Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Washington Maritime Blue

EIN 83-1638344 · Seattle, WA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair55 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

MARITIME BLUE IS A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PROPELLING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TOWARD GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN OCEAN-BASED INNOVATION. WE FOSTER COLLABORATION AMONG INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA, COMMUNITIES, AND INVESTORS TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE MARITIME AND OCEAN INDUSTRIES. WE EMPOWER OUR REGION TO THRIVE IN THE BLUE ECONOMY BY ACCELERATING INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CENTERING EQUITY, ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE, RESTORING MARINE ECOSYSTEMS, AND BUILDING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE.

Income
$4.8 million
Spending
$3.9 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
-0.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 37%
Employees
20
Volunteers
18
Highest pay
$213,443, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 34% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 107% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 25

    16 of 16 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 June 30, 2025, 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 (5)
  1. $936,933 spent. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND MARITIME EMPLOYERS FOCUSED ON SERVING YOUNG ADULTS FURTHEST FROM OPPORTUNITY. THIS YEAR 91 YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN PROGRAMS, $128,850 IN YOUTH STIPENDS WERE DELIVERED, AND 29 INTERNS WERE PLACED IN JOBS OR INTERNSHIPS.
  2. $816,160 spent. QUIET SOUND - VOLUNTARY INITIATIVE TO REDUCE ACOUSTIC IMPACTS FROM LARGE COMMERCIAL VESSELS ON SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES. IN QUIET SOUND'S THIRD ANNUAL VOLUNTARY SLOWDOWN, 66% OF VESSELS SLOWED DOWN. THIS RESULTED IN A 12% LESS NOISY SOUNDSCAPE. SOUND LEVELS WERE REDUCED BY 1.3 DB (35%) IN THE FREQUENCY BAND USED BY KILLER WHALES FOR COMMUNICATION AND BY 0.2 DB (5%) IN THE FREQUENCY BAND USED FOR ECHOLOCATION.
  3. $617,312 spent. JOINT INNOVATION - PROJECTS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES DEVELOPING THE BLUE ECONOMY MARKETS. THIS YEAR THE TEAM FACILITATED THREE FORMAL COLLABORATIVES, ENGAGING DOZENS OF MEMBERS AROUND RENEWABLE OCEAN ENERGY, MARITIME DECARBONIZATION, AND HEALTHY OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS. SET TO OPEN IN 2026, THE MARITIME INNOVATION CENTER WILL CONFORM TO THE LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE, THE HIGHEST SUSTAINABLE BUILDING STANDARD IN THE WORLD, AND WILL SERVE AS A CONVENING PLACE FOR THE BLUE ECONOMY.
  4. $487,091 spent. BLUE VENTURES - ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS FOR EARLY AND MID-STAGE STARTUPS INCLUDING ACCELERATORS AND INCUBATORS. THIS YEAR EIGHT STARTUPS JOINED OUR SEATTLE AND TACOMA INCUBATORS, GAINING WORKSPACE, MENTORS, AND CONNECTIONS ACROSS WASHINGTON'S MARITIME SECTOR. FOUR FOUNDERS PARTICIPATED IN THE MARITIME BLUE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR, RECEIVING $100,000 EACH IN INVESTMENT.
  5. $231,870 spent. THE BLUE HUB IS BOTH A PHYSICAL AND FIGURATIVE GATHERING SPACE FOR NEW IDEAS TO FLOURISH. WE OPERATE A 6,000 SQUARE FOOT OFFICE SPACE AT FISHERMEN'S TERMINAL IN SEATTLE. WE SHARE THE SPACE WITH MEMBERS, STARTUP FOUNDERS, AND GUESTS. WE HOST NETWORKING EVENTS, CONVENINGS, AND ROUNDTABLES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN LATE 2026, MARITIME BLUE ALONG WITH THE PORT OF SEATTLE, WILL OPEN THE MARITIME INNOVATION CENTER. WITH SEVEN, CLASS A WATERFRONT OFFICES AVAILABLE FOR RENT, CO-WORKING SPACE, A CLASSROOM, AND EVENT CAPACITY FOR MORE THAN 200, THE MARITIME INNOVATION CENTER WILL BE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST'S BEACON FOR THE BLUE ECONOMY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 June 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 April 2020.

    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.