Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ALLIANCE TO PROTECT NANTUCKET SOUND IS A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE PERMANENT PRESERVATION OF NANTUCKET SOUND, THE HISTORIC BODY OF WATER THAT LIES BETWEEN CAPE COD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND NANTUCKET. THE GOAL OF THE ALLIANCE IS TO PERMANENTLY PROTECT NANTUCKET SOUND THROUGH DESIGNATION AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK TO PRESERVE ITS RICH ECOLOGY, RECOGNIZE ITS RICH TRIBAL HISTORY, PROTECT USES SUCH AS FISHING AND RECREATION, AND SAFEGUARD IT AGAINST INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $943,448
- Spent on programs
- 59%
- Reserves
- 15.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $327,153, president and ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.8 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 25% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1558% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 22 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $551,529 spent. NANTUCKET SOUNDNANTUCKET SOUND INCLUDES 163 SQUARE NAUTICAL MILES OF WATER AND SEABED BETWEEN CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS. NANTUCKET SOUND POSSESSES SIGNIFICANT MARINE HABITAT FOR A DIVERSITY OF ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT SPECIES. THE SOUND IS IMPORTANT FOR SEVERAL FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES OF WILDLIFE AND A VARIETY OF COMMERCIALLY AND RECREATIONALLY VALUABLE FISHERIES.THE SOUND IS SITUATED AT A CONFLUENCE OF THE COLD LABRADOR CURRENTS AND THE WARM GULF STREAM. THIS CREATES A UNIQUE COASTAL HABITAT, REPRESENTING THE SOUTHERN RANGE FOR NORTHERN ATLANTIC SPECIES AND THE NORTHERN RANGE FOR MID-ATLANTIC SPECIES. NANTUCKET SOUND IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN EXTREME RICHNESS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, CONTAINING HABITATS THAT RANGE FROM OPEN SEA TO SALT MARSHES. NANTUCKET SOUND IS MORE THAN A BODY OF WATER. IT IS A SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD FOR LOCAL FISHERMEN, AN INSPIRATION FOR ARTISTS, AND A SOURCE OF SOLACE, RELAXATION, AND RECREATION FOR THE MILLIONS THAT FLOCK TO ITS SHORES. THE SOUND IS THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE CAPE AND ISLANDS. IT IS AN IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT NATURAL TREASURE THAT MUST BE PRESERVED AND PROTECTED.NANTUCKET SOUND IS UNIQUE FOR MANY REASONS. IT IS THE ONLY LOCATION IN THE COUNTRY WHERE FEDERAL WATERS ARE SURROUNDED BY STATE WATERS THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS A SANCTUARY UNDER STATE LAW. THE SOUND IS THE ONLY OCEAN-BASED TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PLACE AND WAS RECOGNIZED AS SUCH FOR ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE AREA'S WAMPANOAG TRIBES. IT IS BORDERED BY SEVERAL ONSHORE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS, INCLUDING THE KENNEDY COMPOUND ON CAPE COD, WESLEYAN GROVE AND THE FLYING HORSES CAROUSEL ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND THE ENTIRE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. NO OTHER OCEAN AREA SUITABLE FOR OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT SHARES THE SOUND'S UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY AND COMPLEX HISTORIC, TRIBAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC ATTRIBUTES. THE EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC INTEREST VALUES OF THE SOUND ARE CLEARLY WORTHY OF NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION.NANTUCKET SOUND HAS LONG BEEN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PROTECTED STATUS. IN 1971, NANTUCKET SOUND STATE WATERS, OUT TO THREE MILES FROM THE SHORELINES OF CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS WERE DESIGNATED AS THE MASSACHUSETTS CAPE AND ISLANDS OCEAN SANCTUARY UNDER STATE LAW. HOWEVER, THE FEDERAL WATERS IN THE CENTER OF THE SOUND REMAINED UNPROTECTED. IN 1980, THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS NOMINATED THE SOUND FOR DESIGNATION UNDER THE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT. IN 1983, THE FEDERAL RESOURCE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, APPOINTED BY THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA'S) SANCTUARY PROGRAM, DETERMINED THE SOUND WAS WORTHY OF DESIGNATION. IT WAS LISTED ON THE SITE EVALUATION LIST IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER AS ONE OF 28 AREAS "FROM WHICH NOAA WILL SELECT SITES TO EVALUATE AS CANDIDATES FOR NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES." IN 2010, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECOGNIZED THE UNIQUE TRIBAL VALUES OF THE SOUND AND DETERMINED IT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AS A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY. ALLIANCE 2024 ACTIVITIESLEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONTHE ALLIANCE CONTINUED TO PURSUE DESIGNATION FOR NANTUCKET SOUND AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK (NHL) TO RECOGNIZE THE SOUND AS A SACRED TRIBAL SITE AND TO PROTECT IT IN PERPETUITY. THE ALLIANCE PROMOTED FEDERAL LEGISLATION ENTITLED "THE NANTUCKET SOUND NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK ACT" THROUGH CONGRESS. IN 2023, THE ALLIANCE ALSO LAUNCHED THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS TO SEEK NHL DESIGNATION WITH A LETTER OF INQUIRY TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. INTERIOR CONDUCTED GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION WITH THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBE AND THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE OF GAYHEAD/AQUINNAH THROUGHOUT 2024.ADVOCACYTHE ALLIANCE MET WITH AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION. WE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN AND BUILD A STRONG COALITION OF 90 STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, INCLUDING MUNICIPALITIES, TRIBAL ENTITIES, HISTORIC PRESERVATION GROUPS, COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, BUSINESSES, OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPERS, AND MANY OTHERS. GRASSROOTS AND EDUCATIONTHE ALLIANCE CONDUCTED QUARTERLY DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS AND FREQUENT EMAIL UPDATES FOR EDUCATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS. WE ALSO PROVIDED MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND RESPONDED TO INQUIRIES. THE ALLIANCE RAN A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM - "A CELEBRATION OF NANTUCKET SOUND OR ACONS - TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF NANTUCKET SOUND, SUPPORT OUR PRESERVATION EFFORT, AND ENCOURAGE CONTINUED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. ACONS IS A MONTHLY WEBINAR SERIES WHICH CONNECTS CONTENT EXPERTS WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE NANTUCKET SOUND'S HISTORY, ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. EACH WEBINAR PRESENTS VIEWERS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE VALUES THAT MAKE THIS NATIONAL TREASURE WORTHY OF PROTECTION. DEVELOPMENTTHE ALLIANCE UPDATED SUPPORTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH LETTERS, NEWSLETTERS, PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, PERSONAL MEETINGS, AND QUARTERLY DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS. IN THE SUMMER, WE ALSO HOSTED SEVERAL LOCAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.