CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

49 AVENEL BLVD, LONG BRANCH, NJ 07740-7733

Principal officer (990 for 2025)

CINDY ZIPF, 49 AVENEL BOULEVARD, LONG BRANCH, NJ 07740

Signed the 990

CINDY ZIPF, EXEC. DIRECT

Phone

(732) 872-0111

Website

WWW.CLEANOCEANACTION.ORG

Return prepared by

GERMAN VREELAND & ASSOCIATES LLP

Mission

CLEAN OCEAN ACTION'S GOAL IS TO IMPROVE AND PROTECT THE WATERS OFF THE NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK COAST FROM POLLUTION, PLASTICS, INDUSTRIALIZATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE WITH RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND CITIZEN ACTION.

Program accomplishments

• CLEAN OCEAN ACTION, INC.(COA)IS THE ONLY FULL-TIME COALITION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE MARINE WATERS OF THE NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY REGION. FOUNDED IN 1984, COA BRINGS TOGETHER AND EMPOWERS ORGANIZATIONS, HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES AND THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS TO PROTECT NATURE'S MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE: THE OCEAN. THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF INCLUDES PHD'S, AN ATTORNEY, AND SEVERAL WITH MASTER'S DEGREES. THE DYNAMIC AND EFFECTIVE TEAM APPLIES RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND CITIZEN ACTION TO REDUCE SOURCES OF POLLUTION AND IMPACTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE WITH FACT-BASED CAMPAIGNS TO IMPLEMENT ENVIRONMENTALLY-SOUND SOLUTIONS. COA ALSO ENGAGES MEANINGFUL AND AUTHENTIC EFFORTS TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO MARINE WATER QUALITY BY REDUCING SOURCES OF POLLUTION, PLASTICS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE, INCLUDING: ENDED OCEAN DUMPING OF EIGHT OCEAN DUMPSITES OFF THE COAST OF NJ BLOCKED FOSSIL FUEL OCEAN INDUSTRIALIZATION, INCLUDING FIVE LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS FACILITIES AND OIL AND GAS DRILLING SUCCESSFULLY LED NJ CAMPAIGN TO PASS THE NATION'S STRONGEST SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION LAW PASSED THE NATION'S STRONGEST STATE LAW PROHIBITING OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES WITH SUPPORT FROM 99% OF NJ LEGISLATURE PASSED THE NATION'S STRONGEST FERTILIZER CONTROL LAW TO PROTECT NJ'S COASTAL WATERWAYS REDUCED SOURCES OF RAW SEWAGE, PROTECTING SWIMMERS FROM SEWAGE ESTABLISHED THE REGION'S LARGEST ENVIROMENTAL LITTER REDUCTION EVENT, BEACH SWEEPS, COLLECTED NEARLY 8 MILLION PIECES OF TRASH FROM NJ BEACHES, AND CREATED A DATABASE FOR REGIONAL LITTER AND PLASTIC REDUCTION EFFORTS REDUCED THE USE OF PLASTICS IN COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES, AND BY INDIVIDUALS CONDUCTED A STATEWIDE SAMPLING OF MICROPLASTICS ALONG THE ENTIRE NJ COAST IMPROVED THE MANAGEMENT OF DREDGE MATERIAL CREATED A MODEL COASTAL WATERSHED PROTECTION PROGRAM, CALLED RALLY FOR THE WATERWAYS THAT HAS EXPANDED INTO TWO NJ COUNTIES CREATED A MUNICIPAL POLLUTION REDUCTION CERTIFICATION PROGRAM, CALLED BLUE STAR CHALLENGING RECKLESS OCEAN INDUSTRIALIZATION EXPANDED SEASIDE EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR K-12 GRADE STUDENTS. EDUCATION PROGRAMS COA CREATED THE BEACH SWEEPS - THE REGION'S LONGEST RUNNING, LARGEST BI- ANNUAL VOLUNTEER CITIZEN SCIENCE EVENT FOR ALL AGES THAT PUTS FEET ON THE BEACH AND HANDS IN THE SAND TO REDUCE MARINE DEBRIS AND COLLECT A LEGACY OF INFORMATION THAT IS USED TO IDENTIFY SOURCES OF MARINE DEBRIS, MONITOR TRENDS AND PROMOTE SOLUTIONS. COA ALSO DEVELOPED "WATERSHED MINDFULNESS" PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN POLLUTION REDUCTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AS WELL AS COORDINATING DIVERSE AND ENGAGING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES (YOUTH - SENIORS), TO REDUCE POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PLASTICS. COA ALSO PROVIDES MOSTLY-FREE SEASIDE EDUCATION FOR THOUSANDS OF K-12 STUDENTS. RESEARCH PROGRAMS COA CONDUCTS RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY PLASTICS, PATHOGENS, AND CHEMICAL