Dollar Donation Club

// INTEGRATED IMPACT SCORE //

Organization

Ocean Voyages Institute

Mid-ocean plastic pollution solution

🛡️ HighTrust Rating

🧐 LowRisk Rating

Flying Pig Logo
90%

Integrated Impact ScoreVetted By

Return On Donation

$1

Org. Not FoundNot Found
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 16,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 26,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 36,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 46,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 56,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 16,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 26,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 36,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 46,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 56,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 16,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 26,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 36,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 46,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 56,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 16,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 26,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 36,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 46,367 in December
115,730 Lbs Removedturtle scroll icon 56,367 in December
Flying Pig Logo

Expert Consensus

A practical and clever approach to making measurable progress on the ocean plastics problem now.

Snapshot

The Problem

11 million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year. Abandoned fishing gear ('ghost nets') accounts for up to 70% of all plastics on the surface of the ocean. It kills over 650,000 marine mammals annually and destroys reefs.

The Solution

Volunteer boats traveling through the Pacific Garbage Patch tag ghost nets they encounter with GPS tags. Larger vessels then geo-locate and remove the ghost nets. The collected nets are recycled/upcycled so that they cannot return to the oceans.

Impact to Date

  • Removed over 500,000 lbs of marine litter to date, saving countless lives.

  • World record ghost net plastic cleanup from the North Pacific Trash Gyre in 2020.

  • Recipient of many awards, including United Nations (UNEP): “Climate Hero Award” and Google Inc: “Earth Hero Award.”

Location of Impact

North Pacific Gyre “Pacific Garbage Patch”

Impact Per $1

$1 = 0.33 lbs of Plastic Removed From the Ocean

(equivalent to 30 credit cards of plastic or 15 plastic bottles)

Proof of Impact

Boat logs (messages from the sea), photos and video footage of the expedition in action.

Time to Realize Impact

1 year

Fund Usage

[Breakdown not available]

Will it actually make a difference?

$1 will remove approximately 0.33 lbs of ghost net plastic that would otherwise kill marine life, destroy coral reefs, and ultimately fray into microplastics consumed by fish and eventually human beings (it's estimated that the average person consumes 1 credit card of plastic each week).

In short: Yes

How is the donation used?

Your donation pays for a specially equipped boat, gear, and crew needed to pull plastic out of the ocean and process it responsibly so it never returns to the ocean or a landfill.

DDC's Favorites

  • Global top solution in mid-oceanic plastics clean up.

  • Practical approach to making measurable progress now.

  • Removes deadly toxic materials in the form of ghost nets that would be busy doing bad things for up to 600 years.

  • Collaborates with various organizations to advance technology and techniques for plastics recovery and processing.

Key Drawbacks

  • Collecting plastic once it is already the ocean is generally more difficult and less cost-effective than collecting it at the source (households) or in rivers that carry it out to sea.

Integrated Impact Score

Total Score90%

Effectiveness

68%

Per dollar, how effective is this organization at creating measurable impact?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely ineffective
Ineffective
Average effectiveness
Effective
Extremely effective

$1.00 = 0.33 lbs. of plastic removed from the ocean. To date, this is the most effective per-dollar solution for mid-ocean plastic cleanup that has been discovered by Dollar Donation Club.

Is the organization's team credible and effective?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely ineffective
Ineffective
Average effectiveness
Effective
Extremely effective

The leadership team has proven to be highly effective at pulling ghost net plastics from the oceans by leveraging their knowledge of proven, practical techniques and relationships throughout the maritime industry.

The team has logged well over two million sea miles. To date, OVI has removed 500,000 lbs. of marine litter, much in the form of ghost nets.

Click here to see the Ocean Voyages Institute team.

Read more here.

Does the organization have a clearly defined mission, vision and values?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Undefined
Unclearly defined
Relatively clearly defined
Clearly defined
Extremely clearly defined

“We advocate, create & employ clean up technologies removing plastic pollution from our oceans, forever. Through publicizing and educating on ocean plastics, we inspire awareness & innovation. New product design, recycling, repurposing, upcycling is influenced through research and education on plastics. The health of humanity and all life is dependent on the health of our oceans.”

Click here to read more about their mission.

How simple/elegant is the solution?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely complex
Complex
Simple
Very simple
Extremely simple

The Solution: Volunteer boats traveling through the trash gyre GPS-tag ghost net plastics they encounter. Larger vessels then geo-locate and remove the ghost nets. The collected nets are recycled/upcycled to reduce risk of return to the oceans.

