The environmental nonprofit sector doesn’t have an honesty problem so much as a definition problem: the bar for what counts as “transparency” is often so low that a nice photo and an annual report clear it. Reef Without Borders was built to meet a higher standard, and this article walks through the five questions we think any donor should ask before giving to any organization — including this one.

Quick answer: Look for a published budget breakdown showing what share of donations goes to programs versus administration, outcome data rather than just activity updates, named field staff whose credentials can be checked independently, proof of legal nonprofit status, and a willingness to report what didn’t work as openly as what did.

Five Questions to Ask Before You Donate

1. Where does the money actually go?

Every U.S. nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status is required to file an annual Form 990, which is publicly available at no cost through ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer. The 990 shows how much of an organization’s spending went to programs, fundraising, and administration.

There is no single “correct” overhead percentage that applies to every nonprofit. How money should be allocated across programs, fundraising, and administration depends on an organization’s size, how long it has been operating, its program model — field-based conservation work carries different costs than a purely digital campaign — and its fundraising strategy. A few independent evaluators publish benchmarks worth knowing:

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance recommends at least 65% of total expenses go to program activities, with fundraising expenses at or below 35% of related contributions.
CharityWatch considers 75% or more spent on programs, and $25 or less spent to raise every $100 in donations, to be highly efficient.
The Canada Revenue Agency treats fundraising costs under 35% of fundraising revenue as unlikely to raise concerns, 35% or higher as inviting closer review, and above 70% as a genuine concern.
UK charity regulation sets no fixed overhead cap at all; trustees are simply expected to be able to justify their spending in relation to their charitable purpose.

Reef Without Borders will publish its annual expense allocation as financial reporting becomes available. As an internal planning target — not a guarantee or a rating — our planned budget allocates roughly 60% of expenses to field operations and reef restoration, 25% to science and documentation, 10% to community education, and 5% to administration and fundraising. Responsible administration is not overhead to be minimized to zero: it covers accounting, safeguarding, legal compliance, technology, donor stewardship, measurement and evaluation, oversight of local partners, and the transparent reporting this article is asking every nonprofit to provide.

2. Can they prove their field credentials?

A conservation organization is only as credible as the people doing the fieldwork. Look for named staff with credentials you can check independently — a certification number, a listed employer, a verifiable work history — rather than a vague description like “an experienced local team.”

Reef Without Borders names its Director of Dive Operations, Dindo Paquibot, on its website: a dive master with more than 20 years of experience, including earlier coral restoration work at Mactan Kontiki with a nonprofit that has since dissolved — giving him direct, on-site familiarity with that restoration area. Reef Without Borders does not currently have a confirmed marine-science research partner. Rather than describe an unnamed institution, we’ll name one here once a specific, approved partnership is in place.

3. Do they report outcomes, or just activities?

There’s a meaningful difference between “we ran a mission” and “we ran a mission, and here’s what happened to the coral six months later.” An activity report describes what an organization did. An outcome report describes what changed as a result — survival, growth, recovery — with the data behind it.

Reef Without Borders has not yet run a funded coral-planting mission. Once missions begin, our commitment is to publish outcome data for every planting event — photos and survival monitoring over time — rather than only reporting that a mission took place. Until that data exists, the honest thing to say is exactly that: no missions have happened yet.

4. Are they legally accountable?

A registered 501(c)(3) is legally required to file Form 990 annually, maintain governing documents, and operate for public benefit rather than private gain. Ask whether an organization is actually incorporated, whether its paperwork is current, and whether it publishes its own governance documents.

Reef Without Borders is incorporated as a Texas nonprofit and has received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination from the IRS. For the specific incorporation and filing details, see our 2026 Launch Report and the governance documents linked from our Donate page, rather than repeating identifying numbers on this page.

5. Do they tell you when things go wrong?

The most trustworthy organizations report failure as openly as success. A coral fragment that doesn’t survive is data, not a secret. A method that didn’t work as expected is a lesson worth sharing. An organization that only ever reports good news is either extraordinarily lucky or leaving something out.

Reef Without Borders commits to reporting mortality and setbacks alongside successes, once field data exists to report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find a nonprofit’s Form 990?

ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer lets you search and download Form 990s for any U.S. nonprofit at no cost.

What’s a reasonable administrative-cost percentage for a small nonprofit?

There isn’t one fixed number that applies to every organization. Independent evaluators publish different benchmarks — the BBB Wise Giving Alliance sets a floor of 65% program spending, CharityWatch looks for 75% or more, and Canada’s charity regulator flags fundraising costs above 35% of related revenue for closer review. What matters most is whether an organization can explain its allocation in light of its size, age, and program model.

What’s the difference between an “activity report” and an “outcome report”?

An activity report describes what an organization did — a mission was run, a fragment was planted. An outcome report describes what happened next — whether the coral survived, how much it grew, what changed at the site — with the data to support it.

Does a low administrative-cost percentage always mean a nonprofit is well-run?

Not necessarily. A very low figure can also mean underinvestment in the staff, systems, and oversight that keep a program accountable. The number matters less than whether the organization explains it.

What should I do if a nonprofit won’t share its budget breakdown?

Treat it as a reasonable question to ask directly, and treat a non-answer as information in itself. A legitimate nonprofit’s Form 990 is public regardless of whether the organization chooses to publish it on its own site.

Is having 501(c)(3) status the same as being transparent?

No. 501(c)(3) status confirms legal nonprofit status and IRS reporting obligations. It says nothing on its own about how clearly an organization communicates its budget, credentials, or outcomes.

[IMAGE NEEDED: A photo representing Reef Without Borders’ own published budget or transparency documentation — for example, a documentary-style photo of the field team reviewing data, or a clean shot of the Impact and Transparency page | Suggested caption: “Reef Without Borders publishes its budget allocation on its Impact and Transparency page.” | Suggested alt text: “Photo representing published nonprofit budget transparency”]

Sources and Further Reading

ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — free public search of U.S. nonprofit Form 990 filings
BBB Wise Giving Alliance — Standards for Charity Accountability
CharityWatch — Our Charity Rating Process
Canada Revenue Agency — Fundraising by Registered Charities

How to Tell If an Environmental Nonprofit Is Actually Transparent