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Center for Whale Research

EIN 91-1334319 · Friday Harbor, WA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceGood74 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH (CWR) IS DEDICATED TO THE STUDY AND CONSERVATION OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWESTS KILLER WHALE POPULATIONS, WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES. BUILDING ON HALF A CENTURY OF CONTINUOUS RESEARCH IN THE SALISH SEA, CWR ADVANCES UNDERSTANDING OF KILLER WHALE BEHAVIOR, HEALTH, AND ECOLOGY AND TRANSLATES SCIENCE INTO CONSERVATION ACTION - RESTORING CHINOOK SALMON, PROTECTING VITAL ECOSYSTEMS, AND INSPIRING PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

Income
$2.1 million
Spending
$797,940
Spent on programs
95%
Reserves
12.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 84%
Employees
14
Volunteers
2

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

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 63% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 97% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    95% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

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

Governance

Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 7 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 September 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 (1)
  1. $760,622 spent. THE ORGANIZATIONS CORE ACTIVITY IS THE SYSTEMATIC DOCUMENTATION OF THE SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES (SRKW) THROUGH ITS ONGOING ORCA SURVEY. STAFF CONDUCTED 93 ENCOUNTERS DURING THE YEAR (46 WITH SRKW) DOCUMENTING 4 NEW BIRTHS AND 3 DEATHS, WITH THE POPULATION CURRENTLY NUMBERING 74 INDIVIDUALS. DATA GENERATED THROUGH ORCA SURVEY CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO FOUR PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND HAS BEEN USED IN RESEARCH THAT RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION, RESULTING IN 639 NEWS STORIES ACROSS 511 UNIQUE OUTLETS IN 33 COUNTRIES. THESE DATA SUPPORT BROADER CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY INFORMING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF SRKW BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED THE CORE SURVEY PROGRAM BY TRANSLATING RESEARCH FINDINGS FOR PUBLIC AUDIENCES AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN ORCA CONSERVATION. THE ORGANIZATION DELIVERED 15 GUEST EVENTS AND PRESENTATIONS AND WELCOMED 9,656 VISITORS TO THE EDUCATION CENTER, GENERATING 262 NEW MEMBERSHIPS THROUGH PEER-TO-PEER SIGN-UPS. EIGHT STAFF MEMBERS WORKED IN THE EDUCATION CENTER OVER THE SUMMER, EDUCATING VISITORS ABOUT THE ENDANGERED SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES AND OTHER MARINE LIFE OF THE SALISH SEA. DIGITAL OUTREACH EXTENDED THE REACH OF SURVEY AND EDUCATION EFFORTS GLOBALLY. THE ORGANIZATIONS WEBSITE RECEIVED OVER 120,000 PAGE VIEWS AND MORE THAN 70,000 UNIQUE VISITORS FROM 70 COUNTRIES. SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, WITH A 267% INCREASE IN INSTAGRAM REACH AND A 200% INCREASE IN FACEBOOK REACH OVER THE PRIOR YEAR. IN ADDITION TO SURVEY AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, THE ORGANIZATION ENGAGED IN CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT LONG-TERM ORCA RECOVERY, INCLUDING ADVANCING DISCUSSIONS FOR A LARGE-SCALE RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT WITH THE LOWER ELWHA KLALLAM TRIBE TO IMPROVE SALMON HABITAT. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN TREE PLANTING WITH THE CLALLAM CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND HOSTED A VOLUNTEER DAY WITH GREAT OLD BROADS FOR WILDERNESS AS PART OF COMMUNITY-BASED STEWARDSHIP AND OUTREACH. THE ORGANIZATIONS CORE ACTIVITY IS THE SYSTEMATIC DOCUMENTATION OF THE SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES (SRKW) THROUGH ITS ONGOING ORCA SURVEY. STAFF CONDUCTED 93 ENCOUNTERS DURING THE YEAR (46 WITH SRKW) DOCUMENTING 4 NEW BIRTHS AND 3 DEATHS, WITH THE POPULATION CURRENTLY NUMBERING 74 INDIVIDUALS. DATA GENERATED THROUGH ORCA SURVEY CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO FOUR PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND HAS BEEN USED IN RESEARCH THAT RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION, RESULTING IN 639 NEWS STORIES ACROSS 511 UNIQUE OUTLETS IN 33 COUNTRIES. THESE DATA SUPPORT BROADER CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY INFORMING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF SRKW BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED THE CORE SURVEY PROGRAM BY TRANSLATING RESEARCH FINDINGS FOR PUBLIC AUDIENCES AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN ORCA CONSERVATION. THE ORGANIZATION DELIVERED 15 GUEST EVENTS AND PRESENTATIONS AND WELCOMED 9,656 VISITORS TO THE EDUCATION CENTER, GENERATING 262 NEW MEMBERSHIPS THROUGH PEER-TO-PEER SIGN-UPS. EIGHT STAFF MEMBERS WORKED IN THE EDUCATION CENTER OVER THE SUMMER, EDUCATING VISITORS ABOUT THE ENDANGERED SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES AND OTHER MARINE LIFE OF THE SALISH SEA. DIGITAL OUTREACH EXTENDED THE REACH OF SURVEY AND EDUCATION EFFORTS GLOBALLY. THE ORGANIZATIONS WEBSITE RECEIVED OVER 120,000 PAGE VIEWS AND MORE THAN 70,000 UNIQUE VISITORS FROM 70 COUNTRIES. SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, WITH A 267% INCREASE IN INSTAGRAM REACH AND A 200% INCREASE IN FACEBOOK REACH OVER THE PRIOR YEAR. IN ADDITION TO SURVEY AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, THE ORGANIZATION ENGAGED IN CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT LONG-TERM ORCA RECOVERY, INCLUDING ADVANCING DISCUSSIONS FOR A LARGE-SCALE RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT WITH THE LOWER ELWHA KLALLAM TRIBE TO IMPROVE SALMON HABITAT. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN TREE PLANTING WITH THE CLALLAM CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND HOSTED A VOLUNTEER DAY WITH GREAT OLD BROADS FOR WILDERNESS AS PART OF COMMUNITY-BASED STEWARDSHIP AND OUTREACH.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 September 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 June 1986.

    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.