The Sylvia Earle Alliance / Mission Blue funder is focused on ocean and coastal conservation, using strategic investments in storytelling and place-based protection (e.g., Hope Spot film work) plus support for community and science partners. They favor environmental and nature organizations — including Indigenous stewardship groups and academic partners — and make anchored, mission-driven ‘champion’ grants to organizations working on regional conservation initiatives. Their grants are targeted rather than highly diversified, often supporting capacity, outreach, and place-based projects that advance marine protection and local stewardship.
A $185,000 grant for a Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot film is the clearest window into Sylvia Earle AllianceMission Blue’s priorities: they use targeted funding to advance ocean conservation through storytelling, place-based protection, and community stewardship. Their 2025 grants pair media work with support for coastal and marine organizations, including champion grants to groups engaged in regional conservation and advocacy. The foundation’s recent giving also reaches Indigenous-led coastal stewardship, island and Pacific conservation, and academic partnerships tied to marine research and outreach. In 2025, it supported the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, The Kohala Center Inc, and The Florida Int'l University Board of Trustees, alongside conservation NGOs working on protected-area and habitat initiatives. The pattern is selective rather than broad, with grants directed to organizations already positioned to advance specific coastal places or marine protection efforts. Across the recent list, the common thread is mission alignment around ocean and coastal ecosystems. Rather than funding a wide mix of unrelated causes, Sylvia Earle AllianceMission Blue concentrates on projects that strengthen local stewardship, elevate conservation narratives, and back organizations with clear roles in marine protection.
One clear theme is marine conservation storytelling. The largest recent grant went to Wildpath for a Florida Gulf coast hope spot film, showing support for media work tied to ocean protection and outreach. A second theme is Indigenous and tribal-led coastal stewardship. The foundation gave $20,000 to the Northern Chumash Tribal Council for a champion grant, connecting its funding to community-based leadership on coastal and natural resource issues. They also support regional island and Pacific conservation. The Kohala Center Inc received $20,000 as a champion grant, pointing to place-based work in Hawai‘i. In addition, The Florida Int'l University Board of Trustees received $19,992 for a champion grant, reflecting academic partnership in marine and coastal research or outreach. Another strand is conservation NGO support across protected-area work, including a $30,000 champion grant to The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
$547K
$3.3M
$3.9M
$3.4M
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Concentrated, mission-driven giving: a single large grant dominates the portfolio (media/film), supplemented by several mid-size 'champion' grants to a small set of regional NGOs, tribal groups, and university partners; geographically varied but focused on coastal/island and marine-related projects.
Notable grantees: Wildpath, Northern Chumash Tribal Council, The Kohala Center Inc, The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Florida International University (FIU)
Recent grants are tightly grouped around a few amounts, with the largest at $185,000 and several smaller champion grants clustered near $20,000 to $30,000. That pattern suggests a mix of one major project grant and a set of mission-aligned recognition or capacity awards. The foundation is a public charity, not a funder of individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The 2025 list shows a concentrated, project-driven approach rather than a wide distribution of many small awards. The available data shows grants in a single year on file and does not show repeated recipients across multiple years. Unsolicited application details are not provided.
All recent grants in the data went to U.S. recipients. Florida appears prominently, with grantees in Tampa and Miami, while California shows recipients in Bodega Bay and Guadalupe. Hawai‘i appears through Kamuela, and New York appears through a recipient in New York, NY. The recipient distribution is fully domestic, with 100% of grants going to U.S.-based organizations.
The recent grants point to marine and coastal conservation organizations, including a film-focused conservation partner, an Indigenous tribal council, a Hawai‘i-based conservation center, a university board of trustees, and a protected-area conservation NGO. The funded work centers on ocean protection, stewardship, storytelling, and research or outreach.
The recent awards range from $19,992 to $185,000. Several grants cluster around $20,000 to $30,000, while one much larger grant stands out at $185,000.
The recent grants shown here all went to U.S. recipients. The country distribution lists 6 grants to the US, which is 100% of the sample provided.
Yes. A 2025 champion grant of $20,000 went to the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, indicating support for Indigenous-led coastal and natural resource stewardship.
The recent grants show four main threads: ocean conservation storytelling through film, tribal-led coastal stewardship, island and Pacific conservation in Hawai‘i, and academic or NGO support for marine and protected-area work.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildpath | Tampa, FL | $185,000 | 2025 | Florida Gulf coast hope spot film |
| SeaLegacy Foundation Inc | Jupiter, FL | $125,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Seattle Aquarium Society | Seattle, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | Rewilding |
| Marina Megafauna Foundation | West Palm Beach, FL | $30,000 | 2025 | General support |
| The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | Champion grant |
| Migramar | Bodega Bay, CA | $24,581 | 2025 | Champion grant |
| The Kohala Center Inc | Kamuela, HI | $20,000 | 2025 | Champion grant |
| Northern Chumash Tribal Council | Guadalupe, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Champion grant |
| The Florida Int'l University Board of Trustees | Miami, FL | $19,992 | 2025 | Champion grant |
| Innoceana | Riverside, CA | $18,000 | 2025 | Champion Grant |
| Mother of Coral | Denver, CO | $17,880 | 2025 | Champion Grant |
| Migramar | Bodega Bay, CA | $7,000 | 2025 | Champion Grant |
| THE SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY | YARMOUTH PORT, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
Wildpath
$185,000Florida Gulf coast hope spot film
Marina Megafauna Foundation
$30,000General support
Migramar
Champion grant
Innoceana
$18,000Champion Grant
Mother of Coral
$17,880Champion Grant
Migramar
$7,000Champion Grant
THE SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT