Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA AND ITS WATERSHEDS FOR SUSTAINABLE FISH AND WILDLIFE POPULATIONS, NOW AND FOREVER, THROUGH ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION.
- Income
- $218,690
- Spending
- $231,088
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- 4.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $98,200, 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: 74 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (environment, under $250k).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 140% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (environment, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a 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
10 of 10Gave 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.
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)
- $166,695 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O.PROGRAMS: PROTECTING THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS FROM PROPOSED COPPER-NICKEL MINING IN THE RAINY RIVER WATERSHED OF NORTHEAST MINNESOTA.ON JANUARY 26TH, 2023, INTERIOR SECRETARY DEB HAALAND CEMENTED HISTORIC PROTECTIONS FOR THE BOUNDARY WATERS BY SIGNING AN ORDER TO WITHDRAW APPROXIMATELY 225,504 ACRES OF PUBLIC LAND IN THE RAINY RIVER WATERSHED OF NORTHEAST MINNESOTA FROM FEDERAL MINERAL LEASING FOR 20 YEARS. THE MINERAL WITHDRAWAL ORDER WILL NOW BAN FEDERAL HARDROCK MINERAL LEASING UPSTREAM OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS AND VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK.THE MONUMENTAL DECISION ENSURES FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HUNTERS, ANGLERS, AND WILDERNESS PADDLERS WILL BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO FISH FOR LAKE TROUT, CHASE GROUSE, AND SHARE A CAMPFIRE UNDER THE STARS IN AMERICA'S MOST VISITED WILDERNESS FOR DECADES TO COME. THE BOUNDARY WATERS IS THE MOST VISITED WILDERNESS AREA IN THE UNITED STATES, ATTRACTING MORE THAN 150,000 VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD. IT IS A MAJOR DRIVER OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMY, SUPPORTING HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS. A VAST COLLECTION OF PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE SHOWS THAT IF A TWIN METALS COPPER-NICKEL MINE WERE BUILT ALONG THE RIVERS AND STREAMS FLOWING INTO THE WILDERNESS, POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION WOULD BE CERTAIN. A PEER-REVIEWED INDEPENDENT STUDY FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY SHOWED THAT PROTECTION OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS FROM A PROPOSED TWIN METALS SULFIDE-ORE COPPER MINE WOULD RESULT IN DRAMATICALLY MORE JOBS AND MORE INCOME OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD.IN 2024, SFBW WORKED WITH A BROAD COALITION OF CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, OUTDOOR BUSINESSES, AND SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR SHARED WORK WITH STATE AND NATIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERS IS WHY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE IMPACT WE HAVE ON BWCA PROTECTION. SFBW WILL CONTINUE TO NURTURE THESE RELATIONSHIPS TO WORK TOWARDS FUTURE CONSERVATION WINS FOR THE BOUNDARY WATERS, MINNESOTA, AND BEYOND.SPORTSMEN FOR THE BOUNDARY WATERS CONTINUES ITS WORK AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, ADVOCATING FOR PERMANENT PROTECTION OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS FROM COPPER-NICKEL MINING WHILE EDUCATING AND UPLIFTING THE PUBLIC ON THE ISSUE AND THE BOUNDARY WATERS ITSELF THROUGH EVENTS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND ONLINE WORK.PROGRAMS: STEWARDSHIP & HABITAT INITIATIVE - FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE, SPORTSMEN FOR THE BOUNDARY WATERS HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY AT THE MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL, WASHINGTON DC, AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ADVOCATING FOR BOUNDARY WATERS PROTECTIONS, SOMETHING WE ARE ENORMOUSLY PROUD OF. WHILE THIS WILL REMAIN ONE OF THE PILLARS WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE UNDER, WE'VE DECIDED THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH NEED HERE IN THE ARROWHEAD REGION OF MINNESOTA TO GET INVOLVED WITH "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS THAT HELP IMPROVE THE REGION'S OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES.DURING THE SUMMER OF 2024, SPORTSMEN FOR THE BOUNDARY WATERS ASKED THE QUESTION, "WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO FOR THE REGION WE LOVE TO HUNT AND FISH SO MUCH?" WE CONSIDERED A NUMBER OF PROJECTS AROUND THE ARROWHEAD REGION OF MINNESOTA BUT, IN THE END, SETTLED ON ADOPTING THE PINE ISLAND WMA ON LAKE VERMILION. BEING LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS AND NEEDING ACCESS AND HABITAT WORK, IT WAS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF PROJECT WE COULD GET BEHIND. THIS IS THE FIRST PROJECT OF SPORTSMEN FOR THE BOUNDARY WATERS' STEWARDSHIP AND HABITAT INITIATIVE, A PROGRAM THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO IMPLEMENT IN MULTIPLE SPHERES IN AND AROUND THE BOUNDARY WATERS WITH PARTNERING AGENCIES, CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, AND OUTDOOR INDUSTRY LEADERS.AS A PART OF THE ADOPTION, SFBW ACCOMPLISHED THE FOLLOWING THROUGH A VOLUNTEER EVENT WITH 50 VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATION AND OVER 400 VOLUNTEER HOURS: CREATE ACCESS FOR A DIFFICULT-TO-REACH WMA, CREATE AND IMPROVE A SERIES OF HUNTER WALKING TRAILS, PLANT WHITE SPRUCE AND RED OAK TREES TO IMPROVE WHITE-TAILED DEER WINTERING HABITAT, CLEAR CANOPY TO ALLOW FOR REGENERATING LONG LIVED CONIFER SPECIES TO GROW AND THRIVE, REPLACE AND REPAIR WMA SIGNAGE AT LANDING SPOTS, INSTALL AN INFORMATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES KIOSK, INSTALL FISHING LINE COLLECTION TUBES, CLEAR/BRUSH/CHAINSAW THE WMA BOUNDARY LINE, INSTALL BOUNDARY SIGNS, AND MANAGE THE UPKEEP OF THE WMA DURING THE ADOPTION.
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? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2018 for not filing returns for three years. The IRS now lists it as tax-exempt again.
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 October 2018.
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.