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Nonprofit · EIN 94-2788588

SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY

Tax-exempt · SAN JOSE, CA 95131

Financials

$1.3M$1.3M2023$2M$1.5M2024$2.1M$1.9M2025
Revenue Expenses · by fiscal year end
Financials of SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY by year, from its e-filed returns
Year endedFormRevenueExpensesNet incomeTotal assetsLiabilitiesNet assets
December 31, 2025990$2,082,755$1,894,818$187,937$1,136,167$177,652$958,515
December 31, 2024990$2,040,487$1,498,543$541,944$917,123$146,545$770,578
December 31, 2023990$1,288,654$1,343,147-$54,493$419,569$190,935$228,634
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025

Revenue

Contributions, gifts and grants
$1,601,422
of which government grants
$1,194,421
Membership dues
$28,430
Program service revenue
$457,532
Investment income
$22,111
Other revenue
$1,690

Expenses

Grants and similar amounts paid
$0
Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
$118,093
Other salaries and wages
$1,140,405
Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
$1,491,266
Professional fundraising fees
$0
Accounting fees
$13,103
Occupancy
$19,637
Travel
$34,138
Depreciation
$18,226
Program services (functional)
$1,559,800
Management and general (functional)
$166,300
Fundraising (functional)
$168,718

Balance sheet and other

Total assets, start of year
$917,123
Total assets, end of year
$1,136,167
Total liabilities, end of year
$177,652
Net assets, end of year
$958,515
Land, buildings and equipment
$57,608
Publicly traded securities
$385,826
Net assets without donor restrictions
$818,592
Net assets with donor restrictions
$139,923
Gross receipts
$2,082,755
Employees
30
Volunteers
125
Year formed
1981
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.

NameTitleHours / weekCompensationOther / benefits
Chris OveringtonExecutive Director
Trustee or director, Officer
6.25$93,842$17,783
Lynne TrulioCo-Chair
Trustee or director, Officer
3$0$0
Bruce PatonCo-Chair
Trustee or director, Officer
3$0$0
Debbie WongSecretary
Trustee or director, Officer
1.25$0$0
Caroline SelfridgeTreasurer
Trustee or director, Officer
3.5$0$0
Karan GathaniBoard Member
Trustee or director
3$0$0
Elaine Lea-ChouBoard Member
Trustee or director
2.5$0$0
Lisa MyersBoard Member
Trustee or director
1.25$0$0
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 10 people
NameTitleHours / weekCompensationOther / benefits
Chris OveringtonExecutive Dir.
Trustee or director, Officer
40$85,517$16,390
Lynne A TrulioCo-President
Trustee or director, Officer
2$0$0
Bruce PatonCo-President
Trustee or director, Officer
2$0$0
Debbie WongSecretary
Trustee or director, Officer
1.25$0$0
William WhitmerTreasurer
Trustee or director, Officer
2.5$0$0
Karan GathaniBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
Caroline SelfridgeBoard Member
Trustee or director
1.25$0$0
Shubha TuljapurkarBoard Member
Trustee or director
1$0$0
Anshuman MohapatraBoard Member
Trustee or director
1$0$0
David Aguilar RodriguezBoard Member
Trustee or director
1$0$0
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 12 people
NameTitleHours / weekCompensationOther / benefits
Chris OveringtonExec. Dir, CFO
Trustee or director, Officer
2$67,975$13,313
Lynne A TrulioCo-President
Trustee or director, Officer
3$0$0
Bruce PatonCo-President
Trustee or director, Officer
3$0$0
Debbie WongSecretary
Trustee or director, Officer
2$0$0
William WhitmerTreasurer
Trustee or director, Officer
3$0$0
Marty MichaelBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
Caroline SelfridgeBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
Karan GathaniBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
Anshuman MohapatraBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
David Aguilar RodriguezBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
Sheri ScheldorfBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0
Shubha TuljapurkarBoard Member
Trustee or director
2$0$0

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)
1905 CONCOURSE DR UNITS E F, SAN JOSE, CA 95131-1708
Principal officer (990 for 2025)
Chris Overington, 1905 Concourse Dr Units E F, San Jose, CA 95131
Signed the 990
Chris Overington, Executive Director
Phone
(408) 946-6548
Return prepared by
CROSBY & KANEDA CPAS

California records

California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 94-2788588 or by the name SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY.

Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)

Mission

The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is dedicated to promote sustainability in the Bay Area and beyond by engaging communities in avian science, habitat restoration, and education.

