Green Lake Association Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SAFEGUARD GREEN LAKE BY IMPROVING ITS WATER QUALITY, PROTECTING IT FROM CRITICAL THREATS, AND ACCELERATING ITS RETURN TO A CLEAN LAKE.
- Income
- $1.9 million
- Spending
- $1.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 28.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 57
- Highest pay
- $174,070, ceo
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 28.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 35% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 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, 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 (1)
- $1.3 million spent. THIS YEAR, THE GREEN LAKE ASSOCIATION CONTINUED TO MAKE STRIDES IN PROTECTING AND RESTORING GREEN LAKE, DRIVEN BY INNOVATIVE RESEARCH, DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, AND THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, WE TACKLED CHALLENGES, CELEBRATED SUCCESSES, AND SET THE STAGE FOR A CLEANER, HEALTHIER LAKE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. HERE ARE A FEW KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2025: PHOSPORUS REDUCTION REDUCING PHOSPHORUS TAKES TIME-AND A SHARED ROADMAP - BUILDING THE SCIENCE AND COORDINATION NEEDED FOR LASTING PROGRESS EXCESS PHOSPHORUS REMAINS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FACING GREEN LAKE. REDUCING IT AT A SCALE MEANINGFUL ENOUGH TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IS NOT QUICK OR SIMPLE. IT REQUIRES TIME, COORDINATION, AND A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE NUTRIENTS ORIGINATE-AND HOW THEY MOVE THROUGH BOTH THE WATERSHED AND THE LAKE. IN 2025, OUR PHOSPHORUS REDUCTION WORK FOCUSED ON BUILDING THAT UNDERSTANDING THE FOUNDATION FOR LONG-TERM PROGRESS. TOGETHER WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, WE ADVANCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW WATERSHED & LAKE MANAGEMENT PLAN (WLMP)-A SHARED, SCIENCE-BASED ROADMAP THAT WILL GUIDE FUTURE RESTORATION DECISIONS AND ALIGN ACTIONS ACROSS THE WATERSHED. WHEN SUBMITTED TO THE WDNR AND EPA IN 2026, THE WLMP WILL HELP ENSURE THAT FUTURE INVESTMENTS ARE TARGETED, COORDINATED, AND EFFECTIVE-SO EVERY DOLLAR AND EVERY PROJECT MOVES THE LAKE CLOSER TO RECOVERY. WHERE THE SCIENCE IS ALREADY CLEAR, WE CONTINUED MOVING FROM PLANNING TO ACTION. IN THE PRIORITY ROY CREEK WATERSHED, WE INITIATED ONE STREAM RESTORATION AND TWO GULLY REPAIR PROJECTS WITH THE GREEN LAKE COUNTY LAND CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT. THESE PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED FROM A PREVIOUS STREAM EROSION INVENTORY COMPLETED BY THE GLA IN 2023. TOGETHER, THESE EFFORTS REDUCE EROSION AND SLOW THE FLOW OF PHOSPHORUS BEFORE IT REACHES THE LAKE. WE ALSO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE GREEN LAKE SANITARY DISTRICT AND THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO ADVANCE LONG-TERM RESTORATION INITIATIVES IN THE COUNTY K MARSH AREA-TESTING APPROACHES THAT COULD INFORM BROADER STRATEGIES IN THE YEARS AHEAD. ON THE LAND, COLLABORATION WITH FARMERS REMAINED ESSENTIAL. WE CONTINUED SUPPORTING TWO DEMONSTRATION FARMS AND LEASED ACCESS TO A SHARED NO TILL DRILL WITH A PRAIRIE SEED ATTACHMENT THROUGH GREEN LAKE COUNTY LAND AND CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT, ALLOWING PRODUCERS ACROSS THE WATERSHED TO TEST PRACTICES THAT BUILD HEALTHIER SOILS AND REDUCE NUTRIENT RUNOFF. THIS SUSTAINED WORK STRENGTHENS FARM RESILIENCE WHILE PROTECTING THE LAKE. IN THE LAKE ITSELF, THE COMPLETION OF THE FIELD WORK FOR AN INTERNAL LOADING STUDY MARKED A MAJOR MILESTONE. ONCE ANALYSIS IS COMPLETE, THESE FINDINGS WILL CLARIFY HOW MUCH PHOSPHORUS IS BEING RELEASED FROM GREEN LAKE'S DEEPEST SEDIMENTS-INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP SHAPE FUTURE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND