irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $0Urban Ocean Lab works to harness collective wisdom to envision and design targeted solutions for the future of coastal cities, which drive development of policy frameworks and catalyze legislative change.
named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Legislative Advocacy Initiative
Works to catalyze legislative change by translating collective expertise into actionable policy recommendations for coastal city resilience
Policy Framework Development
Designs targeted climate and ocean policy solutions for coastal urban areas, focusing on equity and practical implementation
activities · 3 groups
What they do
-
Urban Resilience Planning & Advocacy 3 activities
- Building capacity for climate action in coastal citiesFosters a community of practice, provides practical tools, and supports coastal cities in directing resources to frontline communities, elevating local leadership, and building systems to address climate and social vulnerabilities.
- Curating and disseminating policy research and resourcesMaintains an open-access resource hub and produces policy memos, analyses, and playbooks—such as on California’s resilience strategies, working waterfronts, and demographic profiles of 195 U.S. coastal cities—to inform policymakers and practitioners.
- Developing policy frameworks for coastal city climate resilienceResearches, analyzes, and develops policy solutions and frameworks—such as the Climate Readiness Framework with over 70 recommendations—to support climate resilience, equity, and green job creation in coastal cities.
-
-
Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 1 activity
- Advancing nature-based climate solutionsConducts research and promotes nature-based solutions to improve water availability and quality, enhance coastal safety, and sequester carbon in coastal environments.
-
-
Ocean Ecosystem Restoration & Research 1 activity
- Advancing ocean and climate justice advocacyCo-leads the Ocean Justice Forum and co-released the Ocean Justice Platform, contributing directly to federal policy development including the White House's first-ever Ocean Justice Strategy.
-
financials · form 990EZ · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$188K
Contributions & grants$184K98%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$680%
Other revenue$4K
expenses
Total expenses$30K
Program expenses89%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$0
Cash$261K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$0
Liquid reserves105.7 mo
3 years on record · 2019–2021 · YoY revenue -51.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021
Who runs it
board members · 1
- Marquise Stillwell — Director
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- Azul Partner — Collaborated to establish the Ocean Justice Forum and release the Ocean Justice Platform.
- California Partner — State whose coastal resilience strategies are analyzed for policy lessons
- Center for American Progress Partner — Collaborated to establish the Ocean Justice Forum and release the Ocean Justice Platform.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency Government — Referenced as a federal agency that canceled disaster preparedness grants affecting coastal resilience
- GreenWave Partner — Co-founder Ayana Elizabeth Johnson serves on the board of GreenWave, indicating an organizational affiliation.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Government — Collaborates with NOAA on climate resilience, policy development, and technical assistance for coastal communities.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Government — Referenced as a federal agency that dismantled climate science programs relevant to coastal resilience
- Natural Resources Defense Council Partner — Staff member previously held senior policy role focused on equitable climate adaptation, indicating professional collaboration and shared policy goals.
- Patagonia Partner — Co-founder Ayana Elizabeth Johnson serves on the board of directors of Patagonia.
- Substack Network — Hosts newsletter content through Substack platform.
- Taproot Earth Partner — Collaborated to establish the Ocean Justice Forum and release the Ocean Justice Platform.
- Trump administration Government — Federal entity whose policy rollbacks on climate and environmental justice initiatives are referenced in the context of local climate justice work.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collective Wisdom for Policy Innovationmethodology: collective-wisdomBy harnessing collective wisdom from multi-level government leaders and stakeholders, we produce evidence-based, scalable climate and ocean policy solutions because diverse input strengthens legitimacy, relevance, and adaptability of policies across jurisdictions.
- Community-Led Resilience with Targeted Resource Allocationmethodology: community-led climate resilienceBy advancing community-led systems in frontline neighborhoods, we produce more durable climate justice outcomes because local leadership ensures that resource allocation addresses real-world vulnerabilities and builds trust in policy implementation.
- Cross-Silo Integration for Systemic Policy Designmethodology: cross-silo integrationBy breaking down siloed thinking through cross-disciplinary collaboration, we produce more holistic and effective federal and local climate policies because complex coastal challenges require integrated knowledge from diverse domains.
- Equity-Integrated Climate Resilience Planningmethodology: equitable_climate_policyBy integrating equity into climate resilience planning, we produce more just and effective policy outcomes for coastal cities because equitable solutions address the disproportionate burdens faced by frontline communities and lead to broader systemic change.
- Nature-Based Solutions for Multi-Benefit Resiliencemethodology: nature-based solutionsBy applying nature-based solutions in coastal infrastructure, we produce cost-effective climate resilience that also enhances ecological function because working with natural systems yields co-benefits for communities and ecosystems alike.