Aquatic Life Institute Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ALI'S MISSION IS TO REDUCE THE SUFFERING OF AQUATIC ANIMALS IN THE GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM THROUGH PRIMARY RESEARCH, CORPORATE & POLICY ENGAGEMENT.
- Income
- $746,464
- Spending
- $733,250
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $115,271, managing 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: 82 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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: 77 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
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
Independently evaluated. An independent evaluator has assessed its work and recommends it.
- Animal Charity Evaluators: Named a Recommended Charity. See the evaluation Checked September 29, 2026.
Results it reports
- Facilitated information and resource sharing among 140+ Aquatic Animal Alliance members in 70+ countries.Work delivered
Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $264,566 spent. PUBLIC AND CORPORATE POLICY - ALI ENGAGES WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD ON ISSUES RELATED TO AQUATIC ANIMAL WELFARE. ALI PROVIDES DATA-DRIVEN FEEDBACK ON POLICIES FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF FARMED AND WILD CAUGHT AQUATIC ANIMALS. ALI ALSO PARTNERS WITH CORPORATIONS AND RETAILERS TO INTRODUCE AND/OR STRENGTHEN AQUATIC ANIMAL WELFARE POLICIES AND PROCUREMENT PRACTICES.
- $129,650 spent. COALITIONS - ALI FACILITATES SHARING OF INFORMATION AND RESOURCES BETWEEN 140+ AQUATIC ANIMAL ALLIANCE (AAA) MEMBERS IN 70+ COUNTRIES. THIS INCLUDES PROMOTING UP-TO-DATE RESEARCH AND RESOURCES, AND MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP BUILDING FOR ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF AQUATIC ANIMALS.
- $129,328 spent. CERTIFIER CAMPAIGN - ALI AIMS TO IMPROVE AQUACULTURE CERTIFIER STANDARDS TO ESTABLISH WHAT CONSTITUES A HIGH-WELFARE AQUATIC ANIMAL PRODUCT, AND TO ENSURE THAT PRODUCTS LABELED AS SUSTAINABLE OR RESPONSIBLE MUST INCLUDE THE MOST ROBUST ANIMAL WELFARE CONSIDERATIONS. THROUGH ALI'S ANNUAL CERTIFICATION BENCHMARK PROGRAM, ALI ANALYZES WELFARE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE PRIMARY FARMING STANDARDS OF GLOBAL SEAFOOD CERTIFIERS AND ISSUES PUBLIC RATINGS AND INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
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 August 2022.
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.