Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation Incorporated
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Environmental education & habitat conservation
- Income
- $136,516
- Spending
- $136,974
- Reserves
- 15.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Highest pay
- $58,000, executive director
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (environment, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 (3)
- $46,763 spent. Environmental Education and Outreach: Consistent with its educational mission, HCWF provided structured and informal learning opportunities for a diverse audience, including K-12 schools, college groups, adult nature-enthusiasts, and community volunteers. Key accomplishments: A. Hosted monthly guided hikes, kayak paddles, bird watching tours, and mindfulness in nature sessions, reaching hundreds of participants. B. Delivered curriculum-linked field trips and outreach programs focusing on estuarine ecology, watershed science, butterfly life cycles, and Chesapeake Bay restoration themes, educating students from local schools. C. Expanded public outreach via digital newsletters, citizen science opportunities (bird counts, water-quality monitoring) and special events to raise awareness of human-nature connections in the Hampton Roads region. HCWF's success depends on collaboration with volunteers, local schools, higher-education institutions, municipal agencies and citizen groups. Over the year: A. The Foundation mobilized over 2,000 community members, volunteers and interns in work-days, citizen-science events and outreach programs. B. Formed or strengthened partnerships with nearby universities, the local school system, regional restoration non-profits, and government resource agencies-enhancing access to resources, technical expertise and broader conservation networks. C. Developed fundraising and awareness campaigns to grow individual membership, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants, thereby supporting the financial sustainability of the preserve's mission and programs.
- $45,175 spent. Conservation and Research: HCWF manages a 142-acre nature preserve in Portsmouth, VA, which comprises tidal creek and salt-marsh habitats, riparian forest, and a brackish lake-an unusually diverse set of ecosystems in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain. During the reporting year, the Foundation: A. Continued invasive species removal efforts and native habitat restoration through regular volunteer workdays, engaging hundreds of volunteers and restoring acres of native forest. B. Maintained and improved trails, observation points and interpretive facilities, ensuring safe, low-impact public access while preserving wildlife integrity. C. Monitored water quality, raised thousands of oyster spat, and studied climate change impacts on mummichog in collaboration with regional partners to support the health of the Hoffler Creek watershed. HCWF supports applied research and monitoring that enhances understanding of coastal ecosystems, habitat change, and human and natural system interactions. Highlights include: A. Partnering with regional universities and agencies to host research in salt-marsh ecology, brackish lake habitat dynamics, tick populations, and nest predation. B. Facilitating citizen science programs such as bird species counts, oyster aquaculture, turtle surveys, and water quality sampling, thus enabling both public involvement and data collection for professional research. C. Ensuring that findings and data are integrated into HCWF's interpretive materials so that visitors not only experience the preserve but also understand the underlying science that informs its stewardship.
- $29,837 spent. Recreation: HCWF offers low impact recreational experiences designed to engage the community while safeguarding sensitive habitats. During the year, the Foundation: A. Maintained five hiking trails, three bird-viewing blinds, seasonal kayak rental access, an oyster pier, and observation decks that overlook marsh and lake habitats. B. Welcomed thousands of visitors to the preserve (open Tue-Sun, 10 am-4 pm), offering opportunities for nature photography, bird watching, family exploration, and passive recreation in a suburban wilderness. C. Continued to enforce preservation-friendly practices (for example, excluding pets, restraint of high-impact activities such as biking or running within the preserve) to ensure that recreation remains compatible with conservation goals.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 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 October 13, 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 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 June 2026.
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 December 1995.
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.