Westchester Parks Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WESTCHESTER PARKS FOUNDATION, INC. IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO INVEST IN, ADVOCATE FOR, AND ENHANCE THE OVER 50 PARKS OF THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY PARKS SYSTEM. WPF PROMOTES THEIR VALUE FOR THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND AESTHETIC VITALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. OUR GOAL IS TO STIMULATE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, INTEREST AND SUPPORT IN THE PRESERVATION OF NEARLY 18,000 ACRES OF PARKS, TRAIL WAYS, PATHWAYS AND OPEN SPACES. WPF HELPS TO KEEP THE PARKS SYSTEM CLEAN, GREEN AND GROWING!
- Income
- $4.3 million
- Spending
- $4.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- -5.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 39%
- Employees
- 112
- Volunteers
- 2,980
- Highest pay
- $159,844, deputy executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 48 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 38% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (4)
- $1.4 million spent. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM / OTHER INITIATIVESIN 2024, OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS MADE AN IMPRESSIVE IMPACT GIVING BACK TO THE PARKS THEY LOVE. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, 2,950 VOLUNTEERS HAD CONTRIBUTED OVER 10,000 HOURS OF SERVICE TO THE PARKS, TRAILS, AND OPEN SPACES ACROSS THE COUNTY. SINCE INCEPTION, OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED OVER $2,700,000 IN SWEAT EQUITY TO OUR PARKS SYSTEM. THIS YEAR WE WERE PLEASED TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS, THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEER PROJECTS AND INTERNSHIPS. THIS YEAR, OUR CLEAN RIVER PROJECT CONTINUED, AND OUR INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES EXPANDED TO INCLUDE 44 INTERNSHIPS, 61 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND 24,920 POUNDS OF AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVED FROM OUR PARK WATERWAYS.OUR VOLUNTEERS ACCOMPLISHED SEVERAL MULTI-DAY PLANTING PROJECTS AND CLEANUPS TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES LIKE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND HABITAT FRAGMENTATION. OVERALL, NEARLY 2,000 NEW TREES WERE PLANTED COUNTY-WIDE.FINALLY, OUR VOLUNTEERS INCLUDED YOUNG LEADERS FROM AROUND WESTCHESTER, WITH SCOUTS INSTALLING 2 NEW ADA-ACCESSIBLE PICNIC TABLES AT RIDGE ROAD PARK, MAPPING 3 MILES OF TRAILS AT TWIN LAKES, ADDING 12 MOBILE BOOT BRUSH STATIONS, AND PROVIDING 370 HOURS OF SERVICE.
- $686,542 spent. WINTER WONDERLANDWESTCHESTER'S WINTER WONDERLAND DRIVE-THRU HOLIDAY LIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA CONTINUES TO BE A CHERISHED AND MEMORABLE HOLIDAY TRADITION, NOW IN ITS INCREDIBLE ELEVENTH SEASON IN 2024! IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WESTCHESTER COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION, AND CONSERVATION, AND MADE POSSIBLE BY FOUNDING SPONSOR WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER, WESTCHESTER PARKS FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO HOST A HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE THE WHOLE FAMILY COULD ENJOY. OVER 120,000 PEOPLE WERE DAZZLED AND DELIGHTED WITH 1.2 MILES OF HOLIDAY LIGHTS, WITH NEW LARGER THAN LIFE DISPLAYS, AND A VISIT WITH SANTA IN HIS NORTH POLE SNOW GLOBE, WITH ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
- $494,672 spent. DRIVING RANGESWESTCHESTER PARKS FOUNDATION (WPF) OPERATES TWO DRIVING RANGES, ONE AT MOHANSIC IN YORKTOWN AND ONE AT DUNWOODIE IN YONKERS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION, WPF ENCOURAGES THE USE OF WESTCHESTER'S COUNTY PARKS, OF WHICH THESE DRIVING RANGES ARE PART, AND THE PROCEEDS COLLECTED AT THE RANGES ARE USED IN WPF'S PROGRAMS AND INVESTMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE PARK SYSTEM, INCLUDING OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AND MANY SPECIAL PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS.
- $789,487 spent. CAMP MORTYIN 2024, CAMP MORTY EXPERIENCED UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH AND ENGAGEMENT, MAKING IT A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR OUR CAMP COMMUNITY AT SAL J. PREZIOSO MOUNTAIN LAKES PARK! WESTCHESTER PARKS FOUNDATION STAFF DEDICATED MONTHS OF PLANNING OVER WINTER AND SPRING, AND CAMP MORTY RECEIVED 617 APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024 CAMP SEASON - A REMARKABLE 38% INCREASE FROM 2023 AND THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS WE'VE SEEN SINCE THE PANDEMIC! THIS INCREASE REFLECTS THE GROWING AWARENESS OF CAMP MORTY'S MISSION AND THE VALUE WE PROVIDE TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY. MERRIWOOD @ MORTY, CONTINUES TO THRIVE. THE 2024 SEASON MARKED A MILESTONE FOR MERRIWOOD AS WE OPENED ITS NEW SITE WITH FOUR REFURBISHED CABINS, CREATING A VIBRANT AND DEDICATED SPACE FOR 90 CAMPERS IN OUR TEEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM. IN FACT, NEARLY 40% OF MERRIWOOD CAMPERS WHO ATTENDED CAMP MORTY IN 2023 REAPPLIED FOR 2024, EITHER TO CONTINUE THEIR CAMP JOURNEY OR TO JOIN OUR COUNSELORS-IN-TRAINING (CIT) PROGRAM. THIS HIGH RETURN RATE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE POSITIVE IMPACT CAMP MORTY HAS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AS FAMILIES RECOGNIZE THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF THEIR CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN OUR SUPPORTIVE AND ENRICHING ENVIRONMENT.CAMPERS DEVELOPED SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE THROUGH OUR DIVERSE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ADVENTUROUS FUN ON OUR NEWLY REFURBISHED ZIP LINE AT THE ROPES COURSE; IMPROVED SWIMMING ABILITIES IN OUR WATERFRONT PROGRAM; CITS GIVING BACK THROUGH A VOLUNTEER PROJECT, PLANTING NEW TREES AND FLOWERS THROUGHOUT CAMP; BRAND-NEW SHOES FOR OUR CAMPERS, GENEROUSLY DONATED BY THE SCOTT J. BEIGEL MEMORIAL FUND; AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS LIKE THE CAMP TALENT SHOW FOSTERED CREATIVITY AND CAMARADERIE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 October 13, 2026.
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 November 6, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1978.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 2026.
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