West Creek Conservancy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF ALL PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST OHIO BY CONSERVING NATURAL HABITATS, RESTORING THE ECOLOGICAL VALUE OF OUR REGION'S LANDS AND WATERS, AND EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT PEOPLE FROM ALL CULTURES TO EXPERIENCE NATURE AND DISCOVER OUR GREAT OUTDOORS.
- Income
- $13.9 million
- Spending
- $12.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 95%
- Reserves
- 1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 45%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 349
- Highest pay
- $126,649, executive di
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
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 17% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1595% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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
10 of 10Gave 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 (1)
- $12.0 million spent. WEST CREEK CONSERVANCY'S ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND REGION IS UNIQUE, AS IT TAKES A COLLABORATIVE WATERSHED APPROACH TO LAND CONSERVATION, STREAM/WETLAND RESTORATION, AND TRAIL/GREENWAY DEVELOPMENT. NORTHEAST OHIO HAS A STORIED HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND HAS OFTEN BEEN A POSTER CHILD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS. WHERE A RIVER'S FIRES AND POLLUTION WERE ONCE NATIONAL FRONT-PAGE NEWS, WE NOW HAVE ONE OF THE MOST VISITED NATIONAL PARKS IN THE COUNTRY, A VAST NETWORK OF METROPARKS AND PARK DISTRICTS, A 100-MILE WATER TRAIL, A HANDFUL OF NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT 'SCENIC RIVERS', A REGIONALLY COLLABORATIVE NETWORK OF WATERSHED GROUPS, ACTIVATION AND PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS ALONG MANY RIVERINE AND COASTAL AREAS, AND STORY AFTER STORY OF HABITAT AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY. EVEN WITH SUCH PROGRESS, WE STILL HAVE MUCH LEFT TO DO WEST CREEK IS A HYBRID LAND CONSERVATION AND WATERSHED-RESTORATION ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON MYRIAD ACTIVITIES: ACQUIRING LAND (INCLUDING HIGH QUALITY AND COMPLETELY DEGRADED AREAS); RESTORING ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONALITY (ENCOMPASSING STREAMS, WETLANDS, OPEN MEADOWS, FOREST LANDS, AS WELL AS BROWNFIELDS); RETROFITTING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (OFTEN REMOVING UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, RECLAIMING NATURAL AREAS, AND INSTALLING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE OR OTHER STORMWATER CONTROL MECHANISMS); BUILDING TRAIL/GREENWAY NETWORKS IN ORDER TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THESE SPECIAL PLACES; AND ENGAGING MUNICIPALITIES, STAKEHOLDERS, POLICY MAKERS, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE AND POLICY. THIS IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS A "HEADWATERS-TO-CONFLUENCE APPROACH." WEST CREEK REGULARLY FILLS A NICHE: HELPING PARTNERS ACQUIRE LAND, POSSIBLY ON AN INTERIM BASIS, AND SOMETIMES PRE-ACQUIRING BEFORE THE OPPORTUNITY IS LOST. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND OUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH. ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST RECENT EXAMPLES IS A PROJECT REFERRED TO AS IRISHTOWN BEND - A MORE THAN 23 ACRE RECLAMATION INITIATIVE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND ALONG A HALF MILE OF THE CUYAHOGA RIVER, WHICH MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN 2024. WEST CREEK ORCHESTRATED A SERIES OF COMPLEX TRANSACTIONS TO GAIN OWNERSHIP OF THE AREA SO THAT ITS PARTNERS COULD ACCELERATE AND IMPLEMENT A TRULY TRANSFORMATIVE AND CRITICAL PROJECT. OUR ROLE HELPED CATALYZE A NEARLY 100M PROJECT THAT WILL CHANGE THE FACE OF THE RIVER AND PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED URBAN PARK, GREENSPACE, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES TO A DENSE URBAN COMMUNITY. WITH A SMALL STAFF, OUR WATERSHED AND CONSERVATION SERVICES STRETCH BEYOND A DOZEN COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST OHIO. EMPLOYING