Pacific Beach Coalition
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Pacific Beach Coalition is dedicated to preserving the ocean, coastal habitat and wildlife, and ending litter, through advocacy, education, community building, and citizen action.
- Income
- $265,137
- Spending
- $228,391
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 12.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 55%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 10,928
- Highest pay
- $52,000, president
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 45% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
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 (3)
- $147,083 spent. Beach Cleanups: In 2024 we engaged ~11,000 volunteers at over 160 cleanup events to remove27,000 pounds of trash and recycles and 248,000 toxic cigarette butts from 10 monthly locations and 60 Corporate and School GiveBack cleanups in San Mateo County.Naturalists and site captains provide a safe and educational experience. These cleanups target our beaches, creeks, streets, shopping centers and parking lots and promote community awareness and increase environmental stewardship.
- Habitat Restoration: Several thousand volunteers continue transforming the native habitat of Linda Mar Beach and the coastal trail to Rockaway in Pacifica but our work has also expanded to 2 sites in Daly City. Native plants are thriving in areas that knew only weeds. Members grow native plants for our sites from local watershed seeds and water and care for them throughout the year. Volunteers mulched over 5500 cu. Yd. of open space in addition to removing over 50,000 pounds of invasive weeds.
- School Education & Special Events: 2024s educational efforts focused on whales, and reached ~5000 students at assemblies honoring the incredible ocean dwellers. Our 13 naturalists highlighted whales in their outreach to our 11,000 volunteers and PBC held a WHALEFEST that drew in over 4000 visitors to learn about them too. We also championed a Butt Blitz, an educational campaign that highlighted the toxic filters that poison our streets, beaches, and waters which resulted in73,000 filters collected in under 6 weeks. Our butt collection campaign has now collected and recycled over 2000 pounds of filters via Terracycle keeping over 2 million filters out of the ocean.
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 October 2018.
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.