Spokane Riverkeeper
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE HEALTH AND ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THE SPOKANE RIVER WATERSHED AND TO DEFEND THE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL CITIZENS TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF A CLEAN AND HEALTHY SPOKANE RIVER WATERSHED.
- Income
- $419,002
- Spending
- $384,291
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 13.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 72%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 2,511
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 13.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
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.
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 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 (3)
- $151,201 spent. RIVER CONNECTION - ARGUABLY OUR MOST VISIBLE WORK TO THE COMMUNITY IS THE RIVER LITTER CLEANUP PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM ENGAGES THE PUBLIC BY INVITING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN STEWARDSHIP WHICH IN TURN, PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND CONNECTION TO THE RIVER. IN 2024 WE ENGAGED 2,300 VOLUNTEERS IN THIS PROGRAM, REMOVING MORE THAN 30 TONS OF TRASH. HOSTING FOUR PUBLIC CLEANUP EVENTS, WE HAD RECORD PARTICIPATION AT THE 2024 EARTH DAY CLEANUP. ADDITIONALLY, PRIVATE AND DIY CLEANUPS INVOLVING OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS WITH THE CITY OF SPOKANE ON 24 FLOATS COLLECTING TRASH IN HARD TO REACH AREAS ALONG THE RIVER. SIMILARLY, OUR RIVER SCIENCE PROGRAM ENGAGES AND EDUCATES THROUGH COMMUNITY RIVERSCIENCE WHILE MONITORING WATER QUALITY THAT HELPS SHAPE POLICY TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY RIVER. FROM DECEMBER OF 2022 - JUNE 2023, 28 CITIZEN SCIENTISTS WENT ON 119 SAMPLING RUNS, COLLECTING 458 SAMPLES, AND UPLOADED 102 PHOTOS TO OUR TIMELAPSE. IN ADDITION, WE TRAINED APPROXIMATELY 50 COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS DURING TRAINING EVENTS. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION, 16 -78% OF OUR SAMPLES EXCEEDED THE STATE STANDARDS. THESE DATA SUPPORT A STATE 303D LISTING ON THE SPOKANE RIVER FOR TURBIDITY. SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER ALSO PLACED 12 PASSIVE TEMPERATURE LOGGERS THROUGHOUT THE WATERSHED TO ACTIVELY MONITOR AND COLLECT DATA FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE. FINALLY, OUR MERCURY AND CRAYFISH STUDY WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO HAD 61 VOLUNTEERS COLLECT 170 CRAYFISH FOR TESTING FROM THE SPOKANE RIVER AND HANGMAN CREEK, OVER THREE EVENTS. RIVER CONNECTION - ARGUABLY OUR MOST VISIBLE WORK TO THE COMMUNITY IS THE RIVER LITTER CLEANUP PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM ENGAGES THE PUBLIC BY INVITING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN STEWARDSHIP WHICH IN TURN, PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND CONNECTION TO THE RIVER. IN 2024 WE ENGAGED 2,300 VOLUNTEERS IN THIS PROGRAM, REMOVING MORE THAN 30 TONS OF TRASH. HOSTING FOUR PUBLIC CLEANUP EVENTS, WE HAD RECORD PARTICIPATION AT THE 2024 EARTH DAY CLEANUP. ADDITIONALLY, PRIVATE AND DIY CLEANUPS INVOLVING OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS WITH THE CITY OF SPOKANE ON 24 FLOATS COLLECTING TRASH IN HARD TO REACH AREAS ALONG THE RIVER. SIMILARLY, OUR RIVER SCIENCE PROGRAM ENGAGES AND EDUCATES THROUGH COMMUNITY RIVERSCIENCE WHILE MONITORING WATER QUALITY THAT HELPS SHAPE POLICY TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY RIVER. FROM DECEMBER OF 2022 - JUNE 2023, 28 CITIZEN SCIENTISTS WENT ON 119 SAMPLING RUNS, COLLECTING 458 SAMPLES, AND UPLOADED 102 PHOTOS TO OUR TIMELAPSE. IN ADDITION, WE TRAINED APPROXIMATELY 50 COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS DURING TRAINING EVENTS. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION, 16 -78% OF OUR SAMPLES EXCEEDED THE STATE STANDARDS. THESE DATA SUPPORT A STATE 303D LISTING ON THE SPOKANE RIVER FOR TURBIDITY. SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER ALSO PLACED 12 PASSIVE TEMPERATURE LOGGERS THROUGHOUT THE WATERSHED TO ACTIVELY MONITOR AND COLLECT DATA FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE. FINALLY, OUR MERCURY AND CRAYFISH STUDY WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO HAD 61 VOLUNTEERS COLLECT 170 CRAYFISH FOR TESTING FROM THE SPOKANE RIVER AND HANGMAN CREEK, OVER THREE EVENTS.
