Nonprofit · EIN 88-4401940
CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE
Tax-exempt · CHARLESTON, SC 29405
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $69,079 | $64,269 | $4,810 | $19,902 | $0 | $19,902 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990-EZ | $24,580 | $17,934 | $6,646 | $6,646 | – | $6,646 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $39,148
- Program service revenue
- $27,506
- Investment income
- $0
- Net income from fundraising events
- $2,425
- Other revenue
- $2,425
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $1,000
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $12,000
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $12,000
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Accounting fees
- $208
- Occupancy
- $11,663
- Travel
- $800
- Program services (functional)
- $55,797
- Management and general (functional)
- $5,404
- Fundraising (functional)
- $3,068
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $14,592
- Total assets, end of year
- $19,902
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $0
- Net assets, end of year
- $19,902
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $19,902
- Gross receipts
- $69,829
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 300
- Year formed
- 2022
- 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 December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whittaker Grey Gowder | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $12,000 |
| W Andrew Gowder Jr | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| Holly Blair | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| Hannah Jane Dantzscher | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| Judy Fairchild | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| Zach Bjur | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Dr Francine Kershaw | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2023: 6 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whittaker Grey Gowder | Executive Director | 40 | $0 |
| Zachary Bjur | Board Chair | 1 | $0 |
| Betsy LaForce | Vice Chair | 1 | $0 |
| Holly Hillman | Secretary | 1 | $0 |
| Selina Bohland | Treasurer | 1 | $0 |
| Marni Friedman | Board Member | 1 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 1629 MEETING STREET RD A, CHARLESTON, SC 29405-9408
- In care of
- % WHITTAKER GREY GOWDER
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Whittaker Grey Gowder, 1629 Meeting Street Rd A, Charleston, SC 29405
- Signed the 990
- Whittaker Grey Gowder, Executive Director
- Phone
- (843) 364-9818
- Return prepared by
- Glaser and Company LLC
Mission
The Carolina Ocean Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that advances community-driven solutions through strategic coalitions of our partners, develops the next generation of leaders, and fosters a culture of environmental stewardship.
Program accomplishments
- The Hope Summit is a forum for amplifying intersectional ideas, accelerating solutions, and inspiring hope. Hope is a regenerative act that we will inspire through accessible, tangible, and creative action. Through an annual conference, film festival, community festival, and a growing line-up of programming, and year-round book club, film series, and impact events, The Hope Summit is a catalyst for creating vibrant communities.Expenses $31,896 · revenue $9,280
- Ocean Advocacy, Policy, and Emerging Leader DevelopmentTo have a healthy planet, we need to protect and restore the health of our oceans, and in doing so, we must protect and restore the health of coastal ecosystems and the communities that live alongside them by reimagining and reshaping the systems that create environmental harm and injustice, while understanding that we are all downstream of someone and upstream of someone else. Carolina Ocean Alliance works towards systems-scale solutions to climate change and ocean health through nature-based design, community-driven solutions, policy informed by ecology, support for key educational and regulatory institutions, and a shared responsibility for our planet and for the well-being of our neighbors.Expenses $7,214 · revenue $17,238
- The Creek Collective is a place-based, community-driven resilience initiative of the Carolina Ocean Alliance that merges nature-based design and tactical urbanism with direct action that community members can take through citizen science, native ecosystem restoration, community adaptation planning, environmental justice, and the creation of community networks built around the shared stewardship of a waterway or flood basin.The M.A.R.S.H. Project is a grassroots and community-based program of the Creek Collective working to create the first urban ecological corridor in the Southeast. We advocate for the marsh, and for reclaiming Charleston's natural heritage through volunteerism and unique programming cleaning up debris, planting native plant species, citizen-science monitoring, art programs, and community and educational outreach.Expenses $16,687 · grants $1,000 · revenue $988
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 | Check at the IRS |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990-EZ on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 88-4401940
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2023
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Environment (C32)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $19,902
- Income (IRS master file)
- $69,829
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $69,079 | $64,269 | $19,902 | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2023 | $24,580 | $17,934 | $6,646 | XML |
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 88-4401940).
Questions about CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE
- What is the EIN of CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE is 88-4401940.
- Is CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2023.
- Are donations to CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE 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 CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE 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 CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE 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 CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Whittaker Grey Gowder.
- Who are the officers and directors of CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 7 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $12,000 (Whittaker Grey Gowder, Executive Director).
- How much revenue does CAROLINA OCEAN ALLIANCE have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $69,079, expenses of $64,269 and total assets of $19,902 at year end.
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