Whale and Dolphin Conservation Inc.
Save the whales, save the world.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
"Whales play a vital role in the marine ecosystem where they help provide at least half of the oxygen you breathe, combat climate change, and sustain fish stocks. Whales are the ocean’s gardeners, tending the forest of phytoplankton on which we all depend. And because whales migrate, they re-distribute nutrients across latitudes. This process is called the ""Whale Pump"". When whales die, they sink to the seabed they become “whale falls” and like phytoplankton, they take vast amounts of carbon with them helping to balance our climate. However, whale populations were devastated by centuries of hunting and populations were dramatically reduced. Along with whaling, whales and dolphins now face modern day threats from accidental bycatch in fishing gear, vessel strikes, chemical and noise pollution, habitat degradation, and wild captures for human entertainment. WDC believes the recovery and protection of whales and dolphins is not only a moral obligation, it is a global necessity.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Stop Whaling
Goal: To end the hunting of whales and dolphins through both the reduction in the numbers killed and a reduction in the numbers of countries whaling
End Captivity
Goal: To end the captive display of whales and dolphins through the reduction of the number held in captivity and by increasing the number returned to the wild.
Homes for Whales
Goal: To increase the number of effectively implemented important habitat areas for whales and dolphins in national waters and on the high seas.
Ending Bycatch
Goal: To end bycatch by reducing the number of whale and dolphins killed and injured through entanglement in fishing gear.
Where we work
Awards
Environmental Merit Award 2016
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of testimonies offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Comments in 2021: 67 marine conservation issues 28 offshore wind Please contact us for specifics on comment topics, recipients, date of submission, etc.
Number of critically endangered species for which conservation measures have been launched or supported
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
The two endangered species are the North American Right Whale and the population of Southern Resident Orcas.
Number of unique website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total number is comprised of website visitors includes both whales.org and our ecomm site, adopt-us.whales.org.
Number of return website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Ending Bycatch
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of attendees present at rallies/events
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes virtual presentations.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. WDC's core belief is that all whales and dolphins have the right to exist as nature intends, not as humans decide. To be able to live free from hunting, captivity, entanglement in fishing gear and nets, and to swim in clean, noise-free waters where boats won't injure them. Our goals relate directly to our major programs of work: Stop whaling, end captivity, Safe Homes for Whales and Dolphins and Ending Bycatch. We also work to ensure that healthy whale populations consider the culture, not just the number, of whales remaining. Our work acknowledges that whales learn, adapt, change, and teach within their communities. The protection of individuals and community cultures is integral in the protection of each species.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Planet- Marine mammals play a key role in the ocean's ability to store carbon. WDC's work to reduce human caused impacts to marine mammals, including whaling, prey depletion, accidental entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes, will help to recover and/or sustain marine mammal populations enabling them to function as ecosystem engineers. Prosperity and Peace- We recognize that the field of marine mammal conservation lacks diversity, including within our own organization. Education, internships, hiring, and job retention are the barriers that are sometimes seen in introducing diversity to the marine mammal conservation field. WDC has revised its hiring practices to increase accessibility. We have secured funding to develop a paid intern program to ensure that economic hurdles are removed for those passionate about gaining experience in this field and we are developing an inclusive educational curriculum for elementary school students. Partnership- WDC North America is part of a global family of Whale and Dolphin Conservation offices whose collective global work at the Convention of Migratory Species, International Whaling Commission, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and other global stakeholder groups prioritizes the recovery of marine mammals in an equitable and inclusive manner.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
WDC's strategic five-year plan articulates the organizations' overarching policy goals, and identifies the steps necessary to reach them. WDC's operational budget is dedicated to the achievement of those goals.
WDC global staff includes many renowned marine scientists and researchers, and they regularly present their work at local, national and international meetings and conferences. In addition to our qualified and dedicated staff, WDC has built a global supporter base through public awareness campaigns and social media, and will continue to grow their digital presence.
Every year WDC produces or commissions a number of reports on a variety of issues concerning whales and dolphins.
WDC has an ongoing connection with schools and communities across the globe through a range of educational programs, including visits, talks, and workshops with thousands of school pupils.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
"END CAPTIVITY:
Accomplished:
• In partnership with SeaLife Trust, WDC successfully established the first open water sanctuary for formerly captive beluga whales
• WDC was one of several official intervening parties and assisted with briefings supporting the case to deny the importation of 18 wild-caught beluga whales from Russia.
• Through our Tour Operators Campaign we successfully ended travel promotions of captive facilities by Trip Advisor, British Airways and Virgin Holidays
Not yet accomplished:
• Ban captive breeding and imports to US
• Ban wild captures of cetaceans in US waters
HOME FOR WHALES:
Accomplished:
• WDC helped secure a 10-fold increase in the federally designated critical habitat for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales with nearly 40,000 square miles of the US east coast now federally protected for the species.
• WDC and its partners successfully petitioned the US government to enact a ship strike speed rule, reducing the risk of right whale ship strikes in US waters by up to 90%
• WDC helped to revise critical habitat for endangered Southern Resident Orcas, adding nearly 16,000 square miles of protected ocean habitat for this community.
Not yet accomplished:
• Increase the vessel class sizes and area covered by the vessel strike reduction rule
• Final removal of dams blocking salmon, the key prey for Southern Resident Orcas in the Pacific Northwest
STOP WHALING:
Accomplished:
• WDC was a co-convener of the 2021 international workshop on the Ecosystem Function of Cetaceans, co-hosted by the International Whaling Commission and the Conservation of Migratory Species.
• WDC exposed the commercial sale of whale meat in Denmark, prompting Danish authorities to change laws and restrict further imports of the meat. This was a particularly lengthy process and WDC spent months supplying evidence and legal analysis to the Danish and EU authorities.
• WDC has helped to reduce tourist demand for whale meat in Iceland by a measurable amount (reduced from 40% of tourists stating they had eaten whale meat in 2009, to 18% by 2014) thanks to public information campaigns and outreach.
Not yet accomplished:
• Ensuring that the European Union (EU) adopts stricter measures to ban transit
• Improve global agreements and protections to end dolphin hunts globally
PREVENT BYCATCH:
Accomplished:
• As a federally-appointed member of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, we secured a new rule to be released in 2021 which aims to reduce entanglement risk from US fisheries for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales by 60%.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To mobilize our supporteres when we need to take legislative or regulatory action.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to identify actionable feedback, It is difficult to get supporters to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/25/2024
Chris Butler-Stroud
No affiliation
Chris Butler-Stroud
Whale and Dolphin Conservation, UK
Christopher Vick
Whale and Dolphin Conservation, UK
Sian Davies-Hamilton
Whale and Dolphin Conservation, UK
Jane Bryan
Retired Chartered Accountant
Marisa DeLoatch
Conservation Law Foundation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/13/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.