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Earthwatch Institute Inc

EIN 23-7168440 · Newton, MA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak44 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH SCIENTISTS WORLDWIDE TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD RESEARCH AND EMPOWERS THEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO CONSERVE THE PLANET. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1971, EARTHWATCH HAS EMPOWERED OVER 100,000 VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO JOIN LEADING SCIENTISTS ON RESEARCH EXPEDITIONS THAT TACKLE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AROUND THE GLOBE - FROM CLIMATE CHANGE TO OCEAN HEALTH, HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT, AND MORE. EARTHWATCH INVITES PEOPLE FROM ALL SECTORS TO JOIN ITS MISSION, FROM THE PUBLIC TO TEACHERS, STUDENTS, COMPANIES, AND MORE. DURING 2024 WE SUPPORTED MORE THAN 30 RESEARCH PROJECTS.

Income
$3.9 million
Spending
$5.1 million
Spent on programs
76%
Reserves
0 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
45
Volunteers
2,428
Highest pay
$143,097, president/ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 32% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 33% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    76% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 68% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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)
  1. $3.9 million spent. EARTHWATCH'S PROGRAMS INVOLVE A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF RESEARCHERS, CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS, EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, NGO'S AND BUSINESSES WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH OUR FIELD EXPEDITIONS, EARTHWATCH ENGAGES INDIVIDUALS IN HANDS-ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH ALONGSIDE LEADING SCIENTISTS WHERE THEY ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. WHILE WE WERE AGAIN ABLE TO OPEN ALL OF OUR SUPPORTED FIELD RESEARCH PROJECTS TO VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT FOR OUR 2024 FISCAL YEAR (OCTOBER 1, 2023- SEPTEMBER 30, 2024), OUR RECRUITMENT NUMBERS FELL SHORT OF OUR PARTICIPANT NUMBER GOALS. WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT 170 FIELD RESEARCH TEAMS ACROSS 25 PROJECTS WITHIN 16 COUNTRIES (DOWN FROM THE APPROXIMATELY 38 FIELD-RESEARCH PROJECTS ACROSS 24 COUNTRIES THAT WERE A PART OF OUR PRE-PANDEMIC PROGRAMS). 878 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED ON EARTHWATCH PUBLIC FIELD PROJECTS. THESE INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY 48,000 HOURS TO RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION. SUPPORTED SCIENTISTS PUBLISHED AN ESTIMATED 18 PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS AND/OR BOOK CHAPTERS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, WITH OVER 49 ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS FROM PREVIOUSLY-SUPPORTED RESEARCH PROJECTS. IN ADDITION, THE EARTHWATCH MODEL WAS FEATURED IN AT LEAST 42 OTHER PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS IN 2024. AT LEAST THREE GRADUATE STUDENTS THAT WERE SUPPORTED IN-PART BY THE EARTHWATCH MODEL COMPLETED THEIR DEGREES WITHIN 2024 (1 PHD, 2 MSC).EARTHWATCH IS DEDICATED TO CREATING AN ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY THROUGH OUR RESEARCH PROJECTS, EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND HANDS-ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN FIELD RESEARCH. IN RECOGNITION THAT PART OF OUR MODEL'S CONTINUED VULNERABILITY TO THIS GLOBAL CRISIS HAS BEEN ITS RELIANCE ON TRAVEL, WE CONTINUED CHANNELING MORE EFFORT IN EXPANDING SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT APPEAL TO BOTH CORPORATE PARTNERS (CURRENT AND POTENTIAL) AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE NOT AS DEPENDENT ON TRAVEL. IN 2024, WE CONDUCTED OUR THIRD YEAR OF OFFERING A CLIMATE CHANGE MASTER CLASS WEBINAR SERIES FOR CORPORATE PARTNERS TO OVER 360 PARTICIPANTS LIVE (AND MANY MORE VIEWING THE RECORDED SESSIONS). OPERATION HEALTHY AIR (OHA) HAD 185 PARTICIPANTS FOR A WORKING WEBINAR ON MICROPLASTICS FROM CLOTHING , AND OUR INATURALIST-BASED GLOBAL POLLINATOR WATCH PROJECT GREW TO INCLUDE A TOTAL OF SIX CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT CONTRIBUTED OVER 4,200 POLLINATOR OBSERVATIONS, WHILE THE PUBLIC VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM HAS NOW REACHED NEARLY 800,000 POLLINATOR OBSERVATIONS, REPRESENTING NEARLY 29,000 SPECIES BY THE END OF 2024.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since April 1972.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.

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