Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Upper Mississippi River Basin Association

EIN 41-1412684 · Edina, MN

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood70 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

COORDINATE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ON BEHALF OF MEMBER STATES.

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$1.4 million
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
4.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 65%
Employees
12
Volunteers
23
Highest pay
$149,788, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 23% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 18% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    23 of 23 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

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

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 (5)
  1. $244,183 spent. OIL POLLUTION ACT PROJECT AND HAZARDOUS SPILLS - DATA COLLECTION, MAPPING, AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPILLRESPONSE PLANS AND PROTOCOLS; INCLUDING COMPLETION OF THE MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL SUB-AREA CONTINGENCY PLAN, UMR POOLS 25 AND 26 RESPONSE PLANS, AND THE ILLINOIS STATEWIDE INLAND SENSITIVITY ATLAS (ISA) UPDATES AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINNESOTA ISA UPDATE. THIS INCLUDES ASSISTING IN STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND FACILITATING PLAN REVIEW. DEVELOPMENT OF RESPONSE STRATEGIES WITHIN THE GREATER ST. LOUIS SUB-AREA, IN COORDINATION WITH USEPA REGIONS 5 AND 7. THIS INCLUDES HOSTING REGIONAL CONVERSATIONS TO IDENTIFY DRAFT RESPONSE STRATEGY SITES. RENEWED THE UMR SPILLS RESPONSE PLAN AND RESOURCE MANUAL. UPDATED USEPA REGION 5 GEODATABASE FOR LANDS MANAGED BY OHIO AND MARINAS LOCATED WITHIN MICHIGAN, IN SUPPORT OF THE GREAT LAKES COMMISSION.CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE UMR HAZARDOUS SPILLS COORDINATION GROUP, INCLUDING IN HOSTING TWO SEMI-ANNUAL MEETINGS AND INITIATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FIVE-YEAR DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN.
  2. $239,663 spent. WATER QUALITY - PREPARED IMPLEMENTATION OF A SHARED, INTERSTATE WATER QUALITY MONITORING STRATEGY TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN 2025-2026 AT FIXED SITES ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER, INCLUDING SCOPING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EMERGING CONTAMINANTS PLAN. CONTINUED STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE STATES' INTERSTATE WATER QUALITY COMMITTEES. REPRESENTED UMRBA AT OTHER REGIONAL AND NATIONAL WATER QUALITY MEETINGS (5MEETINGS). PRODUCED ACOMPREHENSIVE WATER QUALITY PROGRAM REPORT. HOSTED ONE-OF-TWO WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION PRACTICES.
  3. $316,549 spent. ECOSYSTEM - COORDINATED STATES INVOLVEMENT IN ECOSYSTEM-RELATED PROGRAMS AND OTHER EFFORTS AND PROVIDED STAFF SERVICES FOR A FEDERAL/STATE INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE. HOSTED SEVERAL INTERAGENCY MEETINGS AND CONFERENCE CALL MEETINGS. PROVIDEDEXTENSIVE WRITING AND REVIEW IN DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM REPORTS AS WELL AS MEETING-RELATED SERVICES. FACILITATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARTNERSHIP PRIORITIES FOR WATER LEVEL MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING UPDATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL POOL MANAGEMENT-FOCUSED NESP ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 53 AND CLARIFYING ECOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES FOR EMPLOYING WATER LEVEL MANAGEMENT AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL. SUPPORTED EVALUATION OF THE UMRBA MEMBER STATES' CHARTER REGARDING OUT-OF-BASIN WATER DIVERSIONS, INCLUDING DEVELOPING SCENARIO PLANNING EXERCISES.
  4. $280,886 spent. GENERAL SERVICES - POLICY RESEARCH, ISSUE ANALYSIS, MEETING COORDINATION, POLICY STATEMENTS, AND FACILITATING EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AMONG GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. QUANTIFIABLE OUTPUTS INCLUDE 4MULTI-TOPIC UMRBA QUARTERLY MEETINGS AND REPRESENTATION OF UMRBA ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR AMERICA'S WATERSHED INITIATIVE (12 MEETINGS), THE INTERSTATE COUNCIL ON WATER POLICY (20 MEETINGS), AND THE NATIONAL WATERWAYS FOUNDATION (3MEETINGS). REPRESENTED UMRBA AT MANY REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NAVIGATION-, FLOOD RISK-, AND ECOSYSTEM-RELATED MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES.TRACKED APPROPRIATIONS AND OTHER FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND COMMUNICATED STATES' POSITIONS ON IMPORTANT LEGISLATION AND RELATED POLICY. CONDUCTED ANNUAL DIVERSION CONSULTATION. CONTINUED DEVELOPING UMRBA WEBSITE, MOSTLY INVOLVING UPLOADING DOCUMENTS AND DESIGNING WEB PAGES.
  5. $110,839 spent. NAVIGATION - COORDINATED STATES' POSITIONS ON IMPORTANT LEGISLATION AND RELATED POLICY, INCLUDING THE NAVIGATION AND ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM (NESP), AND FACILITATED PARTNERSHIP CONSULTATION WITH RESPECT TO NESP IMPLEMENTATION. UPDATED THE UMRBA NAVIGATION ASSETS INVENTORY. REPRESENTED UMRBA AT REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NAVIGATION-RELATED MEETINGS (4 MEETINGS).

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

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

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since April 1982.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.