Nonprofit · EIN 26-1215705
SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION
Tax-exempt · CHARLESTON, SC 29422
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $7,375,802 | $7,274,068 | $101,734 | $3,359,786 | $2,119,013 | $1,240,773 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $6,572,973 | $6,630,415 | -$57,442 | $2,632,491 | $1,493,452 | $1,139,039 |
| June 30, 2023 | 990 | $6,262,135 | $5,902,091 | $360,044 | $2,498,105 | $1,301,624 | $1,196,481 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $7,332,525
- of which government grants
- $7,293,284
- Membership dues
- $39,241
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $0
- Other revenue
- $43,277
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $6,156,998
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $162,746
- Other salaries and wages
- $458,776
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $790,179
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Travel
- $8,109
- Depreciation
- $80,893
- Program services (functional)
- $7,240,616
- Management and general (functional)
- $31,635
- Fundraising (functional)
- $1,817
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $2,632,491
- Total assets, end of year
- $3,359,786
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $2,119,013
- Net assets, end of year
- $1,240,773
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $466,948
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $1,162,586
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $78,187
- Gross receipts
- $7,375,802
- Employees
- 7
- Volunteers
- 11
- Year formed
- 2008
- State of legal domicile
- SC
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 June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEBRA HERNANDEZ | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer | 40 | $163,445 | $36,611 |
| ERIN HAGUE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DUANE DE FREESE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| BRYAN FRANKS | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| NATHAN HALL | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JIM MURLEY | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| SCOTT HARRIS | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY MITCHUM | AT LARGE Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| EVELIEN VANDERKLOET | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JEFF COPELAND | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| WILLIAM SAVIDGE | VICE CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| PATRICK BARRINEAU | CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 11 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEBRA HERNANDEZ | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer | 40 | $166,980 | $33,343 |
| ERIN HAGUE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DUANE DE FREESE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| BRYAN FRANKS | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| NATHAN HALL | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| PATRICK BARRINEAU | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| EVELIEN VANDERKLOET | AT LARGE Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| BILL SAVIDGE | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| SUSAN LOVELACE | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JEFF COPELAND | VICE CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY MITCHUM | CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2023: 12 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEBRA HERNANDEZ | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer | 40 | $125,939 | $29,210 |
| BILL SAVIDGE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| CONRAD LAUTENBACHER | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DUANE DE FREESE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| BRYAN FRANKS | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JEFF COPELAND | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| NATHAN HALL | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| PATRICK BARRINEAU | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| EVELIEN VANDERKLOET | AT LARGE Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| SUSAN LOVELACE | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY MITCHUM | CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JIM MURLEY | VICE CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- PO BOX 13856, CHARLESTON, SC 29422-3856
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- DEBRA HERNANDEZ, PO BOX 13856, CHARLESTON, SC 29422
- Signed the 990
- DEBRA HERNANDEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- Phone
- (843) 906-8686
- Website
- HTTP://SECOORA.ORG/
- Return prepared by
- ELLIOTT DAVIS ADVISORY LLC
Mission
SECOORA IS THE REGIONAL SOLUTION TO INTEGRATING COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVING DATA IN THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES TO INFORM DECISION MAKERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE SECOORA REGION ENCOMPASSES 4 STATES, OVER 42 MILLION PEOPLE AND SPANS THE COASTAL OCEAN FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. WE ARE CREATING CUSTOMIZED PRODUCTS TO ADDRESS THESE THEMATIC AREAS: MARINE OPERATIONS; COASTAL HAZARDS; ECOSYSTEMS, WATER QUALITY, AND LIVING MARINE RESOURCES.
Program accomplishments
- PROVIDE OCEAN INFORMATION TO MEMBERS AND OTHER PARTIES. THE ORGANIZATION IS ONE OF 11 REGIONAL COASTAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS. SECOORA COLLECTS DATA AND CREATES TOOLS THAT SUPPORT HUMAN POPULATIONS, COASTAL ECONOMIES AND A HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT. ITS OBSERVING SYSTEM IS COMPRISED OF MULTIPLE DATA PRODUCTS, MOORED AND COASTAL STATIONS, HIGH-FREQUENCY RADARS, AND A GLIDER OBSERVATORY.Expenses $7,240,616 · grants $6,156,998
- PRIORITIES FOR SECOORA FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE TO SUSTAIN, REPAIR AND EXPAND CRITICAL OBSERVING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ENHANCE DATA MANAGEMENT, DATA SHARING, AND DELIVERY OF DATA PRODUCTS, TO STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST, INCLUDING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. IN SECOORA'S BIL AWARD SECOORA IS PROPOSING WORK UNDER TOPIC AREA 1 AND TOPIC AREA 2:
- SECOORA AND PARTNERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED AND TRANSITIONED TO OPERATIONS A COASTAL WEBCAM NETWORK FOR THE SOUTHEAST US. THE NETWORK, KNOWN AS WEBCOOS, STREAMLINED THE COLLECTION, STORAGE, AND ACCESS TO REAL-TIME AND HISTORIC WEBCAM IMAGERY AND ENABLES IMAGE ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF DERIVED PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE USED FOR DECISION-MAKING.
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 June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 26-1215705
- 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
- 2008
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Community improvement and capacity building (S40)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $3,359,786
- Income (IRS master file)
- $7,375,802
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $7,375,802 | $7,274,068 | $3,359,786 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2024 | $6,572,973 | $6,630,415 | $2,632,491 | XML |
| 990 | June 2023 | $6,262,135 | $5,902,091 | $2,498,105 | XML |
| 990 | June 2022 | $5,560,971 | $5,542,572 | $1,939,455 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
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 26-1215705).
Questions about SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION
- What is the EIN of SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION is 26-1215705.
- Is SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2008.
- Are donations to SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION 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 SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names DEBRA HERNANDEZ.
- Who are the officers and directors of SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 12 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $163,445 (DEBRA HERNANDEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR).
- How much revenue does SOUTHEAST COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING REGIONAL ASSOCIATION have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $7,375,802, expenses of $7,274,068 and total assets of $3,359,786 at year end.
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