American Shark Conservancy
science and outreach for conservation
American Shark Conservancy
EIN: 82-2476572
as of September 2024
as of September 09, 2024
Mission
The American Shark Conservancy (ASC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of sharks and rays, increasing awareness and understanding of our oceans, through research and education.
Notes from the nonprofit
We are proud to work diligently to preserve the vulnerable sharks for healthy sharks and a better future for everyone. We aim to provide a safe place to learn about science industry for all who are interested.
Ruling year
2017
President
Hannah Medd
Main address
6231 PGA Blvd Suite 104-566
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 USA
EIN
82-2476572
Science
Population served
Adults
Children and youth
Academics
Women and girls
NTEE code
Science, General (includes Interdisciplinary Scientific Activities) (U20)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our oceans are important to sustaining life and the ways we are altering these natural systems needs to be understood so that we can ensure sustainable use of these resources. Sharks are important to the functioning of these systems and have been mismanaged in the past which has, in part, resulted in declining populations. Shark populations face the pressures of over-fishing, habitat loss, and pollution. Some species are caught without limit as unintended bycatch in other wide-spread fisheries and some species are targeted for their meat and fins, both of which have become increasingly economically lucrative. As sharks ignore state, federal and international boundaries, it is imperative that we look at the impacts throughout their ranges to ensure their survival.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Shark Smarts
Shark Smarts is our educational program that promotes awareness and understanding through different channels including broadcasting information over our social media outlets, in-person presentations to a variety of audiences and online educational resources.
Shark Studies
Our Shark Studies Program encompasses all our scientific data collection projects that help us better understand vulnerable shark and ray species as well as the habitats and systems upon which they rely.
Where we work
Awards
Blue Non Profit of the Year 2020
Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of new advocates recruited
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We define this metric as individuals who participate in our projects or programs in a meaningful way, typically as undergraduate or graduate students.
Number of individuals attending community events or trainings
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, Children and youth, Older adults
Related Program
Shark Smarts
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We measure this by the number of outreach events we do each year, including community events, presentations, and meetings. 2023 was an anomaly due to the participation in a large festival.
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 organization's goal is the sustainable management of sharks. This includes the use of sharks by commercial and recreational fishers as well as non-consumptive use by wildlife watchers. Through this, we aim to create awareness among the general public about sharks and marine conservation issues to increase science literacy and critical thinking, with a focus on supporting females in the STEM arena. By better understanding sharks and their ecosystems, and engaging the public through outreach, we can inform decision-makers and help shape science-based policies to ensure our goals are met.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategy is to focus in our own backyard. The United States is a forerunner in fisheries and natural resource management and yet there are still major gaps in knowledge for shark species that occur in our waters. Florida's extensive coastline and marine ecosystems support diverse shark species which also mean user-conflicts and anthropogenic impacts. Our strategy is to dissect these factors at a local scale so that they can be applied in other, resource-limited areas.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our organization's capability for reaching our goals is in our successful collaborations. We have created and continue to create strategic partnerships with colleagues and institutions that ensure our goals will be met.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our organization has created and run outreach events throughout the state of Florida for many years, reaching and teaching thousands of individuals about the importance of sharks. We have partnered with the South Florida Science Center to create and run educational programs available throughout south Florida schools. We are continuing our long-term shark survey, collecting standardized data on the distribution and diversity of southeast Florida sharks, which was presented at the annual scientific conference for the American Elasmobranch Society. Our research on the recreational angling of prohibited species of sharks is currently helping form new state policies. Our policy statements are submitted to state and federal authorities on a range of fishery management proposals. And, of course, our fundraising goals are always a high priority to ensure this work can continue.
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 and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, 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?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Financial data
American Shark Conservancy
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: 2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
| Revenue | |
|---|---|
| Contributions, Grants, Gifts | $10,000 |
| Program Services | $0 |
| Membership Dues | $0 |
| Special Events | $0 |
| Other Revenue | $0 |
| Total Revenue | $10,125 |
| Expenses | |
|---|---|
| Program Services | $7,500 |
| Administration | $1,000 |
| Fundraising | $0 |
| Payments to Affiliates | $0 |
| Other Expenses | $0 |
| Total Expenses | $1,500 |
American Shark Conservancy
Balance sheetFiscal Year: 2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
| Assets | |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,000 |
| Liabilities | |
|---|---|
| Total Liabilities | $0 |
| Fund balance (EOY) | |
|---|---|
| Net Assets | $500 |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
President
Hannah Medd
There are no officers, directors or key employees recorded for this organization
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
American Shark Conservancy
Board of directorsas of 09/22/2024
Board of directors data
Mrs. Hannah Medd
Hannah Medd
Lauren Ewing
Pete Medd
Jill Brooks
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? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
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? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
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
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/09/2023GuideStar 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 ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- 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 have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- 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 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.
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