Save The Bay
Building a Climate-Resilient Bay Area for All
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Save The Bay
EIN: 94-6078420
as of November 2025
as of November 14, 2025
Mission
Save The Bay is the largest regional organization working to protect, restore and celebrate San Francisco Bay since 1961. Save The Bay engages more than 50,000 supporters, advocates, and volunteers to protect the Bay from pollution and reckless shoreline development and make it cleaner and healthier for people and wildlife. Save The Bay is leading a region-wide effort to re-establish 100,000 acres of tidal marsh that are essential for a healthy Bay. Volunteers from the community, local businesses, and schools work with our science team to perform hands-on restoration of the Bay shoreline. Save The Bay inspires the next generation of Bay activists through our award-winning restoration education programs.
Ruling year
1964
Executive Director
David Lewis
Main address
560 14th St Ste 400
Oakland, CA 94612-1454 USA
Formerly known as
Save San Francisco Bay Association
EIN
94-6078420
Civil protection
Environment
Elementary and secondary education
Population served
Adults
Students
Children and youth
NTEE code
Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C. (C99)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Affiliations
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Climate change poses enormous threats to the health of the Bay and the Bay Area. We are restoring wetlands, building Bay Smart Communities, and reducing pollution to make the Bay Area resilient and sustainable.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Community-based Restoration Program
Save The Bay’s restoration program builds on more than 14 years of knowledge, our methods are science-based and adaptive. We specialize in transition zone habitat, the productive strip between tidal marsh and upland, a priority habitat that improves water quality by filtering toxic substances and capturing sediment. It provides refuge for endangered and threatened species during high tides and storms, provides food and nesting habitat for shorebirds and fish, and reduces levee erosion to enhance flood protection in the face of rising sea levels. Our restoration model has proven success in establishing greater native vegetation diversity, cover, and creek bank stabilization in the riparian and transition zones of tidal marshes and creek mouths. Our program provides quality civic engagement opportunities to local businesses and groups to give back to their community. Over 5,000 Save The Bay volunteers participate in all aspects of restoration, including: collecting native plant seeds, propagating plants in Save The Bay’s native plant nurseries, sowing plants along the shoreline, and removing invasive weeds and trash that degrade the Bay. We continue to invest in our volunteer base and improve the quality of volunteer experiences, which are consistently described as fun and meaningful. Many volunteers get involved through a community group, school, their place of work, or are seeking a rewarding opportunity for their friends and family. For many, the experience in the salt marshes opens their awareness to related critical environmental issues like storm drain pollution, fragile wildlife habitat, and climate change.
Bay Smart Communities
To protect the Bay and our region’s most vulnerable residents in these uncertain times, we need a broad coalition of interests advocating for smart, sustainable, and equitable development practices; we need Bay Smart Communities. We are promoting ecologically sound and equitable policies to ensure that the Bay Area’s growth benefits the Bay and builds broad and deep support for it among the region’s many diverse communities, with special care to engage those who have suffered environmental injustice.
Restoration Education Program
This free program uniquely combines a rigorous curriculum and application of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills with engaging restoration fieldwork that has a significant environmental impact. We offer four program options, customizing the curricula for students in grades 5 to 12: BAY DISCOVERY; 5th-12th; restoration education field trips that connect middle and high school students to the Bay and engage them in critical tidal marsh restoration. SEED (Students Engaging in Ecological Design); 6th-12th; students examine the full tidal marsh restoration cycle in the Bay and design a school habitat restoration project. DIRT (Digging into Restoration Technology); 10th-12th; students experience habitat restoration through science technology assessments of soil and location. Youth collect and analyze soil moisture, water potential, salinity and pH, and report results BEST (Bay Environmental Stewardship Training); 6th-12th; a peer-mentorship learning model that pairs middle and high school youth in the design and implementation of Bay habitat restoration projects, building leadership, critical thinking and communication skills. Depending on the program option, our educators work with students during one or two classroom visits, and students participate in two or three working field trips. We offer programs to more than 100 Bay Area schools, and reach 2,000 (800 low-income) youth each year. We collaborate with local teachers to enhance their educational goals and strongly align our curriculum with California State Content Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Our program prioritizes participation of low-income youth through targeted school recruitment and by fully subsidizing our programs. Most importantly, we strive to earn the full engagement of every student, opening opportunities for traditionally underrepresented students to join STEM fields.
Pollution Prevention
Trash is the number one source of Bay pollution—it harms wildlife and damages water quality for all. Save The Bay works with local cities to clean up roads and limit or ban the use of harmful products. Stormwater runoff is the single largest source of Bay pollution. Save The Bay is advocating for local and regional policies to keep trash and other pollution out of storm drains to protect the Bay.
Where we work
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Oakland (California, United States)
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San Francisco (California, United States)
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San Jose (California, United States)
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Acres of land managed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community-based Restoration Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of invasive species removed from managed area(s)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community-based Restoration Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric is in pounds of invasive species removed from our sites.
Number of acres of land protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community-based Restoration Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of species introduced to the area(s) managed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community-based Restoration Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Frankenia, Blue Rye, Purple needle grass, Common Yarrow, CA Sage, Mugwort, Coyote Brush, Creeping Rye, Buckwheat, CA Poppy, Monkey Flower, Bee Plant, Marsh Aster, Verbena, Baccharis, Salt grass etc.
Number of free participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Restoration Education Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Post-pandemic numbers are lower than previous years. We define success as this metric increases until we find a balance between number of students served and the quality of the program.
Total pounds of debris collected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Pollution Prevention
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric is pounds of trash removed. Post pandemic numbers are increasing.
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?
