Putah Creek Council Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To inspire love of Putah Creek, its wildlife and natural habitats, and promote their protection and restoration through advocacy, education, and community-based stewardship.
- Income
- $562,409
- Spending
- $538,329
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- 10.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 75%
- Employees
- 52
- Volunteers
- 540
- Highest pay
- $95,256, exec 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: 83 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 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
Strong: 91 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 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)
- $229,372 spent. Education-Creek Explorers: provides opportunities for Solano and Yolo County children to learn more about the Putah Creek bioregion, including the native flora and fauna that make up the rich biodiversity of the watershed. In FY 2024-25, Creek Explorers reached over 2,200 kids by presenting programs in partnership with Yolo and Solano County library systems, Winters and Davis school districts, and several homeschool associations. Education-Outreach: extends educational opportunities to a wider community base, offering information about Putah Creek Council (PCC), the Putah Creek watershed and its rich history, and the Putah Creek Accord to visitors on www.putahcreekcouncil.org. See Additional information on Schedule O. Education-Outreach - In FY 2024-25, PCC reached 19,000 website visitors, published 11 newsletters, tabled at 13 outreach events, and, across social media, published 198 posts and 248 stories. Facebook followers increased by 33% over the previous year; content interactions were up 190%, and our Instagram follower base increased by 1200% year-over-year.
- $147,680 spent. Community Stewardship: organizes and hosts weekly volunteer events to restore and care for the wild areas along Putah Creek. In FY 2024-25, PCC hosted 504 volunteers who collectively contributed 1,332 hours of labor, planted over 2,000 native plants, removed six truckloads of invasive weeds, spread 6.25 truckloads of mulch to suppress weeds and retain water, and collected over 1,440 pounds of trash. OneCreek: introduces adults ages 18 and up to the science and practice of habitat restoration through an innovative eight-week paid internship. OneCreek interns assist with restoration projects led by a variety of local organizations including resource conservation districts,water agencies, and city open space programs. In FY 2024-25,OneCreek trained 42 interns and worked with 11 different partner organizations.
- $14,830 spent. Putah Creek Council closed its Native Plant Nursery in July 2024.
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
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 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 March 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.