Before You Give, Every Answer

Yes. My Clean Ocean is a 501(c)(3) public charity under IRS section 509(a)(2), EIN 41-4167030, determination effective February 2026. Contributions are deductible to the extent permitted by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for a donation.

100% of net donations fund youth programs: boat days out of Newport Harbor, wetsuits and dive training, professional underwater cameras, mentors, PADI certifications and kelp restoration days. Participation is free to every young person we serve. Net means after payment processing fees.

$100 puts one kid from an underserved community on the boat for a day: transport, equipment, a mentor and their first underwater camera session. $25 covers gear and orientation for a first outing. $500 funds a full Blue Lens cycle. $2,500 funds a complete PADI dive certification and mentorship track.

Immediately. When your gift clears you receive an acknowledgment email with the IRS substantiation language, a Stripe receipt, and a downloadable PDF tax receipt from the thank-you page. Keep them with your return.

Yes. Through December 1 2026, Javier Mendoza, the founder, matches every gift dollar for dollar up to $5,000. A $100 gift puts two kids on the boat. The live total is on the Put a Kid on the Boat page.

Yes and yes. Choose Monthly on the donate form; the gift renews automatically and each renewal gets its own receipt. Cancel or change it any time from the Stripe billing portal link in any receipt email, or by emailing donate@mycleanocean.org.

Many do. Search your company's matching-gift portal for My Clean Ocean or EIN 41-4167030, or send the matching form to donate@mycleanocean.org and we complete our part the same week.

Checks payable to My Clean Ocean go to 450 Newport Center Dr #570, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Donor-advised fund grants can be directed to the same name and EIN. For a gift of stock or securities, email donate@mycleanocean.org and we send transfer instructions.

Yes. Boats, engines, trailers, dive and camera equipment and marine electronics, with free pickup anywhere in Southern California and IRS Form 1098-C for vessels over $500. See the Donate a Boat page for the rules and the form.

Check the three places regulators and watchdogs publish: the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 41-4167030, the California Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts, where My Clean Ocean is registered, and our Candid (GuideStar) nonprofit profile. Our first Form 990-N is due May 2027 for tax year 2026 and will be posted when filed.

My Clean Ocean was founded in 2026 in Newport Beach by Javier Mendoza, an underwater and wildlife cinematographer, who leads Blue Lens and the ocean expeditions. Richard Bargas runs operations on the water. The whole team is on the team page.

Yes. Donors are welcome on youth days. Email donate@mycleanocean.org and we will put you on the next outing's list, and the Instagram account carries the footage the kids shoot.