990 for the year ended December 31, 2025

Program accomplishments

  • Our science programs are the Snowy Plover and Least Tern Program, Waterbird Program, Landbird Program, Climate Change Program, Habitats Program. The Snowy Plover and Least Tern Recovery Program works toward the recovery of the federally threatened Western snowy plover and endangered California least tern. Biologists monitor breeding snowy plovers and least terns by surveying former salt ponds, stormwater retention ponds, and other suitable habitat of the San Francisco Bay where the birds breed. Program biologists work closely with local land managers and restoration projects to implement management practices to help recover the populations of these sensitive species in the Bay. The Waterbirds Program collects crucial data on the ecology and management ecosystems at a landscape-scale across California. Program biologists and over 100 volunteers collect and analyze large-scale data on waterbird abundance, distribution, foraging, breeding, and disease ecology from across the Bay Area. These data inform management of the largest tidal marsh restoration on the Pacific Coast of North America. In 2025 we continued new initiatives on Oakland Herons, phalarope foraging, and North Bay Colonial Waterbird monitoring. We also started several major new efforts: (1) drafting the first ever rangewide model of North American phalaropes with a novel two-species statistical model, (2) expanding our monitoring of gull and corvid abatement effectiveness to a new site in North Bay, (3) a new collaboration banding California Gulls with researchers from San Jose State University, and (4) co-authoring two region-wide analyses of waterbird health, the SF Bay State of the Birds and Our Estuary reports. The Landbird Program's bird banding has been ongoing for 44 years, involved hundreds of community volunteers who we train, and has been the basis of seven scientific papers in the last 5 years. Currently we involve 65 volunteers in bird banding, and collaborate with other researchers as well as local students embarking on research careers to understand avian responses to climate change and habitat restoration and improve research methods. We also host dozens of students every year ranging from middle school to college to learn about conservation ecology, in collaboration with the Education-Outreach Program and our Student Opportunities in Avian Research partners.
    Expenses $904,985 · revenue $457,532
  • The Habitats Program is a science-based restoration program focused on sustainable restoration of tidal marsh-upland transition zone habitats. In 2025, we added another 5 acres of restoration work at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, grew and planted over 40,000 native plants, and continued managing 27 acres of restored habitat around the Bay. We started work planting and managing 17 acres of newly constructed levee slopes in North San Jose, which will continue for the next 3 years. Restoring tidal marsh-upland transition zones provides critical high tide refugia for tidal marsh fauna, including the federally endangered Ridgway's rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. Healthy marsh vegetation also protects bayside communities from flooding by absorbing energy from incoming storm surges and accelerating sediment accumulation. Ecologists use applied research to find innovative methods for restoration, and work with land managers to integrate transition zone habitat into larger restoration projects. We expanded our successful partnership with Valley Water, Santa Clara County Parks, and educational nonprofit Marshmallow Minds to teach 6th - 8th graders from Title I schools about San Francisco Bay ecology and host them for restoration work and a short hike at Alviso Marina County Park.
    Expenses $616,522
  • Our Education & Outreach Program connects people with our mission to promote sustainability in the Bay Area and beyond by engaging communities in avian science, habitat restoration, and education. We offer youth and adults activities virtually and in the field to teach them about birds, conservation, and science. We also participate in region-wide efforts to compile long term datasets to guide restoration and conservation planning efforts, and offer opportunities for the general public to be involved in scientific research by participating as volunteer community scientists in our scientific and habitat programs.
    Expenses $38,293

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 yearYear endedDueIRS public records
2025December 31, 2025May 15, 2026990 on file
2024December 31, 2024May 15, 2025990 on file
2023December 31, 2023May 15, 2024990 on file

IRS record

EIN
94-2788588
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
1982
Accounting year ends
December
Files
Form 990 or 990-EZ
Category (NTEE)
Environment (C320)
Assets (IRS master file)
$1,136,167
Income (IRS master file)
$2,082,755

Filing history

FormYear endedRevenueExpensesAssetsReturn
990December 2025$2,082,755$1,894,818$1,136,167XML
990December 2024$2,040,487$1,498,543$917,123XML
990December 2023$1,288,654$1,343,147$419,569XML
990December 2022$1,106,867$1,263,695$434,769IRS
990December 2021–––IRS
990December 2020–––IRS
990December 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 94-2788588).

Questions about SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY

What is the EIN of SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY?
The employer identification number (EIN) of SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY is 94-2788588.
Is SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY tax-exempt?
Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1982.
Are donations to SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY tax-deductible?
Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
Which annual return does SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 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 SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 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 SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 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 SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY?
The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Chris Overington.
Who are the officers and directors of SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY?
The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 8 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $93,842 (Chris Overington, Executive Director).
How much revenue does SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY have?
On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $2,082,755, expenses of $1,894,818 and total assets of $1,136,167 at year end.

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