The solution-set is practical, proven and cost-effective.

Learn more about ghost nets here.

Click here for extended explanation.

How scalable is the solution-set beyond its use-case geography?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely unscalable
Very unscalable
Relatively scalable
Very scalable
Extremely scalable

OVI's cleanup solutions in a given geography, i.e. the “Great Garbage Patch”, can be accomplished using one vessel or be scaled up to a fleet. The cleanup techniques are proven, scalable and can be used in areas throughout the global ocean.

5 Year Plan.

Click here to read more about their scalability.

Click here for more resources about OVI, Ghost nets and marine plastics.

How well does the solution create self-generating capabilities rather than rely on ongoing investment?

1
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely reliant on ongoing investment
Very reliant on ongoing investment
Somewhat self-generating
Very self-generating
Extremely self-generating

Currently Ocean Voyages Institute does not create self-generating capabilities and relies on ongoing donations. To date, the number of options for monetizing retrieved ocean plastics is sparse.

Considered in the context of the immediate threat ocean plastics pose to marine life, coral health and human health, Dollar Donation Club has concluded that--despite this low score--this is currently considered to be the top solution to mid-ocean plastics removal per dollar.

Click here for additional information on OVI and the Plastic Economy

How efficient is the process of achieving a self-sustaining solution?

1
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely dependent
Very dependent
Fairly independent
Very independent
Extremely independent

As mentioned in the previous question, Ocean Voyages Institute does not create self-generating capabilities and relies on ongoing donations. OVI currently relies on ongoing support to allow them to expand the vital solutions needed to a scale that is commensurate with the size of the problem.

Click here to read more about this solution

How much risk is there that the impact will be reversed for any reason?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely risky
Very risky
Relatively risky
Very low risk
Extremely low risk

The greatest risk of marine plastics is for its re-entry into the ocean due to improper processing. All recovered marine debris from OVI expeditions is upcycled, recycled or repurposed in collaborations with the best available techniques to keep it from landfills and from re-entering the ocean.

Click here to learn more about Ocean Voyages & Plastics

Transparency

87%

How transparent is the organization financially?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely non-transparent
Very non-transparent
Somewhat transparent
Very transparent
Extremely transparent

OVI is a 501c3 with financial information published publicly each year. Charity Navigator awarded OVI a 100% score on transparency.

Click here to see Charity Navigator's report on Ocean Voyages Institute.

Click here to see Ocean Voyages 2019 tax return.

How transparent is the organization operationally?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely non-transparent
Very non-transparent
Somewhat transparent
Very transparent
Extremely transparent

Information on OVI's cleanup missions is primarily made visible through the footage, photos, data collected, scientific papers, reports and interviews created from the expeditions. Their expeditions have been widely covered internationally through interviews, film clips and articles.

See more articles & media here.

Detailed overview of 2021 expedition here.

Learn more about OVI's operational team here.

Are regular updates on progress made readily available to donors?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all
Very infrequently
Occasionally
Very frequently
Extremely frequently

Weekly updates will be provided with the expedition updates.

Upon arriving in port, video and photos will be made available along with data describing the 'catch'.

Track record

100%

How many years has the organization been in operation?

5
1
2
3
4
5
0-1
1-3
3-5
5-10
10+

Ocean Voyages Institute is 501(c) non-profit organization which started operation in May of 1979, based in Sausalito CA.

How much positive impact has the organization created in the past in it's category?

5
1
2
3
4
5
No past impact
Very little impact
Some positive impact
Significant impact
Extremely impactful

OVI has made the highest level of impact in its category to date, yet there is a massive need for additional solutions in this space. A 2019. 25-day expedition removed 84k lbs. of plastic. A cleanup among the Hawaiian islands and the reefs near Kaneohe Bay added another 18,000 lbs.

A 2020 83-day expedition brought in 340k pounds of plastic, setting a world record for the largest oceanic clean-up.

Click here for a more detailed timeline of impact

How long has the solution-set been demonstrated to be effective?

5
1
2
3
4
5
< 1 year
1-3 years
3-7 years
7-10 years
> 10 years

OVI has conducted research and clean-up expeditions since 2009.

Their work has continued to demonstrate its effectiveness over subsequent years.

