions since 2023, each filed under the group’s own name on regulations.gov. The latest on decisions we track:
Year by year
The record, in order
- 1984Surfrider Foundation is formed.the return, formation year
- 2022First appears in the grants of Resources Legacy Fund, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Western Conservation Foundation.the funders’ returns
- 20235 comments, most to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- First appears in Robertson Foundation’s grants.the funder’s return
- 2024Healthy Gulf v. DOI: plaintiff, closed.the docket
- 2 comments, both to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 202510 comments, most to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 202616 comments, most to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 1 federal case with the group on the docket, 33 comments filed under its own name, 5 funders whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
The places they defend
See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
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 the Surfrider Foundation
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.