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Padi Aware Foundation

EIN 33-0540475 · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood73 out of 100GovernanceStrong93 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

OUR MISSION TO 'DRIVE LOCAL ACTION FOR GLOBAL OCEAN CONSERVATION' IS CARRIED OUT THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE, PUBLIC POLICY, AND COMMUNITY GRANTS. FOR OVER 30 YEARS, PADI AND AWARE HAVE BUILT A TRULY UNIQUE VOICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE UNDERWATER WORLD. TOGETHER, WE HAVE SET AMBITIOUS OCEAN CONSERVATION TARGETS THROUGH A SHARED BLUEPRINT FOR OCEAN ACTION THAT PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK TO TACKLE KEY THREATS TO THE OCEAN AND CREATE OCEAN CHANGE IN OUR DIVE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

Income
$1.4 million
Spending
$1.4 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
6
Volunteers
25,000
Highest pay
$118,311, global operations director

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: 73 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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: 93 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    4 of 4 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 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 (4)
  1. $322,118 spent. MARINE DEBRIS: THE AWARE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM, DIVE AGAINST DEBRIS, IMPROVES THE HEALTH OF OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH LOCAL ACTION WHILE PROVIDING VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT UNDERWATER DEBRIS TO HELP INFORM POLICY CHANGE FOR GLOBAL IMPACT. DIVERS ARE OFTEN THE FIRST TO WITNESS HUMAN IMPACT ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO HELP REPORT, REMOVE AND ADVOCATE TO STOP MARINE DEBRIS AT ITS SOURCE.
  2. $381,529 spent. MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS): IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLANCPAIN, OUR FOUNDING PARTNER OF THE PADI BLUEPRINT FOR OCEAN ACTION AND ITS FLAGSHIP PROGRAM, ADOPT THE BLUE, AND OUR NON-PROFIT CHARITY, THE PADI AWARE FOUNDATION, WE ARE DEDICATED TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS) WORLDWIDE. OUR MISSION DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE GLOBAL GOAL TO PROTECT 30% OF THE OCEAN BY 2030.
  3. $305,445 spent. VULNERABLE SPECIES (SHARKS AND RAYS): OVER A THIRD OF ALL KNOWN SHARK AND RAY SPECIES ARE FACING AN INCREASED RISK OF EXTINCTION, MAKING THEM THE SECOND MOST VULNERABLE GROUP OF ANIMALS ON THE PLANET. POPULATIONS ARE CONTINUOUSLY IMPACTED BY OVERFISHING, LOSS OF CRITICAL HABITATS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND POLLUTION. IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PREVENT EXTINCTIONS IS NEEDED TO PROTECT SHARKS AND RAYS THAT PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MANY COUNTRIES' ECONOMIES, AS WELL AS HELPING SECURE FOOD SECURITY, FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEMS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE. TO COMBAT THIS OCEAN EMERGENCY, PADI AWARE IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE GLOBAL SHARK & RAY CENSUS, A GLOBAL CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM THAT AIMS TO MONITOR SHARK AND RAY POPULATIONS AND TO ENSURE THEY ARE PROTECTED FROM EXTINCTION. BOTH DIVERS AND NON-DIVERS WILL BE ABLE TO COLLECT SIGHTINGS DATA ON THE SPECIES THEY ENCOUNTER, OR TAKE PART IN MONITORING SITES TO TRACK POPULATION TRENDS. THE DATA WILL UNDERGO RIGOROUS SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS AND WILL BE USED TO ENSURE VULNERABLE SPECIES OF SHARKS AND RAYS HAVE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO ENSURE HEALTHY POPULATIONS.
  4. $127,431 spent. CORAL: ACCELERATE CORAL REEF RECOVERY AND RESORATION: RESTORING 5% OF CORAL REEF HABITATS THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS AND PROJECT FUNDING FOR KEY CORAL REEFS.BLUE CARBON/CLIMATE: REDUCE AND OFFSET THE DIVE INDUSTRIES CARBON FOOTPRINT, ACHEIVING NET-ZERO ACROSS THE PADI ORGANIZATION AND PROTECTING AND RESTORING BLUE CARBON HABITATS.

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

  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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

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

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1994.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 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.