How clearly does the organization embody the values it purports to have?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely unclear
Very unclear
Somewhat clear
Very clearly
Extremely clearly

“Our mission is to accomplish major cleanup of the plastic debris littering our global ocean. We continue to accomplish scaling up our urgently needed work which improves the environment for ocean life. Our values reflect our dedication to increasing the effectiveness of our missions and expanding the geographic areas in which we are conducting our missions.”

Click here for more about OVI's values.

Measurability

96%

Does the organization have a clearly defined "big goal" that is measurable?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Undefined
Unclearly defined
Relatively clearly defined
Clearly defined
Extremely clearly defined

The goal for 2021 is removal of 1 million pounds of plastic debris from our ocean.

Ocean Voyages Institute intends to continue scaling up their yearly 3-4 month missions of cleaning up the North Pacific Garbage Patch and expand their range of operation to include the Atlantic, Mediterranean, South Pacific Gyre and areas such as Indonesia, SE Asia and the major polluting rivers.

Does the organization have a clear understanding of the total projected cost to achieve the "big goal"?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Undefined
Unclearly defined
Relatively clearly defined
Clearly defined
Extremely clearly defined

The total cost to achieve this outcome is $3,125,000.

This includes the operation of 3 vessels, expert drone pilots, GPS Satellite trackers and their deployment on ghost nets. Also included in this budget are the media and educational team, including OVI's Think/Do Tank of captains, scientists and maritime industry professionals.

$6.5M is the expanded budget for 2022 and 2023 where OVI will begin operations in other parts of the world.

Does the organization have a clear understanding of what $1 can accomplish?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Undefined
Unclearly defined
Relatively clearly defined
Clearly defined
Extremely clearly defined

$1.00 = 0.33lb. of plastic removed permanently from the ocean (6 inches of ghost net).

This is approximately 30 credit cards worth of plastic, or 15 plastic bottles.

These results realized by end of 2021.

Is the positive outcome quantifiable?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely unquantifiable
Very unquantifiable
Somewhat quantifiable
Very quantifiable
Extremely quantifiable

Total lbs. of plastic removed from the ocean permanently is easy to weigh, measure, quantify and verify.

How well does the organization monitor and verify their ongoing progress?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely unquantifiable
Very unquantifiable
Somewhat quantifiable
Very quantifiable
Extremely quantifiable

Each vessel records and monitors the progress of debris collection via satellite messaging, onboard photo/video collection, drone footage, tagging and recording the type and weight of debris hauled onboard. Each vessel is tracked via AIS (an Automatic Identification System) and has constant communication between vessels and headquarters. This monitors progress and can identify any needs the ships may have. Global expeditions have a team of logistics specialists monitoring and assisting any needs the vessels may have for safety and efficiencies. Vessels keep a constant boat log that records data such as location (latitude & longitude), debris found, sea conditions, wind conditions, vessel movements (course over ground & speed), and wildlife rescued or discovered deceased in nets.

Click here to learn more about AIS.

Wisdom

75%

Does the solution address a root cause, or a symptom?

2
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely symptom focused
Very symptom focused
Relatively root focused
Very root focused
Extremely root focused

OVI addresses the most destructive symptoms arising from the root problem of plastic waste, manufacturing and single-use consumer plastics. However, this symptom is so widespread and destructive to ocean life and human health that its consequences have become the root of several new problems.

Click to see Ocean Crusader's Plastics statistics

Click to learn more about root causes & symptoms tackled by OVI

Does the solution have an economic model that is self-sustaining?

1
1
2
3
4
5
Absolutely no self-sustaining model
Very little self-sustaining model
A relatively self-sustaining model
A very self-sustaining model
An extremely self-sustaining model

Currently there is no economic model with marine plastics that can sustain itself. Ocean plastics must be removed from the ocean, then cleaned and sorted, which takes extensive labor. The types of plastics that can be recycled is limited and currently is not economically viable (e.g. $4,000 cost to recycle 1 ton of plastic bags to get a product that can be sold on the commodities market for US $32).

Humanity must develop new, economically viable methods for recycling the waste in our oceans.

Click here to read about the economics of cleaning up the oceans

To what degree does the solution prevent other potentially beneficial solutions from emerging?

5
1
2
3
4
5
To an extremely high degree
To a very high degree
To some degree
To a relatively low degree
To an extremely low degree

Ocean Voyages Institute expeditions result in greater data and learnings for the entire oceanic academic community, augmenting humanity's capabilities for solving the ocean plastics problem, and not in any way hindering them.

