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Ridge to Reefs Inc

EIN 45-1476011 · Eldersburg, MD

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood71 out of 100GovernanceWeak48 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO PROTECT AND RESTORE ECOSYSTMES AND ACHIEVE TANGIBLE OUTCOMES WORKING TOGETHER WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES. OUR FOCUS IS ON THE SCIENCE AND APPLICATION OF RESTORATION AND PROTECTION MEASURES IN CORAL REEF AND COASTAL AREAS IN CREATING LONG-TERM RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS.

Income
$1.1 million
Spending
$1.1 million
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
2.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 83%
Employees
5
Volunteers
50
Highest pay
$91,500, 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

Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 23% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    89% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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

Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    4 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • 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 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 (6)
  1. $244,223 spent. SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE - DEVELOPING AND HELPING FARMERS IMPLEMENT LOW COST SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY. EXAMPLES INCLUDE EFFORTS IN PUERTO RICO AFTER HURRICANE MARIA IN 2017 AND CONTINUING TO THE PRESENT AS WELL AS EFFORTS TO SUPPORT AND ASSIST SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN THE CITY OF BALTIMORE AND PALAU.
  2. $195,378 spent. BALTIMORE COMPOST COLLECTIVE - ENGAGES BALTIMORE TEENAGERS WITH POSITIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAINING IN WORKFORCE SKILLS, FOOD ACCESS PROGRAMMING, FARMING AND COMMUNITY-SCALE COMPOSTING. YOUTH GAIN GUIDED, HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE MANAGING A SMALL-SCALE COMPOSTING OPERATION. COMPOST THEY CREATE IS USED TO GROW FRESH PRODUCE. HEALTHY, LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE ADDRESSES CRITICAL FOOD DESERTS AND BUILDS RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. BALTIMORE COMPOST COLLECTIVE'S OPERATION IS MORE THAN TRADITIONAL METHODS APPLIED IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE; THEY'RE INNOVATING NEW AND BETTER WAYS TO BOOST FOOD PRODUCTION IN COMMUNITY GARDENS AND FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO REPURPOSE ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF WASTE INTO HEALTHY EFFECTIVE FERTILIZER.
  3. $195,378 spent. RESTORATION COORDINATION - COORDINATING AND IMPLEMENTING WATERSHED PLANS. THIS INCLUDES WRITING PROPOSALS, WORKING ON POLICY CHANGES, COORDINATION OF INTERAGENCY EFFORTS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO ENSURE THAT IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. THIS HAS INCLUDED TRACKING DOWN ON-GOING SOURCES OF POLLUTION AND WORKING WITH THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES TO SEE THE ISSUES ARE RESOLVED. PLACES WHERE WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK INCLUDE THE GUANICA WATERSHED IN SW PUERTO RICO, VATIA WATERSHED IN AMERICAN SAMOA AND PLACES LIKE THE SASSAFRAS RIVER, AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND AND THE ST. MARYS RIVER IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND WHERE THE WATERSHED IS EXPERIENCING TREMENDOUS GROWTH DUE TO A NAVAL BASE REALIGNMENT WHICH IF NOT WELL MANAGED WILL THREATEN THE HEALTH OF THE RIVER.
  4. $146,534 spent. HELPING BUILD MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES - HELPING COMMUNITIES BUILD MORE RESILIENCE INCLUDING RAINWATER HARVESTING AND SOLAR ENERGY. THIS INCLUDES DESIGNING AND BUILDING SEVERAL OFF-GRID SOLAR WALK-IN REFRIGERATORS IN PUERTO RICO AS WELL AS A MOBILE UNIT AND DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING SOLAR WATER FILTRATION AND PUMPING PROJECTS FOR AGRICULTURE, RESILIENCE AND HEALTH FACILITIES.
  5. $97,689 spent. WATERSHED PLANNING - WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE WATERSHED PLANS TO HELP IMPROVE THE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF WATER AND ECOSYSTEMS WITHIN SPECIFIC WATERSHEDS (THE AREA DRAINING TO SOMEPLACE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT - A RIVER, A BAY, A CORAL REEF). COMMUNITIES HELP TO DEFINE THE GOALS AND STRATEGIC PROJECTS AND ACTIONS ARE DEFINED AS WELL AS POTENTIAL RESPONSIBLE PARTIES, THE EXPECTED COSTS AND BENEFITS. ONE OF RIDGE TO REEFS GOALS IS TO PERFORM AT LEAST ONE WATERSHED PLANNING PROJECT A YEAR - EXAMPLES HAVE INCLUDED THE CULEBRA WATERSHED ACTION PLAN (IN DRAFT), THE LA PARGUERA GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN AND THE CABO ROJO WATERSHED PLAN BEING INITIATED IN 2013 AND THE VATIA WATERSHED PLAN COMPLETED IN 2019. OUR EMPHASIS HAS BEEN TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WATERSHED PLANS NOT JUST THEIR CREATION - WE SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THESE PLANS BY ASSISTING WITH FUNDING PROPOSALS, POLICY AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE, IMPLEMENTATION OF RESTORATION PRACTICES AND HELPING BUILD THE SKILL SET OF LOCAL GROUPS AND MUNICIPALITIES FOR CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION AND PROTECTION EFFORTS.
  6. $97,689 spent. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE - RECREATES NATURAL SYSTEMS TO PERFORM ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT - THIS INCLUDES BIORETENTION PRACTICES, BIO-FILTERS, URBAN TREE PLANTING TO REDUCE STORMWATER RUNOFF AND PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE URBAN AGRICULTURE AND GREEN ROOFS. THE PRACTICES HELP PERFORM PHYTOREMEDIATION, RESTORE URBAN SOILS AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED. RIDGE TO REEFS, WITH ITS PARTNERS, IMPLEMENTED 8 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS INCLUDING BIORETENTION, RAIN GARDENS, WOODCHIP BIOREACTORS, P-FILTERS, RAINWATER HARVESTING AND A SAND BIOFILTER. OVER FIFTTEEN THOUSAND PLANTS, MOSTLY NATIVE, WERE PLANTED IN THESE PROJECTS TO RESTORE ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION AND REDUCE POLLUTION AND HELP CLEANSE CONTAMINATED STORMWATER RUNOFF. WE WORKED WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND DEVELOPERS TO INTEGRATE THESE PRACTICES INTO THEIR SITES. LOCATIONS FOR THIS WORK INCLUDED LA PARGUERA AND TAMARINDO BEACH IN CULEBRA BOTH IN PUERTO RICO, WEST MAUI IN HAWAII AND THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND AND THE ST. MARY'S RIVER WATERSHED IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND.

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

  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 November 6, 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 December 2024.

    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 September 2014.

    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 November 4, 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.