1) Restore tidal marsh habitat by increasing dedicated funding from regional, state and federal sources, 2) Re-establish 100,000 acres of tidal marsh to provide natural habitat for Bay wildlife and to create a buffer against sea level rise, 3) Prevent development and fill that threatens the Bay, 4) Improve bay water quality by reducing harmful pollution that threatens wildlife and people.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Save The Bay inspires community action by providing all residents with the chance to make a difference in their own backyards through both advocacy and volunteer opportunities along the shoreline. Our policy and restoration teams join forces with scientists and policymakers to ensure the long-term health of the Bay, our region's most important natural resource and the cornerstone of our environment, economy, and quality of life.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Over the past half-century, Save The Bay protected thousands of acres from Bay fill and development, and secured hundreds of miles of trails and parks on a shoreline that had almost no public access in 1961. In recent years, we've won bans on most single-use plastic shopping bags, secured tough restrictions on trash pollution entering the Bay, and engaged thousands of local residents in hands on habitat restoration. Many partners shared this work.
Moving forward, we are widening our sights to address upstream geographies and upland issues, working to shape decisions there that affect the Bay. To be even more effective at achieving our mission in times of rapid change, we are building strong new partnerships with community leaders and organizations, embracing new tools for mobilizing residents and influencing public policy, and focusing our scientific expertise on the most innovative and promising
restoration projects.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Save The Bay's habitat restoration and pollution reduction work already has the momentum it needs to succeed, but our region will face new challenges that we must address. We expect the impacts of climate change to intensify with greater extremes and variability, making sudden and severe shocks to the Bay's ecology and wildlife more likely. Business-as-usual is not an option.
The new threats ahead are no less challenging than those that our founders faced in 1961, when cities planned massive bay fill projects and the Bay's shorelines were lined with toxic dumps. However, we know we can achieve
transformational change within a generation— because we have done it before.
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 bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, 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 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,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2024 info
1.61
Months of cash in 2024 info
1.5
Fringe rate in 2024 info
17%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Save The Bay
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Oct 01 - Sep 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Oct 01 - Sep 30
This snapshot of Save The Bay’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $1,315,848 | $1,557,496 | $90,028 | $644,500 | $365,932 |
| As % of expenses | 42.5% | 51.4% | 2.7% | 16.5% | 9.0% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $1,265,196 | $1,557,496 | $77,139 | $631,913 | $355,770 |
| As % of expenses | 40.2% | 51.4% | 2.3% | 16.1% | 8.8% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $4,290,513 | $4,547,516 | $4,053,464 | $4,369,021 | $3,820,826 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 48.4% | 6.0% | -10.9% | 7.8% | -12.5% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 3.8% |
| Government grants | 17.8% | 16.6% | 8.8% | 5.2% | 1.7% |
| All other grants and contributions | 81.9% | 83.0% | 90.0% | 91.3% | 94.4% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2.1% | 0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $3,095,287 | $3,032,458 | $3,328,308 | $3,904,668 | $4,049,641 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | -7.3% | -2.0% | 9.8% | 17.3% | 3.7% |
| Personnel | 67.7% | 66.3% | 71.7% | 71.9% | 75.0% |
| Professional fees | 9.1% | 15.9% | 11.8% | 15.1% | 13.6% |
| Occupancy | 8.9% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| All other expenses | 14.2% | 15.2% | 13.9% | 10.8% | 9.7% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $3,145,939 | $3,032,458 | $3,341,197 | $3,917,255 | $4,059,803 |
| One month of savings | $257,941 | $252,705 | $277,359 | $325,389 | $337,470 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $73,297 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $38,467 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $3,477,177 | $3,285,163 | $3,618,556 | $4,242,644 | $4,435,740 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 4.0 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Months of cash and investments | 9.6 | 16.6 | 15.0 | 14.9 | 15.1 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 9.0 | 15.5 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 14.8 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $1,027,076 | $673,505 | $508,209 | $473,026 | $500,929 |
| Investments | $1,449,716 | $3,526,451 | $3,650,677 | $4,367,453 | $4,593,956 |
| Receivables | $466,036 | $213,865 | $485,978 | $339,979 | $359,306 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $297,568 | $180,524 | $178,768 | $173,197 | $211,665 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 59.9% | 62.0% | 68.8% | 75.1% | 66.3% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 11.4% | 7.9% | 5.2% | 7.8% | 7.3% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $2,437,571 | $3,995,067 | $4,072,206 | $4,704,119 | $5,059,889 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $353,000 | $265,115 | $425,948 | $285,115 | $175,000 |
| Total net assets | $2,790,571 | $4,260,182 | $4,498,154 | $4,989,234 | $5,234,889 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
David Lewis
David has been Executive Director of Save The Bay since 1998. A Bay Area native, David previously worked for 15 years in Washington, DC, on nuclear arms control and environment policies, leading campaigns at national advocacy organizations and as senior staff in the United States Senate. He lives in the Berkeley hills, and loves hiking and skiing with his family.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Save The Bay
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Save The Bay
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Save The Bay
Board of directorsas of 6/23/2025
Board of directors data
Christopher Hockett
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Andrew Williams
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Armello Rodriguez Vice-Chair for Internal Affairs
Chirag Amin Director
Christopher Hockett
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Dean Meniktas
The Meniktas Group - UBS Financial Services
Dennis Debroeck Director
Donnie Fowler Director
Hugh Le Director
Jay Pierrepont
Equilibrium
Juliana Park Director
Lauren Swezey
Lynda Sullivan
Nancy Fee Director
Peter Laidlaw Director
Sam Luoma
University of California, Davis
Steve Dakin Director
Terry Young Director
Yoon Kim Director
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
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
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