Does the solution integrate into local populations as part of the solution?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all
Very little
Somewhat
Very much
Highly integrated

Ocean Voyages Institute works in the high seas (non-governmental ocean territory). However, OVI employs Pacific Islanders in addition to global team members. The oceanic clean ups directly benefit island nations to protect their fisheries, reefs and ecosystem health.

“The Kiribati/Christmas Island/the Hawaiian Islands crew have been particularly wonderful as they really believe deeply in the importance of our ocean cleanup missions and are skilled at sea. We are committed to engaging with local populations whenever possible.”

- Ocean Voyages Institute

Does this solution produce any negative impact on indigenous populations?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely
Very much
Somewhat
Very little
Not at all

There have been no records of negative impacts from the collection of marine debris from the oceans.

Conversly, factory fishing and the subsequent decline of fish stocks has had very negative impacts on coastal indigenous populations. OVI's work on restoring ocean habitats combined with advocating for marine sanctuaries and stopping large fleets of fishing ships supports indigenous populations.

Click here to learn more about fisheries impacts on indigenous and local populations.

Does the solution consider its impact at least 7-generations into the future (>100 years)?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all
Very little
Somewhat
Very much
Highly integrated

The purpose of marine debris collection is directly related to the preservation of healthy ecosystems for generations to come. The United Nations/ Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that plastic litter will outnumber fish and ocean life by 2050. Large scale marine debris clean ups are needed for the survival of future generations.

“Our work now in executing solutions will help maintain our beautiful ocean and its life over future generations – 7 generations and beyond.”

- Ocean Voyages Institute

What is the risk of unintended negative consequences?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely likely
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Very unlikely
Extremely unlikely

Ocean voyages has a record of choosing professional vessels and crew in order to execute expeditions with safety and efficiency. All vessels are registered, inspected and retrofitted with equipment suited to mid oceanic transits and clean-ups. This reduces risks of any unintended negative consequences.

Potential worst-case unintended consequences would be loss of life of the crew, vessels capsizing-- releasing plastics, oil, fuel and contributing more toxins into the oceans. While these are inherent risks to oceanic expeditions, OVI maintains a flawless safety record with veteran maritime professionals.

“The worst risk for our ocean is if we do not continue to execute and scale up our cleanup missions. Stopping or slowing our solutions will have large scale negative consequences.”

- Ocean Voyages

How significant are the known negative consequences (or trade-offs) of this solution?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely significant
Very significant
Somewhat significant
Not very significant
Not at all significant

The solution itself has minimal negative consequences. There is a chance that wildlife may be trapped in the ghost nets that are recovered, but any trapped animals are set free if they are still alive.

The other trade-off to consider is that collecting plastic once it is already the ocean is generally more difficult and less cost-effective than collecting it at the source (e.g. households or landfills) or in rivers that carry it out to sea.

Impact Innovation

90%

How audacious is the "big goal"?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all
Very little
Somewhat
Very much
Extremely

OVI is aiming to remove a record amount of ghost net plastics from the ocean. This is more than doubling the 2019 clean up of 340,000 pounds of plastic, which set a world record for the largest oceanic clean-up. While the scope of this problem is enormous, this represents an audacious level of progress given the scarcity of currently existing solutions for a crisis-level issue.

How difficult is this challenge to solve (weighing this against how many other organizations have found effective solutions)?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Not difficult at all
Not very difficult
Difficult
Very difficult
Extremely difficult

The reason so few solutions currently exist is due to the extreme level of difficulty this problem poses.

OVI is tackling a complex issue using proven technology with existing maritime equipment and expertise. An estimated 4 million tons of fishing gear are lost in the oceans annually, into bodies of water that represent 71% of the surface of our planet (Cons Biol). Plastics break into smaller and smaller pieces and sink below the surface and into the depths, where recovery is extremely difficult.

How much has the organization demonstrated an ability to innovate around novel problems?

4
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely non-innovative
Very non-innovative
Somewhat innovative
Very innovative
Extremely innovative

The use of GPS satellite trackers has propelled executing successful ocean cleanups. By using the tagged ghost nets as beacons, they locate areas of denser debris distribution. Furthermore, the data acquired through this method dampens the learning curve for future solutions, providing deeper insights about how ocean plastics move throughout the ocean. OVI is working with satellite providers and institutions to expand machine learning capabilities to increase the effectiveness of locating and extracting marine debris.

Read more here.

How urgent is this challenge to solve?

5
1
2
3
4
5
Extremely distant
Relatively distant
Relatively urgent
Very urgent
Immediate threat

Despite ocean plastics often being “out of site, out of mind”, this is one of the greatest threats facing life on earth today.

