The Bay Foundation

Name

The Bay Foundation

Legal name

The Bay Foundation

Website

https://santamonicabay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Restoration and Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Aquaculture (11251), Other Aquaculture (112519), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Kelp forest restoration
• Coastal habitat restoration
• Wetland restoration
• Environmental conservation
• Marine species recovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Playa Del Rey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The Bay Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 85% of donations go directly to restoration projects and programs. Donations are tax-deductible for U.S. citizens. Federal tax identification number is 33-0420271.
2. Government Grants: TBF receives significant grant funding from federal, state, and local government agencies including the California State Coastal Conservancy ($10.26 million awarded in 2025) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding through the National Estuary Program ($4.5 million for SMBNEP spanning 2022-2026).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Bay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that restores and enhances Santa Monica Bay and Southern California coastal waters through nature-based restoration programs, including kelp forest restoration, abalone recovery, beach dune restoration, wetland revitalization, and community composting. It funds this work through government grants and charitable donations, engaging volunteers and partners.

Product overview

The Bay Foundation (TBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to restoring and enhancing Santa Monica Bay through nature-based solutions. Rather than offering a unified software product, TBF operates a portfolio of environmental restoration programs including Kelp Forest Restoration, Abalone Restoration Program, Eelgrass Research and Restoration, Santa Monica Beach Dunes, Ballona Community Iceplant Removal Project, Clean Boating Program, Table to Farm Composting, and Dockweiler Beach Dunes. These programs span ocean, coastal, and community-centered initiatives focused on coastal resilience, habitat restoration, and environmental stewardship along the Southern California coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kelp Forest Restoration A program restoring kelp forest ecosystems off the Southern California coast through purple sea urchin removal and habitat recovery, supporting over 700 marine species. TBF has restored over 83 acres over 12 years.
• Abalone Restoration Program A statewide collaboration dedicated to restoring the federally endangered white abalone and other abalone species through captive breeding, aquaculture, and outplanting to rocky reefs in Southern California. In 2025, TBF outplanted 3,096 white abalone and 10,218 red abalone.
• Santa Monica Beach Dunes An initiative growing sand dunes using California native coastal plants to reduce coastal erosion, flooding, and sea level rise impacts while providing habitat for wildlife including the Western Snowy Plover.
• Eelgrass Research and Restoration A program transplanting Pacific eelgrass (Zostera pacifica) to create habitat, sequester carbon, improve water quality, and provide nursery habitat for fish species.
• Ballona Community Iceplant Removal Project A community-based initiative removing invasive iceplant and non-native vegetation from the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve to benefit native plants, birds, and wildlife habitat.
• Clean Boating Program A boater education program providing tools, free California Boater Kits, the Pumpout Nav app, and outreach to prevent sewage, oil, and marine debris pollution from recreational vessels in Southern California waters.
• Table to Farm Composting A community composting and gardening initiative partnering with Environmental Charter Schools to divert food waste from landfills, produce compost for soil health, and create local food access through community gardens in Inglewood, Gardena, and Lawndale.
• Dockweiler Beach Dunes (Los Angeles Living Shoreline) A multi-habitat living shoreline project at Dockweiler State Beach establishing approximately 4 acres of sandy beach and coastal bluff habitat with adjacent offshore eelgrass restoration for climate resilience.
• Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve Pre-restoration monitoring and planning support for Los Angeles' largest degraded wetland, in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Loyola Marymount University - Coastal Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in November 2017 as a joint program of LMU's Seaver College of Science and Engineering and TBF. Engages LMU faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students in multidisciplinary coastal research. Over 100 student internships funded since inception. Co-Directed by Tom Ford (TBF CEO) and Dr. Nicole Bouvier-Brown (LMU Professor).
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead agency for Ballona Wetlands restoration project. TBF participates in restoration planning process and conducts pre-restoration monitoring. Partner in White Abalone Recovery Project (WARP) statewide collaboration.
• City of Santa MonicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Santa Monica Beach Dunes expansion initiative. California Coastal Commission approved expansion on September 11, 2025. Planning to expand dunes to over 30 acres from winter 2025 through winter 2026.
• Environmental Charter SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Table to Farm composting program since 2016. Works with three ECS campuses (Inglewood, Gardena, Lawndale) to implement community composting and co-established community garden at Environmental Charter Middle School-Inglewood in 2020.
• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Santa Monica Beach Dunes expansion initiative. Collaborating on coastal dune research and restoration efforts.
• Scripps Institution of OceanographymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research expertise in marine science and oceanography for restoration projects.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in kelp restoration guidebook development under UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development initiative.
• Heal the BaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partner in Santa Monica Bay watershed protection and restoration efforts.
• Santa Monica Bay Restoration CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Agreement between SMBRC and TBF regarding Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program. SMBRC is the governing body overseeing SMBNEP implementation.
• Gabrielino-Tongva Tribal CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTBF acknowledges Indigenous peoples as original and continued stewards of the land. Partnership includes honoring the Gabrielino-Tongva through dune restoration signage including a medicine wheel.
• Bodega Marine LabmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing marine research expertise for coastal and ocean restoration projects.
• California Sea Urchin CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in kelp forest restoration efforts. Commercial urchin fishermen employed throughout TBF's kelp restoration project, helping remove overly abundant purple sea urchins.
• PatagoniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting environmental conservation efforts.
• Sempra EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting environmental restoration initiatives.
• National Marine Fisheries ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner in marine species recovery efforts including white abalone restoration and kelp forest management.
• US Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead agency for Ballona Wetlands restoration project. TBF participates in restoration planning process.
• Southern California EdisonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting environmental initiatives.
• UrchinomicsmajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner in kelp forest restoration. Company working on urchin aquaculture solutions to address sea urchin barren conditions.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heal the Bay: Santa Monica-based nonprofit focused on water quality, coastal protection, and marine conservation in the Santa Monica Bay watershed. Highly comparable given overlapping geography, mission, government and volunteer engagement, and beach-focused programming. TBF and Heal the Bay are listed as formal partners.
• Surfrider Foundation: National coastal environmental nonprofit focused on beach access, water quality, and coastal ecosystem protection. Comparable in mission (coastal stewardship), community-driven GTM (volunteers/activists), and beach restoration focus; serves overlapping Southern California audiences.
• WILDCOAST: Nonprofit conserving coastal and marine ecosystems in California and Baja Mexico. Comparable in marine habitat restoration, coastal climate adaptation, and binational community engagement, though operating in adjacent geographies.
• California Coastkeeper Alliance: Statewide coalition of waterkeeper organizations protecting California's coastal waters. Comparable given shared water-quality, pollution prevention, and Clean Boating-style programs operating in the same coastal California geography.
• Marine Conservation Institute: Nonprofit focused on ocean protection, marine protected areas, and policy advocacy. Comparable in marine conservation mission and science-driven approach, though more policy- and advocacy-centric than TBF's on-the-water restoration work.

Regional players

• Orange County Coastkeeper: Southern California nonprofit protecting Orange County's inland and coastal waters through advocacy, education, and restoration. Comparable programmatic model (water quality, community engagement) but anchored to a different coastal county.
• Catalina Island Conservancy: Southern California land and marine-focused conservation organization managing much of Santa Catalina Island. Comparable given kelp restoration overlap, marine habitat focus, and proximity to TBF's working areas.
• San Diego Coastkeeper: Southern California waterkeeper nonprofit focused on San Diego's watersheds and bays. Comparable community-led water-quality and education model, though serving a different coastal geography.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (California): Global conservation nonprofit operating a major California chapter with marine and coastal restoration programs. Listed as a TBF partner (UN Decade of Ocean Science kelp guidebook). Broader scope and deeper funding base, but overlapping coastal restoration domain.
• Sierra Club (Angeles Chapter): Major national environmental organization with active Southern California chapters pursuing conservation, advocacy, and outings. Overlapping mission and volunteer base; broader portfolio but lower specificity in marine/coastal restoration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/smbrf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCebNmtfPpWeimK93p72wG4w
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBayFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bay-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebayfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bay Foundation