Nonprofit · EIN 33-0847892
ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER
Also known as INLAND EMPIRE WATERKEEPER
Tax-exempt · COSTA MESA, CA 92626
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $2,992,960 | $2,742,308 | $250,652 | $3,768,741 | $652,706 | $3,116,035 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $2,782,305 | $2,813,134 | -$30,829 | $3,683,666 | $822,163 | $2,861,503 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,858,433
- of which government grants
- $254,918
- Program service revenue
- $1,086,573
- Investment income
- $47,157
- Other revenue
- $797
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $391,548
- Other salaries and wages
- $1,262,180
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $1,926,302
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Occupancy
- $138,722
- Travel
- $10,578
- Program services (functional)
- $2,488,713
- Management and general (functional)
- $149,769
- Fundraising (functional)
- $103,826
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $3,683,666
- Total assets, end of year
- $3,768,741
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $652,706
- Net assets, end of year
- $3,116,035
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $2,795,173
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $320,862
- Gross receipts
- $2,992,960
- Employees
- 47
- Volunteers
- 275
- Year formed
- 1999
- State of legal domicile
- CA
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.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garry Brown | President & CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $229,375 | $10,217 |
| Sarah Spinuzzi | Legal Director | 40 | $178,043 | $12,368 |
| Ellen Orange-Brown | CFO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $146,237 | $5,719 |
| Dyana Pena | Assoc Dir of Prog | 40 | $113,333 | $9,811 |
| Vince Zimmerer | President Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Steven Schinhofen | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Kara Adams | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Alan Freeman | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Janice Sclafani | Vice President Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Heather Heleloa | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 13 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garry Brown | President & CEO Officer | 40 | $207,250 | $8,773 |
| Sarah Spinuzzi | Legal Director | 40 | $125,631 | $8,002 |
| Ellen Orange-Brown | Assoc. Dir. & CFO | 40 | $121,672 | $8,591 |
| Robert King | Director Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Vince Zimmerer | President Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Steven Schinhofen | Director Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Kara Adams | Treasurer Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Alan Freeman | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Mandana Massoumi | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Robert Budd | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Janice Scalpini | Vice President Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Heather Heleloa | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Jeff Snow | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 3151 AIRWAY AVE STE F110, COSTA MESA, CA 92626-4621
- In care of
- % ELLEN ORANGE BROWN
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Garry Brown, 3151 Airway Ave Ste F110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
- Signed the 990
- Garry Brown, President & CEO
- Phone
- (714) 850-1965
- Website
- https://www.coastkeeper.org
- Return prepared by
- Brett Bradbury CPA PC
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 33-0847892 or by the name ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
Orange County Coastkeeper OCCK is a California non-profit public benefit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of California marine habitats and watersheds through programs of education, advocacy, restoration, and enforcement. Affiliated with the National Waterkeeper Alliance consisting of over 200 keeper organizations worldwide, OCCK maintains a full-time staff of skilled, dedicated professionals, including geologists, marine biologists, and attorneys.
Program accomplishments
- Legal- the Organization monitors pollution from industrial discharges throughout the region. We meet with regulators as stakeholders and participate in writing the various permits that regulate stormwater and urban runoff. Using the Federal Clean Water Act, we litigate polluters in Federal Court in order to clean up the region one polluter at a time.Expenses $677,106 · revenue $992,500
- Education- The Organization interacts with thousands of students and citizens at schools and public outreach events to raise regional awareness about watersheds and marine issues. Currently, in more than 40 schools, the Organization promotes stewardship and environmental careers through its Whales program, which provides in-class and field experience to junior high school and high school students each year.Expenses $558,939
- Advocacy- The Organization collaborates on various projects and advocates for stricter storm water and runoff regulations at regulatory agencies and commissions, as well as state, county, and local governments. The Organization promotes collaborative solutions to enhance coastal protection, including ensure public access to coastal resources, and healthy marine habitats.Expenses $521,205
- Restoration- The Organization has restored local marine habitats. In the near shore water, giant Kelp was brought back from Newport Beach to Dana Point. In Upper Newport Harbor and Alamitos Bay eelgrass was planted and it thrives to now, four acres. Next to the eelgrass beds, we installed substrates to restore Olympia Oysters. Restoring eelgrass next to Oysters is part of the California Living Shoreline program and is proving a natural buffer against sediment erosion in sea level rise.Expenses $272,875 · revenue $94,073
- Special Projects - The Inland Empire Waterkeeper is a separately licensed waterkeeper program through the Waterkeeper Alliance and is a program of Orange County Coastkeeper. This program covers San Bernardino and North Riverside County and includes most of the Mojave Desert east to the Colorado River. OCCK maintains an office for this program in the City of Riverside. The Coachella Waterkeeper is a separately licensed waterkeeper program through the Waterkeeper Alliance and is a program of Orange County Coastkeeper. This program covers Coachella Valley and South Riverside County.Expenses $271,873
- Research- The Organization conducts numerous monitoring of activities such as its Marine Protected Area (MPA), Santa Ana River Mouth (SAR), Aliso Creek Berm, and collects water samples throughout the region. The data is collected and reports are prepared to assist in public policy decisions. Special Projects include programs to engage residents of the region on specific issues in collaboration with the State. The Organization conducts campaigns to support or oppose specific proposed development projects, permits, utilities, actions that impact coastal or inland waterways.Expenses $186,715
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.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 33-0847892
- 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
- 1999
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Environment (C320)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $3,768,741
- Income (IRS master file)
- $2,992,960
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $2,992,960 | $2,742,308 | $3,768,741 | XML |
| 990 | December 2024 | $2,782,305 | $2,813,134 | $3,683,666 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2023 | $2,817,033 | $2,242,349 | $3,554,520 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2022 | $2,328,861 | $2,223,257 | $2,729,102 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 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 33-0847892).
Questions about ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER
- What is the EIN of ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER is 33-0847892.
- Is ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1999.
- Are donations to ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER 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 ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER 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 ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER 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 ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Garry Brown.
- Who are the officers and directors of ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 10 people; 4 received compensation from the organization, the highest $229,375 (Garry Brown, President & CEO).
- How much revenue does ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $2,992,960, expenses of $2,742,308 and total assets of $3,768,741 at year end.
Other nonprofits in COSTA MESA
- KULA PROJECT INC EIN 45-5273875 · last filed 990 for 2025
- OPERATION CLEAN SLATE EIN 33-0584810 · last filed 990-EZ for 2024
- FAIRVIEW PARK ALLIANCE EIN 82-2238446 · last filed 990-N for 2025
- COMINGS FOUNDATION EIN 27-0119876 · last filed 990-PF for 2025
- CALIFORNIA BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION EIN 99-2002578 · last filed 990-N for 2024
- SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS EIN 23-7287150 · last filed 990 for 2025
- VANGUARD UNIVERSITY OF SO CA EIN 95-6002998 · last filed 990 for 2025
- VANGUARD UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION EIN 91-2164193 · last filed 990 for 2025