Dan River Basin Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O.
- Income
- $834,591
- Spending
- $646,791
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 76%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 900
- Highest pay
- $74,800, executive director
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 49% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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 94% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 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 (3)
- $159,033 spent. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN 2025, DRBA PROVIDED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING TO APPROXIMATELY 10,000 YOUTH AND ADULTS ACROSS MULTIPLE COUNTIES IN VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA. SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS WERE DELIVERED IN BOTH IN-CLASSROOM AND OUTDOORS, WITH A FOCUS ON SERVING SCHOOLS AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS WITH HIGH POPULATIONS OF UNDERSERVED YOUTH. PROGRAMS INCLUDED TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM AND STREAMSIDE TREES IN THE CLASSROOM, WHICH PROVIDE HANDS-ON LEARNING ABOUT AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS, WATER QUALITY AND CONSERVATION. DURING 2025, DRBA EXPANDED ITS EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY WITH THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF ITS VOLUNTEER ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS PROGRAM AND THE ADDITION OF NEW STAFF SUPPORT. AMONG THE MANY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR, DRBA OPENED THE WATERSHED, AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AND DEDICATED SITE FOR FIELD-BASED LEARNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION LOCATED ALONG THE SMITH RIVER IN BASSETT, VIRGINIA, AND IS EXPECTED TO SERVE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS EACH YEAR THROUGH FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING. DRBA ALSO COMPLETED ENHANCEMENTS TO AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM IN FIELDALE, VA. ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES INCLUDED THE DISTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN 200 YOUTH SCIENCE KITS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE OUTDOOR EXPLORATION AND STEM LEARNING. DRBA IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN VIRGINIA AWARDED STATE FUNDS OUTSIDE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DRBA'S ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SUCCESSES CAN BE FOUND ON ITS WEBSITE, DANRIVER.ORG/EE.
- $265,056 spent. OUTDOOR RECREATION IN 2025, DRBA ADVANCED MORE THAN 150 RECREATION-RELATED PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES THAT INCREASED PUBLIC ACCESS TO TRAILS, RIVERS AND PARKS THROUGHOUT THE DAN RIVER WATERSHED. A FEW OF THE COMPLETED PROJECTS INCLUDED DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREAT ROAD TRAIL IN FIELDALE, VA, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE JACOBS CREEK BATTEAU LANDING, AND TRAIL ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDING HIGH ROCK TRAIL IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NC. DRBA ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS TO SUPPORT IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY AND EXPAND SUSTAINABLE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE DAN RIVER WATERSHED INCLUDING THE DAN RIVER TRAIL MASTER PLAN, THE MARTINVILLE/HENRY COUNTY OUTDOOR RECREATION MASTER PLAN, THE VIRGINIA MAYO RIVER STATE PARK MASTER PLAN, THE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY OUTDOOR RECREATION MASTER PLAN AND THE SOUTHERN BLUEWAYS MASTER PLAN. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT REMAINS A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS WORK AND THROUGH PROGRAMS SUCH AS FIRST SATURDAY OUTINGS, KAYAK SAFETY CLASSES AND GUIDED OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES, DRBA CONTINUES TO CONNECT HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS EACH YEAR WITH THE NATURAL ASSETS OF THE REGION, FOSTERING BOTH RECREATION AND STEWARDSHIP.
- $106,022 spent. STEWARDSHIP & OUTREACH IN 2025, DRBA'S STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES INCLUDED RIPARIAN BUFFER RESTORATION PROJECTS IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA, WHERE TREES WERE PLANTED ALONG WATERWAYS TO REDUCE EROSION AND MITIGATE FLOODING. DRBA ALSO EXPANDED ITS BIODIVERSITY EFFORTS, INSTALLING THREE NEW NATIONALLY CERTIFIED MONARCH WAYSTATIONS IN 2025, THE HIGHEST NUMBER COMPLETED IN A SINGLE YEAR BY THE ORGANIZATION. THESE POLLINATOR HABITATS SUPPORT DECLINING MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATIONS WHILE ALSO SERVING AS EDUCATIONAL TOOLS FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED ITS CITIZEN WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM, THE LARGEST WATER MONITORING PROGRAM IN THE REGION, IN WHICH TRAINED VOLUNTEERS COLLECT AND REPORT DATA USING STATE-APPROVED PROTOCOLS AND CONTRIBUTE VALUABLE INFORMATION TO INFORM STATE POLICY AND INVESTMENT IN WATER QUALITY IN THE REGION. IN ADDITION, DRBA HOSTED DOZENS OF LAND AND WATER CLEANUPS, TRAIL BUILDING WORKSHOPS AND OTHER VOLUNTEER EVENTS THAT ENGAGED CLOSE TO 1,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN HANDS-ON STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES. IN 2025, DRBA ALSO COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG EFFORT TO SUCCESSFULLY REMOVE FIVE STRUCTURES FROM THE MAYO RIVER IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND THE ECO AMBASSADOR COUNCIL, A COALITION OF CORPORATE PARTNERS. THESE STRUCTURES HAD CAUSED DEBRIS BLOCKAGE, CONTRIBUTED TO SEDIMENT BUILDUP AND EROSION AND LIMITED SAFE RECREATIONAL ACCESS. THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT RECONNECTED NEARLY 10 MILES OF RIVER HABITAT IN PATRICK COUNTY, VA AND REOPENED CRITICAL HABITAT FOR FISH, INCLUDING THE STATE-THREATENED ORANGEFIN MADTOM. IT ALSO CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF NATIVE MUSSEL SPECIES AND RESTORED SAFE ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO ENJOY THE RIVER. DRBA FURTHERED ITS OUTREACH EFFORTS IN 2025 THROUGH DOZENS OF PUBLIC EVENTS, WEBINARS, FESTIVALS AND THE ANNUAL ART IN NATURE AUCTION, ALL OF WHICH HELPED BUILD AWARENESS AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TO THE RIVER.
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 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 November 6, 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 2025.
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 July 2002.
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 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.