The health of our oceans represents a large part of the health of our planet, and consequently human health and wellbeing.

Click here for scary facts that puts it in perspective and a bit of good news.

Impact Stack

4.3

SDG01

Oceans and Aquaculture provide employment for nearly 60 million people, provide a key source of protein for nearly 3 billion people and contribute 1.5 trillion dollars to the global economy, yearly. (WWF).

Communities globally are dependent on healthy oceans for their livelihoods. Ocean clean-ups are a crucial part of global economic security. DDC (and a bunch of other smart folks) believe it is necessary to stop the flow of traditional plastics, clean up the plastics in our environment in order to secure health and economic stability.

SDG02

Approximately 3 billion people in the world rely on seafood as a primary source of protein and the oceans. Marine plastics are adversely affecting marine life in which humans depend for sustenance. Without healthy fisheries and ecosystems, there is an increase in disease, poverty, starvation and displaced peoples. (WWF).

SDG03

Plastics are found contaminating food, water and air and a study suggests a person consumes up to 5 grams of plastic per week [WAF]. Over 870 million people are dependent on fisheries and aquaculture, and over three billion people worldwide rely on food from the ocean as a significant source of animal protein. The ocean also provides 2/3 of the air we breathe and is an integral part of climate stability and regulation. Marine plastics are directly adversely affecting the health of all marine systems in which human and planetary health & wellbeing depends.

Article on plastics & toxins in marine life

Diagram of plastics affect on human body

Diagram health & plastics

Diagram Ocean Health & Human Health

Contribution of Fisheries to Food and Nutrition Security

SDG06

Microplastics is a serious concern for the health of global water sources. Microplastics have been found in 80% of water sampled, (ORB) resulting in an alarm for human health and overall contamination of clean water sources for plants and wildlife. OVI removes plastics from the oceans and prevents them from going into landfills where they can leach into groundwater. This prevents these microplastics and the toxins they leach from entering the watershed.

Read the World Health Organizations on microplastics in drinking water here.

SDG13

A healthy and well-functioning ocean is critical to climate and atmospheric regulation. The removal of plastics assists the restoration of the ocean and its functions, which is an integral part of climate stability.

Yale: plastics & climate change paper

Read more on how marine plastics affect climate here.

Plastics and Climate Change

SDG14

The removal of plastics creates a healthier environment for all ocean life. Ghost nets kill large amounts of ocean life, including whales, dolphins, rays, turtles and fish are killed by consuming plastics or becoming entangled in plastics. Reefs are an important part of our ocean ecosystem and they are smothered and destroyed by netting from fishing and cargo. Removal of these nets also allow for healthier reef systems. (WWF)

See OVI's SDG 14 commitment here

SDG15

SDG target 15.8 "Prevent invasive alien species on land and in water ecosystems" is directly benefited by the removal of ocean plastics. Ghost nets are accumulators of invasive species, and as they migrate throughout the ocean they have been documented to introduce invasive species into coral reefs. (NOAA).

SDG17

OVI's work represents a landmark of inter-institutional collaboration for solving environmental challenges. Their expeditions have inspired collaborations with NOAA, the European space agency, University of Hawaii, NASA, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, naval architects, marine engineers, oceanographers, marine biologists, fishermen and maritime industry professionals from around the world.

Learn more here.

Expert Vetters

Tom Chi's photo

Tom Chi

Co-founder, Google-X

"Lost fishing nets are a major source of plastic pollution in the ocean, but have a more severe negative impact because they continue to kill animals large and small.  This initiative is a practical start at addressing the problem and will teach us to be more effective at removing damaging plastics in the future."

Capt. Charles Moore's photo

Capt. Charles Moore

Discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

(Quote not available)

Christopher Verlinden, PhD's photo

Christopher Verlinden, PhD

U.S Coast GuardCTO, Applied Ocean Sciences

"Ocean plastic pollution is a serious problem we are only beginning to fully understand. Ocean Voyages Institute has taken an impactful and practical approach to addressing this issue, simultaneously eliminating the pollution and raising global awareness for this critical environmental issue. The result is the efficient elimination of pollution, and a broadened conversation about the topic in the public eye. Great job OVI, and keep up the good work!"

