Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Alpine Watershed Group

EIN 83-0411414 · Markleeville, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceGood76 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To protect, conserve, and restore the watersheds of Alpine County by promoting sustainable community and science-based collaborative solutions.

Income
$411,083
Spending
$367,950
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
4.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 79%
Employees
4
Volunteers
321
Highest pay
$64,743, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 43% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 30% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    89% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 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

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 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 September 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 (2)
  1. $325,720 spent. See Schedule O
  2. FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A - PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS -A total of 321 volunteers participated in 22 different monitoring and restoration activities during 2025, contributing approximately 667 volunteer hours. In 2025 AWG staff led one environmental education field trip and six in-classroom lessons, reaching 48 local school children. We continued work on a large planning effort to guide the way for future restoration projects, the West Fork Carson Prioritization Project.Monitoring Programs: AWG River Monitor volunteers and staff continued to conduct water quality monitoring at eight sites in the Upper Carson River watershed, measuring stream and air temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and conductivity. We also continued post-project photo monitoring for the Hope Valley Restoration and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project, which was constructed in October 2020. We continued to conduct post-Tamarack Fire monitoring in the Musser and Jarvis watershed and seedling survivability surveys in the Tamarack Fire burn scar, with the intent of determining restoration planting success. We continued aspen regeneration monitoring associated with a fuels reduction project in the West Fork Carson River watershed and started a new aspen regeneration monitoring project in conjunction with fuels reduction work around Monitor Pass.Restoration Projects: AWG hosted the annual Creek Day community workday on September 20, 2025; a total of 33 participants worked at five project sites hauling out trash. We partnered to lead two community tree planting workdays in burned areas, planting approximately 1,235 trees. We were instrumental in the start of implementation of the Markleeville Creek Floodplain Restoration Project, and we started conducting monitoring for the project.Education and Community Outreach: AWGs community outreach and education program included distribution of a monthly newsletter, website maintenance, social media posts, tabling/presenting at 15 community events, hosting a bioblitz, and presence at regional conferences. We continued to provide administrative support for the Forest Health Community Working Group, working to make progress over the long-term on improving forest health and resilience; this included helping to host three community workshops and one field tour. We also started working with Amador, Calaveras County, and Tuolumne County Resource Conservation Districts on a regional climate resilience strategy for natural and working lands.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 September 2025.

    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 April 2006.

    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.