Nonprofit · EIN 36-4515216
SAVE THE WAVES COALITION
Tax-exempt · SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $1,358,277 | $1,731,972 | -$373,695 | $1,084,321 | $238,946 | $845,375 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $1,078,963 | $1,527,181 | -$448,218 | $1,383,856 | $174,401 | $1,209,455 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $2,569,172 | $1,402,356 | $1,166,816 | $1,690,580 | $63,306 | $1,627,274 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,339,198
- of which government grants
- $68,956
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $19,387
- Net income from sales of inventory
- -$308
- Other revenue
- -$308
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $31,000
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $299,718
- Other salaries and wages
- $717,852
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $1,176,095
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Accounting fees
- $18,822
- Occupancy
- $21,910
- Travel
- $71,753
- Program services (functional)
- $1,313,098
- Management and general (functional)
- $249,302
- Fundraising (functional)
- $169,572
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $1,383,856
- Total assets, end of year
- $1,084,321
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $238,946
- Net assets, end of year
- $845,375
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $272,512
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $572,863
- Gross receipts
- $1,368,306
- Employees
- 11
- Volunteers
- 11
- Year formed
- 2003
- State of legal domicile
- CA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nik Strong-Cvetich | CEO Officer | 40 | $138,697 | $37,522 |
| Susan Coffey | Dir Ops and Fin Officer | 35 | $95,659 | $27,840 |
| Lauren Parrino | Dir Communications | 40 | $103,039 | $17,432 |
| Mara Arroyo Rodriguez | SrMgr Conservation | 40 | $109,490 | $0 |
| Hugo Tagholm | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Annie Vranizan | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Rahim Walker | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura F Rodriguez | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Will Henry | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Christy Chin | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Atkinson | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Pat Gonzales-Rogers | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Greg Jones | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Richard Margoluis | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ian Stewart | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 15 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nik Strong-Cvetich | CEO Officer | 40 | $133,161 | $28,260 |
| Susan Coffey | Finance Manager Officer | 30 | $79,271 | $28,757 |
| Scott K Atkinson | Co-Chairperson Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Hugo Tagholm | Co-Chairperson Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Annie Vranizan | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Rahim Walker | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Eric Co | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Will Henry | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Al Ramadan | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Christy Chin | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Easkey Britton | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura Rodriguez | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Greg Jones | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Richard Margoluis | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ian Stewart | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 14 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nik Strong-Cvetich | CEO Officer | 40 | $124,937 | $24,890 |
| Susan Coffey | Finance Manager Officer | 30 | $65,345 | $34,399 |
| Scott K Atkinson | Co-Chairperson Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Rachel Strader | Co-Chairperson Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Christy Chin | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Eric Co | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Will Henry | Board Member Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Al Ramadan | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Annie Vranizan | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Easkey Britton | Board Member Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura Rodriguez | Board Member Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Greg Jones | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Rahim Walker | Board Member Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
| Hugo Tagholm | Board Member Trustee or director | 0.5 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 849 ALMAR AVE STE C, SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060-5875
- In care of
- % JAY DRAKE
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Nik Strong-Cvetich, 849 Almar Ave Suite C 163, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Signed the 990
- Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO
- Phone
- (831) 426-6169
- Website
- www.savethewaves.org
- Return prepared by
- REGALIA BERGER & BERGER CPAS
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 36-4515216 or by the name SAVE THE WAVES COALITION.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
Note re: FYE Dec 2025 Revenues less expenses of -373,695. See 3rd page of Schedule O for detailed explanation. This deficit was covered under a three-year grant which provided for $500,000 each year, all of which was recognized in a previous year.
Program accomplishments
- PROTECTED AREAS:Save The Waves advanced stewardship activities across our World Surfing Reserves, protecting surf breaks and engaging volunteers and community members in local conservation initiatives. We supported environmental education programs for youth in El Salvador and completed a first-of-its-kind mangrove documentation study in Costa Rica. We continued Surf Protected Area strategies in California, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Azores, including promoting statewide surf ecosystem protection in California.Expenses $564,531 · grants $30,000
- Campaigns and Outreach:Save The Waves executed campaigns to defend surf ecosystems from development, pollution and threats globally. We released a groundbreaking report documenting the annual economic value from surfing in Santa Cruz and promoted statewide surf ecosystem protection and surf reserve concepts. We expanded the Save The Waves Film Festival to events across multiple countries, reaching thousands of in-person attendees and millions of individuals through digital campaigns.Expenses $424,416
- Stewardship and Resilience:Save The Waves conducted workshops and outreach training for local communities across Costa Rica, the Azores, California, and Mexico. We published a comprehensive resource on surf ecosystem conservation best practices in partnership with Conservation International. We advanced a new model of parametric insurance in El Salvador to safeguard surf breaks, mangroves, and community livelihoods from extreme weather events.Expenses $324,151 · grants $1,000
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 36-4515216
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2003
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Environment (C34)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $1,084,321
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,368,306
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $1,358,277 | $1,731,972 | $1,084,321 | XML |
| 990 | December 2024 | $1,078,963 | $1,527,181 | $1,383,856 | XML |
| 990 | December 2023 | $2,569,172 | $1,402,356 | $1,690,580 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $1,177,157 | $1,112,956 | $547,037 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2017 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 36-4515216).
Questions about SAVE THE WAVES COALITION
- What is the EIN of SAVE THE WAVES COALITION?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of SAVE THE WAVES COALITION is 36-4515216.
- Is SAVE THE WAVES COALITION tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2003.
- Are donations to SAVE THE WAVES COALITION tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does SAVE THE WAVES COALITION file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of SAVE THE WAVES COALITION due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did SAVE THE WAVES COALITION last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of SAVE THE WAVES COALITION?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Nik Strong-Cvetich.
- Who are the officers and directors of SAVE THE WAVES COALITION?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 15 people; 4 received compensation from the organization, the highest $138,697 (Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO).
- How much revenue does SAVE THE WAVES COALITION have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,358,277, expenses of $1,731,972 and total assets of $1,084,321 at year end.
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- ECOLOGY ACTION OF SANTA CRUZ EIN 94-2584236 · last filed 990 for 2025
- ISLAND CONSERVATION EIN 91-1839907 · last filed 990 for 2024
- SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS TRAIL STEWARDSHIP EIN 77-0457425 · last filed 990 for 2024
- EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS EIN 94-2618650 · last filed 990 for 2025
- AMAH MUTSUN LAND TRUST EIN 32-0447436 · last filed 990 for 2024
- SUSTAINABLE FISHERY ADVOCATES EIN 57-1169538 · last filed 990 for 2025
- ONEILL SEA ODYSSEY EIN 77-0464784 · last filed 990 for 2025