Brooke Darshana's photo

Brooke Darshana

Expedition Coordinator, Scientific Diver, J Craig Venter Institute

(Quote not available)

Chad Frischmann's photo

Chad Frischmann

Founder, Regenerative Intelligence; former Director, Project Drawdown

(Quote not available)

Individual Questions

The Context

We have a plastic pandemic.

Ridding our oceans of plastics (and ensuring they stay clean) must be a top priority for humanity.  It’s an easy one to forget about, considering that 70% of the surface of the entire planet (a little thing called the ocean) is generally unseen by human eyes.

But out there in the ocean, it’s estimated that up to 88% of the ocean’s surface is now contaminated by plastics.  Of the 8.3 billion tons of plastic humanity has created over the last decade, it’s estimated that 91% is not recycled.  Where were we expecting to put this stuff, y’all?  🤠

Now why is this an issue? Let’s start with the part that sucks the most for you and then work our way back… 

It’s now estimated that you eat 1 credit card worth of plastic every week.  Yeah.  Microplastics are nearly invisible plastics that contain some of the most egregious chemicals to human health.  And you’re eating and drinking them weekly, largely as a result of massive plastic pollution entering our waters. 

1 in 3 fish caught for consumption are now contaminated with plastics, and 100% of baby sea turtles have plastic in their stomachs. 

Beyond the human health effects, it’s estimated that over 650,000 marine animals are killed annually from plastic entanglement.  And economically speaking, the United Nations has estimated that marine litter costs approximately 13 billion US dollars a year in environmental damage. 

The worst part is – the longer we wait to solve it, the more exponentially difficult the task becomes.  The real long-term solution must address the root cause – production and consumption of plastics. We must “turn off the tap.” At the same time, the extreme direct negative impact from ocean plastics must also be addressed. No matter what, we still have to clean all of it up, so might as well get started now.

Of all ocean plastics, abandoned fishing gear (Ghost Nets) are the most dangerous to marine life (4x more likely to kill marine animals than all other forms of marine debris combined), and since they eventually fray into microplastics, grabbing them now must be a priority. 

Dollar Donation Club is vetting campaigns to address all dimensions of this problem to achieve the “impossible” and clean up the oceans for good.

Additional Data & References

About

We’re levelin’ up philanthropy!


The Dollar Donation Club Integrated Impact Score was designed to ensure that the world’s most powerful and holistic solutions are presented to our members. The goal is to identify acupuncture points of change – solutions that create maximum positive benefit using minimal resources, while triggering a large cascade of additional benefits.


More importantly, the Integrated Impact Score embodies our approach of smart-philanthropy.


It’s not enough for us to give with only our heart. We must also give intelligently – identifying solutions that address root causes, generate outsized measurable outcomes, integrate holistically into existing communities, consider long-term impacts, reduce the risk of unintended consequences and lead to self-reliant capabilities rather than co-dependencies.


It’s time for us to focus less on things like “overhead ratios” and more on the total, holistic positive result per dollar. Oh yeah, and it should be fun!


We believe that the best solutions...


  • Solve root-causes rather than symptoms.
  • Consider their impact 100 years into the future.
  • Produce massive impact efficiently.
  • Care for people and planet holistically.
  • Leverage nature’s and humanity’s best technologies.
  • Are radically transparent – financially and operationally.
  • Are resilient against threats of reversal.
  • Result in self-reliance, rather than dependence.
  • Clearly understand total costs to achieve outcomes.

This vetting methodology was designed with careful care to identify these solutions.



How we calculate the Integrated Impact Score:


Individual Dimension Score


The scores for each individual dimension (e.g. Transparency, Measurability) are calculated by adding up the total points (1-5) per section and dividing by the total possible points for that section.


Impact Stack


The amount of points awarded for the Impact Stack section is based on an assessment of how directly or indirectly and effectively or ineffectively the solution addresses a particular Sustainable Development Goal, using the SDG indicators as a guide. Impact Stack is treated like a bonus of points by adding up the total Impact Stack score and dividing by 10 (i.e. every 10 points gives a bonus of +1 to the final IIS score).


Overall Integrated Impact Score


The overall Integrated Impact Score is calculated by averaging the total scores received in each of the Individual Dimensions (e.g. Transparency, Measurability, etc.). We then add the bonus points awarded by the Impact Stack. Overall scores are rounded up to the nearest integer at 0.5 (e.g. if a score of 94.5 is calculated, the final score will be 95, if a score of 94.4 is calculated, the final score will be 94).

Vetting methodology 02.01 | Originally published 03.15.2021, updated 01.02.2023 | This report's change log is here.

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