POLLUTION SOURCES BY ENGAGING CITIZEN SCIENCE WITH RIGOROUS OVERSIGHT BY THE PHD WATER QUALITY RESEARCH DIRECTOR. RESEARCH IS COORDINATED WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, AS WELL AS WITH OUTSIDE SCIENTISTS TO ENSURE QUALITY. WATER QUALITY MONITORING IS ALSO CONDUCTED IN COA'S NEW IN-HOUSE LAB. CAMPAIGNS ARE IMPLEMENTED ALONG WITH MUNICIPAL ENGAGEMENT TO REDUCE THE SOURCES OF POLLUTION AND IMPACTS DISCOVERED THROUGH RESEARCH. COA ALSO RESEARCHES THREATS TO OCEAN RESOURCES FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION, SUCH AS OIL AND GAS DRILLING, POWER PLANTS, AND AQUACULTURE. IN DECEMBER 2024, COA'S RALLY FOR THE TWO RIVERS PROGRAM RECEIVED THE 2024 GOVERNOR'S ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD UNDER THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND WATER RESOURCES CATEGORY. THESE AWARDS ARE PRESENTED IN A CEREMONY HOSTED BY NJDEP AND "AWARDED ANNUALLY TO INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP ON A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, CLIMATE CHANGE, SUSTAINABILITY AND EDUCATION" (NJDEP). COA ESTABLISHED THE RALLY FOR THE NAVESINK COALITION IN 2016 TO ADDRESS THE CHRONIC PATHOGEN POLLUTION AND THE 2015 DOWNGRADE OF 500+ ACRES OF SHELLFISH HARVESTING AREAS IN THE NAVESINK RIVER BY NJDEP AND HAS SINCE THEN EXPANDED AS THE RALLY FOR TWO RIVERS AND INCLUDES THE SHREWSBURY RIVER WATERSHED. THE ONGOING RALLY FOR TWO RIVERS AMBIENT BACTERIA COMMUNITY SCIENCE MONITORING PROGRAM, WHICH WAS RELAUNCHED IN 2023, PROVIDES VALUABLE DATA ON UPSTREAM WATER QUALITY THAT IS BEING USED TO IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE UPSTREAM POLLUTION SOURCES SUCCESSFULLY. CITIZEN ACTION DEFENDING THE OCEAN REQUIRES VIGILANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND TENACITY, AS WELL AS BEING ON CALL FOR SWIFT RESPONSE. COA IS THE OCEAN'S WATCHDOG AND ADVOCATE. AS A WATCHDOG, COA RESPONDS TO AND INVESTIGATES CALLS FROM CITIZENS ABOUT POLLUTING ACTIVITIES. ADVOCACY INCLUDES ACTION CAMPAIGNS, MEETINGS, RALLIES,PETITIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRESS ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS LETTER-WRITING. THESE ARE COORDINATED WITH SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND LEGAL EXPERTISE TO ENSURE PROTECTION OF MARINE WATER QUALITY FROM POLLUTION, INCLUDING FROM PATHOGENS, CHEMICALS, AND MARINE DEBRIS. HIGHLY RATED IN 2025, COA'S CHARITY NAVIGATOR RATING WAS 99%. COA HAS CONSISTENLY HELD CHARITY NAVIGATOR'S HIGHEST RANKING OF FOUR STARS SINCE 2016. COA IS ONE OF THE ONLY MARINE PROTECTION NONPROFITS TO HOLD THESE TOP HONORS FOR AN EXTENDED TIME. ALSO, CANDID (FORMERLY GUIDESTAR) AWARDED COA THEIR HIGHEST RANKING, PLATINUM.
  Expenses $845,045

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

22-2897204

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

1989

Accounting year ends

December

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Environment (C200)

Assets (IRS master file)

$3,423,472

Income (IRS master file)

$1,227,681

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 22-2897204).

Questions about CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC

What is the EIN of CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC?

The employer identification number (EIN) of CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC is 22-2897204.

Is CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1989.

Are donations to CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC due?

The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.

Who is the principal officer of CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names CINDY ZIPF.

Who are the officers and directors of CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 10 people; 2 received compensation from the organization, the highest $98,800 (CINDY ZIPF, EXEC. DIRECT).

How much revenue does CLEAN OCEAN ACTION INC have?

On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,141,980, expenses of $985,527 and total assets of $3,423,472 at year end.

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