Force Blue, Inc
One Team. One Fight.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Force Blue has experienced tremendous success and growth over its initial four years of operations. However, the organization has struggled to establish consistent programming around its marine missions. This is attributable in part to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown, but also partially a reflection of the “mission” nature of Force Blue’s work which can be unpredictable. Force Blue would like to have more stability and control over its pipeline of marine missions so that it can (1) be more stable financially, (2) attract and sustain its donor base, (3) create a staffing structure that can meet more predictable demands on its time, and (4) demonstrate consistent, high quality outcomes. To this end, the staff and Board of Force Blue: • identified key organizational questions to be resolved to reach its goals • refined Force Blue’s statement of identity • clarified the context in which the organization works and its competitive advantages
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
FORCE BLUE, Inc.
Established in 2016, FORCE BLUE is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that addresses two seemingly unrelated problems -- the rapidly declining health of our planet’s marine resources and the
difficulty returning combat veterans have in adjusting to civilian life. By uniting the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine science and conservation in one, mission-focused program, FORCE BLUE has created a model of caring, cooperation and positive change with the power to restore lives and restore the planet.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of stakeholders/stakeholder groups with whom communication has been achieved and expectations shared
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel, Veterans, Researchers, Students, Widows and widowers
Related Program
FORCE BLUE, Inc.
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
With assistance from its scientific partners and support of key corporate sponsors, have deployed on several high profile projects that have produced 3 documentaries & million of $ of media coverage.
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
FORCE BLUE, Inc.
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average online donation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
FORCE BLUE, Inc.
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Secured donations taken securely through Authrorize.net and settled daily. One noticeable metric is we are seeing more recurring donations in the $10 - $15 dollar range Ave Donations closer to $50
Total dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Older adults, Seniors, Young adults
Related Program
FORCE BLUE, Inc.
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
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?
Through this strategy development process, Force Blue’s board and staff members identified competitors and market trends, surfaced the challenges that informed a number of “Big Questions,” and agreed on the organization’s current business model. Together, these elements constitute an identity statement to serve as a foundation for Force Blue’s ongoing strategic thinking. Force Blue then drafted, a strategy screen that can be used as a tool for assessing strategic options and making informed decisions about the organization’s future.
Force Blue began its strategy development process by identifying the most important “Big Questions” which focused this process and served to align strategy, decision-making, and implementation priorities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Force Blue’s unique competitive advantage is its ability to bring together unlikely allies to find new shared purpose in preserving marine environments and communicating the impact to new audiences.
Over the next three years, Force Blue will expand its impact by leveraging its unique competitive advantage to meet its goals by focusing on the following strategic priorities:
Growing the number of completed missions to be more consistent and sustainable
Building internal infrastructure to support more disciplined organizational growth
Strengthening stakeholder relationships as the basis for growth
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Force Blue has already demonstrated it can have significant impact on improving marine environments, healing veterans, and building awareness of environmental stewardship. To have even greater impact, and to ensure the organization’s long-term viability, the following implementation plan will help Force Blue reach its potential over the next three years.
Strategic Priority 1. - Grow the number of missions completed to be more consistent and sustainable
Over the next three years, Force Blue will engage in annual mission planning to lay out the list of potential missions and the capacities needed for each. This will enable Force Blue to provide staff, volunteers, and funders with a clearer understanding of the types of work it may undertake, while remaining flexible to shift as opportunities, conditions, and budget limitations arise.
Force Blue has refined its approach to its missions and going forward it will categorize them into “light” missions and “extended” missions to standardize expectations around staffing levels, scope of work, and budget.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Through the work of FORCE BLUE, we envision a world:
- Where our oceans are healthy and sustainable.
- Where the general public is more aware of the threats facing our oceans and marine environments and more engaged in the fight to preserve them.
- Where scientists and veterans become teammates with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to service and veterans no longer feel lost in their transition to civilian life or defined solely by who they were in the military.
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.
Force Blue, Inc
Board of directorsas of 01/24/2023
Mr. Dan Orr
Dan Orr Consulting
Term: 2021 - 2024
Ryan McCombie
Retired United States Navy Captain
Tom Mullikin
Mullikin Law Firm Former U.S. Army officer and International Legal Officer attached to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Tim Gallaudet
CEO of Ocean STL Consulting. Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret)
Carl Pfleger
Former Vice-President of Global Operations Pepsico
Richard McWhorter
Private Wealth Manager with Merrill Private Wealth Management
James Ritterhoff
CEO Force Blue
Jay Haigler
Lead instructor and the safety dive officer for Diving With a Purpose
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? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
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? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No