FOCUS EFFORTS WHERE THEY CAN HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT. MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN PHOSPHORUS TAKE TIME. BUT 2025 REPRESENTED MEANINGFUL PROGRESS-STRENGTHENING THE SCIENCE, PARTNERSHIPS, AND SHARED PLANNING NEEDED TO MOVE FROM UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE TO ADVANCING LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT EFFORTS FOR GREEN LAKE. AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES PREVENTION TRAINING TODAY FOR TOMORROW'S THREATS - HOW HANDS-ON MONITORING BUILDS LONG-TERM CAPACITY ON A CALM FALL EVENING, THE GLA PROGRAMS TEAM MADE UP OF JOHN STRAUSER AND GRACE ST. CLAIR HEADED OUT ONTO THE LAKE ALONGSIDE PARTNERS FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND GOLDEN SANDS RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. THEIR DESTINATION WASN'T A SHORELINE OR A DOCK-BUT THE OPEN, QUIET WATER-WHERE A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT KIND OF MONITORING TAKES PLACE. SPINY WATER FLEA ARE TINY AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES THAT ARE NEARLY INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, YET CAPABLE OF DISRUPTING A LAKE'S FOOD WEB. ONCE ESTABLISHED, THEY CONSUME NATIVE ZOOPLANKTON THAT NORMALLY KEEP ALGAE IN CHECK-OFTEN LEADING TO INCREASED ALGAL GROWTH, DEGRADED WATER QUALITY, AND CASCADING IMPACTS THROUGHOUT THE FOOD WEB. BECAUSE SPINY WATER FLEA MOVE UPWARD TOWARD THE SURFACE AT NIGHT TO FEED ON ZOOPLANKTON, THE TEAM WORKED AFTER SUNSET USING SPECIALIZED PLANKTON NETS, CAREFULLY TOWING THE NETS AT THE THERMOCLINE TO COLLECT SAMPLES. NO SPINY WATER FLEA WERE OBSERVED DURING THE TOW, AND THE SAMPLES ARE CURRENTLY BEING PROCESSED BY THE WISCONSIN STATE LABORATORY OF HYGIENE FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE EVENING SERVED AS HANDS-ON TRAINING-BUILDING THE GLA'S ABILITY TO CONDUCT THIS MONITORING IN THE FUTURE. BY DEVELOPING THIS EXPERTISE LOCALLY, WE'RE STRENGTHENING LONG-TERM CAPACITY AND SUPPORTING ONGOING SURVEILLANCE EFFORTS-AN APPROACH ENDORSED BY WDNR INVASIVE SPECIES COORDINATOR PATRICK SIWULA. THAT READINESS MATTERS. SPINY WATER FLEA HAVE ALREADY BEEN DETECTED AT VERY HIGH DENSITIES IN LAKE MONONA AND LAKE MENDOTA. IF THEY WERE EVER FOUND IN GREEN LAKE, THERE WOULD BE NO QUICK FIX-BUT EARLY DETECTION WOULD GIVE US CRITICAL INFORMATION. IT WOULD ALLOW US TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DNR TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING, ANTICIPATE POTENTIAL IMPACTS, AND ADAPT OUR MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES WITH INTENTION AND CARE. MOST PEOPLE NEVER SEE THIS SIDE OF LAKE PROTECTION. BUT ON QUIET NIGHTS LIKE THIS ONE, WHEN THE LAKE IS STILL AND THE WORK IS SLOW AND CAREFUL, THE FOUNDATION FOR LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP IS BUILT. BY INVESTING IN KNOWLEDGE, PARTNERSHIPS, AND CAPACITY TODAY, WE'RE BETTER PREPARED TO PROTECT GREEN LAKE FOR THE FUTURE. DATA EVALUATION UNDERSTANDING GREEN LAKE, SEASON BY SEASON YEAR-ROUND - MONITORING THROUGH STRONG PARTNERSHIPS ALL YEAR LONG-THROUGH SUMMER HEAT, FALL STORMS, WINTER ICE, AND SPRING THAW, THE GLA WORKS IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND THE GREEN LAKE SANITARY DISTRICT TO MONITOR WATER QUALITY ACROSS THE LAKE AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. THIS COLLABORATION COMBINES COMPLEMENTARY ROLES AND SHARED INVESTMENT: THE USGS OPERATES AUTOMATED SAMPLING EQUIPMENT AND GATHERS LAKE SAMPLES, THE GLSD AND GLA PROVIDE COST-SHARING, AND GLA STAFF COLLECT ADDITIONAL
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
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 2025.
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 1977.
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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