About
San Francisco Baykeeper defends San Francisco Bay and its watershed from the biggest threats it faces, holding polluters and government agencies accountable to create healthier communities and help wildlife thrive. Based in Oakland, California, Baykeeper has used a combination of scientific investigation, policy advocacy, and litigation since 1989, and describes itself as the only organization that patrols the Bay by boat to find and stop pollution.
Mission
Baykeeper defends San Francisco Bay and its watershed from the biggest threats, holding polluters and government agencies accountable so communities are healthier and wildlife can thrive. The organization states that it fights for justice alongside people throughout the Bay's watershed who have the right to clean water and healthy neighborhoods.
What they do
- On the water: a field science team patrols the Bay by boat and drone to investigate pollution, with the Baykeeper patrol boat crewed by experienced volunteer skippers
- At the hearings: policy advocates work to strengthen laws and close loopholes that leave the Bay's wildlife and communities exposed to pollution
- In the courts: staff attorneys take on multinational corporate polluters and government agencies at all levels
- Focus areas include investigating pollution, stopping polluters, fighting for community justice, defending fish and wildlife, and creating climate resilience, addressing threats such as fossil fuel pollution, sewage spills, industrial polluters, harmful algae blooms, urban runoff, sea level rise, and dredging and mining
History
San Francisco Baykeeper was founded in 1989 by Dr. Michael Herz, a scientist with The Oceanic Society who saw industrial polluters contaminating the Bay and realized no government agency was stopping them. After local media announced the opening of Baykeeper's doors and its pollution hotline in July 1989, more than 100 calls came in from people around the Bay Area asking for help stopping pollution in their communities.
Scale and impact
Baykeeper's combination of investigation, advocacy, and litigation has resulted in more than 300 legal and policy victories holding polluters and government agencies accountable for the health of the Bay's wildlife and communities.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Baykeeper reported revenue of $4,117,278 and expenses of $3,099,684 for the fiscal year ending June 2025, with net assets of $2,787,191. For the fiscal year ending June 2024, it reported revenue of $2,233,813 and expenses of $2,121,714. The organization publishes annual reports, audited financial statements, and IRS Forms 990 on its website.
Governance
San Francisco Baykeeper is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 68-0120240) led by Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh and governed by a Board of Directors, supported by a Leadership Circle and an Advisory Board.