MERS Marine Education and Research Society
Charitable organization · Port McNeill, British Columbia · BN 857599112RR0001 · Animal Welfare · website
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-03-31. Split of total expenditures ($753,470) as filed with the CRA.
MERS Marine Education and Research Society is a charitable organization based in Port McNeill, British Columbia, classified by the CRA under animal welfare. In its fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, it reported $910K in revenue and $753K in expenditures.
Its funding that year was roughly 7% from donations, 50% from government, 9% from other charities. Government funding is the majority of its budget. In 2024, 13 other registered charities reported granting it a combined $106K.
Compared with 414 animal-welfare charities of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 59% of peers. Its fundraising cost per donated dollar was lower than 78% of that peer group. Its highest-paid positions fell in the $40,000–79,999 range (4 positions in that band). The charity reported 4 permanent full-time positions.
Revenue has grown substantially over its filings on record here, from $287K in 2020 to $910K in 2024. Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 5 names.
In its own words
MERS conducts research on marine species and ecosystems and disseminate the results of this research to the public through presentations online and printed media and scientific publications. Additionally we provide training sessions on marine species ecosystems and conservation to the public. MERS also collects data on the threats to marine species and strive to reduce these threats by publishing research findings through educational programs and through rescuing marine animals in distress. MERS also provides support to local artists and vendors who focus on marine ecosystems and sus…
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $910K | $753K | $698K | $1,204 | — | $423K |
| 2023 | $582K | $526K | $484K | $1,141 | — | $267K |
| 2022 | $319K | $288K | $243K | $9,645 | — | $210K |
| 2021 | $88K | $89K | $75K | $3,106 | — | $179K |
| 2020 | $287K | $261K | $192K | $12K | — | $181K |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Received $106K from 13 charities:
- Vancouver Foundation$25K
- Canadahelps Canadon$23K
- Canadahelps Canadon$23K
- The Anonymous Foundation$15K
- The Victoria Foundation$6,000
- Clayoquot Biosphere Trust Society$6,000
- Canadian Online Giving Foundation$3,251
- BenefAction Foundation$1,400
- Charitable Gift Funds Canada Foundation$1,000
- Burgundy Legacy Foundation$1,000
- PayPal Giving Fund Canada$404
- BC Government Employees Community Services Fund Trust$381
- Jewish Federation of British Columbia$250
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
What it pays
Its ten highest-paid positions, by band:
- $40,000–79,9994 positions
- Permanent full-time positions4
- Total compensation, all staff$268K
Schedule 3 of its 2024 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Leah Thorpe (chair); Jake Etzkorn (vice chair); Rhona Govender (member-at-large); Donald Gordon (treasurer); Anita Blakley (secretary).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from MERS Marine Education and Research Society’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 857599112RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.