California · Nonprofit
The 5 Gyres Institute
The 5 Gyres Institute (California) receives grants from 91 organizations whose IRS filings report $3,640,233 to it, the largest being THE COURTNEY ROBERTS AND STEVE PRESTON FAMILY FOUNDATION ($866,000). 42 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $1.9M
- Funders on record
- 91
- Grants received
- $3.6M
- Net assets
- $1.4M
What The 5 Gyres Institute does
Mission
The 5 Gyres Institute (5 Gyres) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, with a global network of supporters united in the pursuit of a planet free of plastic pollution. 5 Gyres' mission is to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and advocacy. Since its inception in 2009, 5 Gyres has been a science-based pioneer in plastic pollution research and exploration. The organization originally set out to answer a set of key scientific questions, including the global scope, distribution, and impacts of plastic pollution. In 2014 5 Gyres published the first global estimate of marine plastic pollution, and recently updated these findings with the most comprehensive publication to date on ocean plastics. (PLOS ONE, 2023) 5 Gyres' goal is to reduce the harm from plastic pollution by 20% by 2030.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
SCIENCE Our 15 years of research on ocean and terrestrial plastics leads us to focus on specific sources, or sectors, that generate plastic pollution to create more effective solutions. From microfibers and plastic pellets to single-use packaging, there are many unique sources of plastic pollution. By leading research around key sectors and materials, we can design targeted, effective interventions that reduce the harmful impacts of plastic pollution.2025 Research Highlights: - Vietnam Marine Debris - To better understand coastal pollution pathways, Dr. Victoria Fulfer tracked marine debris in Nha Trang, Vietnam, documenting nearly 74,000 items over a four-month time series. This work gives insights into the many complexities influencing shoreline debris deposition and removal, and emphasizes that beach cleanups cannot be the only mitigation solution. - Microfibers & Rainbow Trout - Dr. Lisa Erdle tested the impact of different microfiber types (cotton and polyester), with varying chemical additives, on rainbow trout. The results show that all microfibers - not just synthetic - should be considered when developing solution.- Microplastics on the PCT - This study, led by 5 Gyres…
$364,221 spent$3,285 earned by the program40% of program spendingADVOCACY As one of the oldest and most established organizations focused on microplastic pollution research, 5 Gyres is at the forefront of driving impactful policies to reduce harm from plastic pollution. Our policy campaigns are led by a team of seasoned experts with networks in local and national decision-making bodies, and informed by research from our in-house science team and other leading institutions. We advocate for solutions to address microplastic pollution and plastic pollution in parks and protected areas, support other comprehensive legislation, and defend against bad plastics policies.Microplastic-Free US With growing awareness and momentum around microplastic pollution, the time to take action is now-before its impact on our environment and public health becomes irreversible. In 2025, we launched a national advocacy campaign, Microplastic-Free US, to advance policy measures addressing microplastic pollution in the United States. Over 500 individuals have joined us in reaching out to our elected officials, demanding action that safeguards environmental and human health.A nationwide poll to better understand public perception around microplastics solidified that…
$234,443 spent26% of program spendingTRASHBLITZ Through our community science program, TrashBlitz, we continue to build a global movement dedicated to documenting and analyzing waste trends in local communities. The mobile app makes it easy to collect data on brands, materials, and items found anywhere in the world. Each record contributes to local, national, and global datasets to inform targeted, science-based solutions.Plastic-Free Parks Thanks to the support of our volunteers and partners, our Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz had another successful year, collecting over 23,000 pieces of data and surveying 59 sites. To nobody's surprise, plastic was the most prevalent material polluting national parks for the fourth year in a row, making up nearly 85% of waste recorded in 2025. This year's data demonstrates the widespread presence of microplastics, with pre-production plastic pellets and plastic fragments making up more than half of all items recorded. Our team will use this report to advocate for solutions that protect our parks, like supporting the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act and advancing our Microplastic-Free US campaign.TrashBlitz Florida Florida is home to some of the world's most iconic beaches,…
$192,015 spent21% of program spendingAMBASSADORS & PARTNERS Ambassador Action Fund The 5 Gyres Ambassador network is made up of hundreds of individuals, from scientists and students to artists and activists, using their unique backgrounds and skills to take action against plastic pollution. In 2025, we launched the Ambassador Action Fund to support the work of Ambassadors in 5 Gyres' focus areas (Science, Advocacy, and TrashBlitz) by providing financial support, mentorship, and resources. Science Awardees - Diego Arreola Fernandez collected data from 29 Toronto supermarkets, studied customer behavior, and tested various interventions to cut down on single-use plastic bags at grocery stores.- Karen Fuentes led a group of students on a field trip to the Caribbean Sea to learn about the threats facing mobulid rays and to collect microplastics data that informs conservation efforts. Advocacy Awardees - Katie Abare mobilized volunteers in her community and collected over 10,000 plastic pellets. She joined our team in Washington, D.C. to advocate for stronger action on plastic pellet pollution.- Maddie Kaufman led the charge to advocate for a zero-waste FIFA World Cup in Miami, Florida, garnering support from a coalition…
$124,042 spent14% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $914,721.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $427k to $1.1M (+159%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2020 1% · 2021 8%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 4 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Anna Cummins
Executive Director
Board chair
Erico Gomes
Board Chair
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 11 funders to 22 funders, grant income rose $149k → $621k.
19 of 91 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 18% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of The 5 Gyres Institute’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 91 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
The 5 Gyres Institute has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 24% of grant income, and it takes 5 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 5 funders to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 51% · 2018 36% · 2019 20% · 2020 18% · 2021 27% · 2022 34% · 2023 36% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
24% of The 5 Gyres Institute's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 46% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
64% of The 5 Gyres Institute's grant income comes from California funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $647k arriving through sponsors registered in 9 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Organizations like The 5 Gyres Institute
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In California
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
70% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
71%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for The 5 Gyres Institute: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds The 5 Gyres Institute?
- The 5 Gyres Institute (California) receives grants from 91 organizations whose IRS filings report $3,640,233 to it, the largest being THE COURTNEY ROBERTS AND STEVE PRESTON FAMILY FOUNDATION ($866,000). 42 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does The 5 Gyres Institute have?
- IRS filings report 91 organizations giving $3,640,233 in grants to The 5 Gyres Institute, 42 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of The 5 Gyres Institute?
- THE COURTNEY ROBERTS AND STEVE PRESTON FAMILY FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $866,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like The 5 Gyres Institute find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in California. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds 5 Gyres Institute →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 91 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing