Red River Basin Commission
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED BASIN-WIDE VISION, TO BUILD CONSENSUS AND COMMITMENT TO THE VISION, AND TO SPEAK WITH A UNIFIED VOICE FOR THE RED RIVER BASIN.
- Income
- $10.9 million
- Spending
- $1.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- -3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 36
- Highest pay
- $108,306, exec. 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
Fair: 65 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 86% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1440% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% 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
Fair: 55 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2538 of 39 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (3)
- $873,777 spent. IN 2024, NEARLY 20,000 NEW ACRES WERE ENROLLED IN CONSERVATION PRACTICES SUCH AS NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, RESIDUE AND TILLAGE MANAGEMENT, AND COVER CROPS. IN TOTAL, THESE PRACTICES ACCOUNTED FOR ALMOST 43,000 PRACTICE ACRES, WITH SOME ACRES IMPLEMENTING MORE THAN ONE PRACTICE. NINE TAP-CERTIFIED CCAS ENROLLED 27 FARMERS IN THE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM RESULTED IN AN ESTIMATED REDUCTION OF 5,000 ACRE-FEET PER YEAR OF WATER RUNOFF, 2,479.24 TONS PER YEAR OF SOIL EROSION, AND 7,471.96 POUNDS PER YEAR OF PHOSPHORUS RUNOFF, ALONG WITH LOWER NET EMISSIONS COMPARED TO FARMERS OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE SAME PROJECT BOUNDARY.
- $173,045 spent. CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS. THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE RRBC IS TO FOSTER COMMUNICATION ON WATER TOPICS ACROSS JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES. TO THIS END WE HOST A CONFERENCE AND DOZENS OF MEETINGS ANNUALLY TO BRING TOGETHER A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES AND ISSUE. IN 2024 WE HAD A CONFERENCE THAT HAD OVER 300 ATTENDEES, 30 PRESENTERS, AND DOZENS OF HIGH PRIORITY ISSUES. IN ADDITION TO THE CONFERENCE, WE HELD QUARTERLY BOARD MEETINGS OF NEARLY 40 PEOPLE INCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS, STATE AGENCY LEADERSHIP, CITIZENS, AND OTHER WATER ENTITIES. FINALLY, THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDED DOZENS OF WORKING GROUP, COMMITTEE, AND WATER TOPIC MEETINGS THIS YEAR.
- $62,393 spent. FLOODING IS ONE OF THEM MOST PRESSING ISSUES IN THE RED RIVER BASIN AND THE RRBC IS ALWAYS INVOLVED IN FLOOD MANAGEMENT WORK. IN 2024 THE RRBC COMPLETED ITS FOUNDATION DOCUMENT "LONG TERM FLOOD SOLUTIONS". THE WORK INCLUDED UPDATING MODELS TO INCLUDE PROJECTS COMPLETED SINCE ITS INITIAL PUBLICATION IN 2011. ADDITIONALLY THE MODELS WERE ADAPTED TO INCLUDE CHANGING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND BUILD OUT MODEL ORDINANCES THAT COULD BE USED BY SMALLER COMMUNITIES TO ADAPT THEIR FLOOD MANAGEMENT PLANS.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1985.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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