OUR PARTNERSHIP APPROACH, WE ARE ASSISTING RICHLAND COUNTY PARK DISTRICT, TO CREATE AND RESTORE A 100- ACRE AREA WITHIN CLEAR FORK RIVER, INCLUDING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO NEARLY THREE MILES OF THE RIVER; ASSISTING SUMMIT METRO PARKS TO EXPAND CONSERVATION ALONG THE CUYAHOGA RIVER, ADDING ANOTHER 57 ACRES & 1-MILE OF RIVER UNDER THEIR STEWARDSHIP, AS WELL AS FACILITATING A 20-ACRE ADDITION TO THEIR NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED VALLEY VIEW BLUFFS PARK; ASSISTING CLEVELAND METROPARKS WITH EXPANDING BEDFORD AND BRECKSVILLE RESERVATIONS, WHILE DEVELOPING OVER 2 MILES OF THE WEST CREEK GREENWAY TO PROVIDE ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY TO THE OVER 40,000 PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN A 1-MILE RADIUS ; ASSISTING CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK WITH IN-HOLD PROPERTY CONSERVATION; ASSISTING THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (ODNR) WITH A NEARLY 200-ACRE EXPANSION OF THE FUNK BOTTOMS WILDLIFE AREA, AS WELL AS EXPANSION OF DUPONT STATE NATURE PRESERVE AND TINKER'S CREEK STATE PRESERVE; DRIVING AN INITIATIVE TO PRESERVE CRITICAL AREAS AROUND TALCOTT CREEK, A COLD-WATER STREAM OF THE GRAND RIVER WATERSHED; PROTECTING A 108-ACRE CRUCIAL SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER IN THE HEADWATERS OF THE CUYAHOGA RIVER; FURTHER EXPANDING THE CONSERVATION CORRIDOR IN FURNACE RUN/BALDWIN CREEK - A SECOND PHASE NOW TOTALING OVER 100-ACRES THAT STRADDLES BRECKSVILLE AND BROADVIEW HEIGHTS; ADDING 12 ACRES TO THE HIGHLAND HEIGHTS CITY PARK, WHERE WE HAVE ALREADY PROTECTED OVER 40 ACRES ADJACENT TO IT ALONG CRITICAL HEADWATER STREAMS AND WETLANDS OF EUCLID CREEK; ASSISTING THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TO EXPAND TWO DIFFERENT PRESERVES; AND LASTLY - WEST CREEK WAS A KEY CONVENER WORKING ACROSS CUYAHOGA AND LAKE COUNTIES TO LEVERAGE A 130M GRANT TO NOT ONLY INITIATE A SOLAR FIELD PROJECT THAT WILL PRODUCE MORE THAN 60 MEGAWATTS OF POWER REPLACING A COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT, BUT CONSERVE NEARLY 800 ACRES OF LAND IN THE PROCESS, WHILE ACTIVATING A ONE AND HALF MILE STRETCH OF THE GRAND RIVER AND NEARLY TWO-MILE REACH OF LAKE ERIE COASTLINE IN 2024 ALONE, WE HAD OVER 5.5M IN STREAM AND WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECTS ON THE GROUND IN 5 COUNTIES. THESE PROJECTS MAY APPEAR DISCONNECTED, BUT BY APPLYING A STRATEGIC WATERSHED APPROACH, THESE CORRIDORS BECOME CONNECTED OR OTHERWISE PART OF A LARGER INITIATIVE. WITH RESPECT TO OUR CONSERVATION INITIATIVES, THE ORGANIZATION DOES NOT PURSUE PROJECTS BASED SOLELY ON A THRESHOLD OF ACREAGE OR OTHER FIXED MEASURABLES BUT RATHER A MYRIAD OF FACTORS THAT CREATE THE MISSION-CENTRIC FOCUS OF OUR WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEREAS 300+ ACRES OF HIGH-QUALITY WETLAND IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE HEALTH OF AN ECOSYSTEM OR WATERSHED, A 5-ACRE PARCEL IN AN URBAN AREA IS EQUALLY VALUABLE BY CONNECTING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO GREEN SPACES ON A DAILY BASIS. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE ORGANIZATION TAKES A HEADWATERS-TO-CONFLUENCE APPROACH IN CARRYING OUT ITS MISSION. IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE ALSO LEVERAGING OUR RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE TO AMPLIFY OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE PROVIDED A HOMEBASE FOR THE FOOTPATH FOUNDATION, A SPECIAL PLACE THAT NOT ONLY PROVIDES THEM WITH CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (OFFICE/HEADQUARTERS) BUT ALSO A PLACE FOR THEM TO IMPLEMENT THEIR MISSION, WHICH IS CENTERED AROUND ENGAGING YOUTH IN NATURAL PLACES AND SPACES. WE ARE ALSO PROUD TO HOST AND PARTNER WITH SPICE FIELD KITCHEN (SPICE) ON ONE OF OUR SIGNATURE PRESERVES, WHERE SPICE CAN IMPLEMENT THEIR MISSION OF "REVOLUTION
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 October 13, 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 June 2000.
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 October 21, 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.