Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO BE A TRUSTED LEADER AND COLLABORATOR FOR ALL COMMUNITIES, IN COURT AND ON THE WATER, FIGHTING FOR A HEALTHY PUGET SOUND.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 7.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 12
- Volunteers
- 3,770
- Highest pay
- $111,567, executive 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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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
7 of 7Has a 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
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $398,446 spent. CLEAN WATER PROGRAM - PUGET SOUNDKEEPER'S TEAM WORKS DIRECTLY WITH COMMUNITIES, VISITORS, AND INDUSTRIES ACROSS THE SOUND THROUGH A HOST OF VOLUNTEER EVENTS (INCLUDING CLEANUPS, FESTIVALS, AND RESTORATION PROJECTS), COMMUNITY SCIENCE INITIATIVES (INCLUDING MICROPLASTIC, WATER QUALITY, AND SALMON SURVIVAL PROJECTS), AND TRAININGS. EACH YEAR, PUGET SOUNDKEEPER ENGAGES WITH MORE THAN 10,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THE WATER AND WATERFRONT, AND WITH DOZENS OF AGENCIES, ENTITIES, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES.
- $314,632 spent. LAW & POLICY - AS AN ON-THE-WATER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, PUGET SOUNDKEEPER WORKS TO DIRECTLY ENFORCE THE CLEAN WATER ACT THROUGH ACTIONS RANGING FROM WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY TO TAKING POLLUTERS TO COURT AND ENFORCING THE LAW. TO DATE, OVER 200 LEGAL ACTIONS HAVE BEEN FILED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT BY POLLUTERS TO CLEAN UP THEIR FACILITIES AND RESTORE THE COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS DEGRADED BY THEIR ACTIVITIES. IN THE PAST 10 YEARS ALONE, PUGET SOUNDKEEPER HAS SUBMITTED PUBLIC COMMENTS TO DECISION MAKERS ADVOCATING FOR BETTER POLICIES AND REGULATIONS FOR OUR WATERWAYS. PUGET SOUNDKEEPER IS ON THE SOUND AND IN ITS WATERSHED ON FOOT, BY BIKE, AND ON THE WATER WORKING TO ENSURE THE LAW IS FOLLOWED, OUR LEGAL SYSTEMS CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE, AND OUR WATERSHEDS AND COMMUNITIES ARE PROTECTED.
- $136,358 spent. EDUCATION & OUTREACH - PUGET SOUNDKEEPER WORKS TO CONNECT, INFORM, AND ACTIVATE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE SOUND IN COMMON CAUSE FOR CLEAN WATER ONLINE (THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ITS OWN WEBSITE), IN PERSON (THROUGH MEMBERSHIP MEET-UP EVENTS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS, TABLING EVENTS, PRESENTATIONS, AND AT COMMUNITY EVENTS), AND WITH SCHOOLS. ADDITIONALLY, PUGET SOUNDKEEPER SUPPORTS THE NEXT GENERATION OF CLEAN WATER COMMUNITY ADVOCATES THROUGH AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, LEGISLATIVE TRAINING, AND MORE.
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 October 13, 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 2025.
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 1985.
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 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.