Ocean Genome Atlas Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
- Only 47% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
The Ocean Genome Atlas Project OGAP aims to collect, classify, sequence and map the genomic information of organisms representing at least 80 of the extant marine species worldwide. Deploying a fleet of advanced but cost effective research vessels to transect our oceans over the coming decades, OGAP will allow access to all of our Blue Planet to hundreds of scientists. The resulting Ocean Genome Atlas will be a global 3D genomic atlas of the worlds oceans at single-cell resolution, providing critical information for planetary health, evolutionary and fundamental biology as well as biomedicines of the future. The Atlas will be a public database available to researchers and institutions across the globe. Time is of the essence given accelerating species extinction with estimates that 50 of existing biodiversity could vanish within a few generations.
- Income
- $55,827
- Spending
- $167,637
- Spent on programs
- 47%
- Reserves
- -53.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
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
Weak: 15 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (science, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 104% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 200% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 55% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1547% 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
Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (science, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports that it does not keep minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
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)
- $78,452 spent. Since 2017, OGAP has conducted nine voyages over 15,000 nm across both the North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. These voyages have demonstrated that smaller vessels, equipped with a new generation of compact and powerful laboratory equipment and crewed by a combination of ambitious scientists and seasoned ocean sailors, can gather novel specimens in the most remote areas of the worlds oceans at dramatically lower operational costs. This combination allows researchers critical access to the genomic data critical for understanding fundamental and evolutionary biology as well as building a high resolution atlas of the biodiversity of our oceans.
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2022.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.