Bay Org
About
Aquarium of the Bay is a highlight of things to do in San Francisco. Located on the historic San Francisco waterfront at PIER 39, the Aquarium is home to more than 20,000 marine animals including sleek sharks and rays, secretive octopus, hypnotic jellyfish, sparkling anchovies, frolicking river otters, and many more.
To protect, restore, and inspire conservation of the san francisco bay and its watershed - from the sierra to the sea. San francisco's largest watershed conservation group, bay.org is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that speaks not just for the bay, local coastal waters, delta, rivers, and wetlands, but also for the wildlife and people who call this place - the largest estuary on the west coast - their home. Bay.org is changing the relationship that people have with the bay by utilizing technology and tapping into the lifestyle of the bay area. We are changing the conversation about conservation to make it approachable, achievable, and fun. Through our five unique divisions (aquarium of the bay, the bay institute, sea lion center, ecocenter at heron's head park, bay model alliance), we motivate bay area residents and out of town visitors to become agents of change for a healthy, thriving ecosystem.
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
IRS Form 990Leadership at a glance
Official filings
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
GiveRadar's verified records show Bay Org with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- It is one of the better-documented arts & culture charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 87% of the 55,580 arts & culture charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable charities, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-09-21. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
5 years on file from IRS Form 990: revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to Bay Org lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
Bay Org is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
19 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
#7,626 of 133,131 arts & culture charities in the United States on integrity score
80/100 puts it in the top 7% of the cohort, tied with 5,543 others. Positions are competition ranks: ties share a position. Cohorts are the tightest local peer set with at least 30 comparable organizations; a metric is left out where the cohort is too small or nearly uniform.
Bars show the share of the cohort this charity outranks. Ranks describe how much is publicly disclosed, not how good the charity is.
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar arts & culture charities in United States.
Cause areas in United States
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search · 66 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about Bay Org
Bay Org is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in San Francisco, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2008 and has been operating for 18 years. Its EIN is 900401015. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $8M in annual revenue. 66 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Bay Org's highest-paid executive, John Hanley, received $390,188 in reported compensation in its most recent filing (2024). This figure comes straight from the organization's official filing and covers salary plus other reportable pay. Executive pay generally scales with the size and complexity of a nonprofit, so it is best read alongside the organization's revenue and what it does.
Based on official filings, Bay Org has $8M in annual revenue. It allocates 82% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 76% for arts & culture charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Aquarium of the Bay is a highlight of things to do in San Francisco. Located on the historic San Francisco waterfront at PIER 39, the Aquarium is home to more than 20,000 marine animals including sleek sharks and rays, secretive octopus, hypnotic jellyfish, sparkling anchovies, frolicking river otters, and many more. Bay Org is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2008.
Bay Org is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $8M in annual revenue. The organization has 66 disclosed officers and directors.
Bay Org's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 900401015. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Bay Org is located in San Francisco, CA, United States. The organization was established in 2008 and has been active for 18 years.
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Quick facts about Bay Org
- What is Bay Org?
- Bay Org is a arts & culture supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in San Francisco, United States. Aquarium of the Bay is a highlight of things to do in San Francisco. Located on the historic San Francisco waterfront at PIER 39, the Aquarium is home to more than 20,000 marine animals including sleek sharks and rays, secretive octopus, hypnotic jellyfish, sparkling anchovies, frolicking river otters, and many more.
- When was Bay Org founded?
- Bay Org was founded in 2008.
- Who leads Bay Org?
- John Hanley serves as Board Treasurer.
- Where is Bay Org located?
- Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States.
- What is Bay Org's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is $8 million. 82% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Bay Org trustworthy?
- Bay Org has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Bay Org's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 900401015.
- What is Bay Org's website?
- http://www.aquariumofthebay.org