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Teche Project

EIN 01-0927490 · Arnaudville, LA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthNot ratedToo small or too little detailGovernanceFair59 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WORK TO ENHANCE THE ECOLOGY OF THE BAYOU TECHE WATERSHED. TO ENCOURAGE RECREATIONAL USE OF BAYOU TECHE BY BUILDING A FIRST CLASS PADDLE TRAIL WITH ACCESS DOCKS IN ALL FIFTEEN TOWNS ALONG THE BAYOU. TO WORK WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO PROMOTE TRAIL BASED TOURISM AND ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE BAYOU TECHE CORRIDOR

Income
$33,720
Spending
$42,458
Spent on programs
32%
Reserves
15.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 72%
Employees
0
Volunteers
150
Highest pay
$23,087, administrative assistant

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 59 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $13,268 spent. PROMOTED THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF BAYOU TECHE: THE TECHE PROJECT HOSTED THE 13TH ANNUAL SHAKE YOUR TRAIL FEATHER PADDLE PARADE AND FESTIVAL WITH OVER 250 ATTENDEES ENJOYING THE LIVE MUSIC AND PADDLE EXCURSION. WE ALSO HOSTED OUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP EVENT "TWILIGHT ON THE TECHE" IN ARNAUDVILLE AT MAISON STEPHANIE WITH OVER 110 ATTENDEES. A CULTURAL PRESENTATION PERTAINING TO THE HISTORY OF THE MANOR HOUSE AND THE RENOVATION WORK WAS GIVEN. IN 2025, WE EMBARKED ON A NEW ORAL HISTORY INITIATIVE TO GATHER STORIES ABOUT CURRENT AND PAST LIFE EXPERIENCES. WE PLAN TO PUBLISH THESE STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE AND IN OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS IN THE FURURE. ALSO IN 2025, WE PARTNERED WITH THE CENTER FOR LA STUDIES AND THE WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION TO INSTALL A "LEGENDS AND LORE" MARKER ABOUT PIRATE JEAN LAFITTE'S CONTRABAND TUNNEL UNDER THE MT. CARMEL ACADEMY IN NEW IBERIA. EACH YEAR, WE ALSO ATTEND SEVERAL OUTREACH EVENTS WITH PARTNER GROUPS TO SHARE OUR MISSION TO EMBRACE THE CULTURAL VALUES OF THE BAYOU TECHE CORRIDOR.
  2. $106 spent. Enhancing the ecology of Bayou Teche: We took part in the spring Love the Boot campaign by cleaning trailhead parks at our dock sites. We also hosted a clean-up day in New Iberia in the spring and periodically pulled trash with boats to account for 61 tons of trash in the past 15 years. We provided guidance to interested parties regarding wood duck nest box management. We have 63 participants in our program to rear ducks along the bayou and are hatching over 750 ducklings annually. Director, Patti Holland spoke on the values of bank-line restoration as a measure to improve water quality to the Vermilion River Water Quality Task Force. We also recorded 10 segments about Bayou Teche flora and fauna for KRVS Public Radio's "Nature in Acadiana" program.
  3. Encouraging Recreational Use on Bayou Teche: The Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail infrastructure was completed in 2023, however, we continue our work to add features to improve paddle trail usage into the future. With installation work completed, we have shifted our focus to paddle trail promotion and hosting events to get people on Bayou Teche. In 2025, we worked with parish and state tourism offices to film our annual paddle parade as promotion of the Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail. We continue to promote the national paddle trail on our website via our Paddle Trail Guide for 1 to 3-day excursions and on the national trail finder platform, ALLTrails. In 2025, we worked with a local outfitter, Wanderlust Rentals to get a passive kayak kiosk rental station installed at the New Iberia paddle trail dock site. We also worked with landowners to facilitate more camping opportunities along Bayou Teche. In June 2025, we held our 3rd youth workshop "Geaux Paddle" aimed at getting youths ages 10 to 14 paddling on Bayou Teche and learning about the ecological and recreational values of the bayou. We plan to continue that workshop each summer.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 2010.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.