- $94,800 spent. RIVER PROTECTION - IN 2024 WE CONTINUED OUR WORK TO DEFEND THE SPOKANE RIVER WATERSHED AGAINST POLLUTION THROUGH CLEAN WATER DEFENSE AND RIVER FLOW PROTECTION. NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLEAN WATER DEFENSE INCLUDE: EPA IMPLEMENTATION OF STRONG AND PROTECTIVE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS FOR PCB POLLUTIONIN WASHINGTON STATE DUE TO SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER AND PARTNERS' STRONG PRESSURE AND BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE, SUCCESSFUL LIGIGATION AND SETTLEMENT WITH PRIMELAND CHS, INC. FOR STORMWATER VIOLATIONS REDUCE POLLUTION TO HANGMAN CREEK, A PANEL DISCUSSION CO-HOSTED WITH GONZAGA LAW SCHOOL ON RIGHTS OF NATURE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THIS LEGAL FRAMEWORK, AND CONTINUED WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTIATION OF THE HANGMAN SETTLEMENT. OUR RIVER FLOW PROTECTION CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TO SUPPORT REGIONAL WATER PLANNING AND SUPPLY OPTIONS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY,COLD RIVER FLOW IN REPONSE TO DROUGHT AND POPULATION GROWTH. LAST YEAR WE PARTNERED WITH WATER WISE TO ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL WATER CONSERVATION AND WATER CONSUMPTION REDUCTION. WE SHARED WATER CONSERVATION METHOD AND RIVER STATISTICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND EDUCATE THEM ON THE NEEDS OF THE RIVER, AND WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE WATER RIGHT REQUESTED BY AIRWAY HEIGHTS. RIVER PROTECTION - IN 2024 WE CONTINUED OUR WORK TO DEFEND THE SPOKANE RIVER WATERSHED AGAINST POLLUTION THROUGH CLEAN WATER DEFENSE AND RIVER FLOW PROTECTION. NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLEAN WATER DEFENSE INCLUDE: EPA IMPLEMENTATION OF STRONG AND PROTECTIVE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS FOR PCB POLLUTIONIN WASHINGTON STATE DUE TO SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER AND PARTNERS' STRONG PRESSURE AND BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE, SUCCESSFUL LIGIGATION AND SETTLEMENT WITH PRIMELAND CHS, INC. FOR STORMWATER VIOLATIONS REDUCE POLLUTION TO HANGMAN CREEK, A PANEL DISCUSSION CO-HOSTED WITH GONZAGA LAW SCHOOL ON RIGHTS OF NATURE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THIS LEGAL FRAMEWORK, AND CONTINUED WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTIATION OF THE HANGMAN SETTLEMENT. OUR RIVER FLOW PROTECTION CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TO SUPPORT REGIONAL WATER PLANNING AND SUPPLY OPTIONS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY,COLD RIVER FLOW IN REPONSE TO DROUGHT AND POPULATION GROWTH. LAST YEAR WE PARTNERED WITH WATER WISE TO ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL WATER CONSERVATION AND WATER CONSUMPTION REDUCTION. WE SHARED WATER CONSERVATION METHOD AND RIVER STATISTICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND EDUCATE THEM ON THE NEEDS OF THE RIVER, AND WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE WATER RIGHT REQUESTED BY AIRWAY HEIGHTS.
- $20,133 spent. RIVER RESTORATION - SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER SUPPORTS RECOVERY EFFORTS OF NATIVE FISH AND SALMON POPULATIONS TO THE SPOKANE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. IN 2024 WE PARTICIPATED ON THE "LEAD ENTITY" TEAM TO GUIDE SCIENTIFIC STUDIES REGARDING SALMON AND TROUT HABITAT BY ATTENDING FOUR MEETINGS TO DESIGN A LIMITING FACTORS ANALYSIS THAT WILL GUIDE FUNDING IN THE BASIN. WE ALSO PLANTED APPROXIMATELY 6,000 PLANTS ON 40 ACRES OF RIPARIAN HABITAT ALONG ROCK CREEK.
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? 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 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 2020.
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.
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