Save California Salmon
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Save California Salmon SCS is dedicated to policy change and community advocacy for Northern Californias Salmon and fish-dependent people. We support the fisheries and water protection work of the local communities and advocate effective policy change for clean water.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $998,919
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 74%
- Employees
- 18
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $99,667, executive director
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
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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
0 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 (1)
- $796,324 spent. 2024 has been a year of progress celebration and partnership for Save California Salmon. We are inspired by the support and dedication of our communities and partners and together weve made great strides in the fight for healthier rivers and lands and more empowered communities. Our work on the Klamath River reached new heights with dam removal and flow and restoration projects that benefit salmon and communities taking center stage. These efforts have been successful. All four of the lower Klamath River dams have been removed and there is a growing commitment to ensuring fish passage and restoration in the upper Klamath are effective. To realize the vision of a restored Klamath River and community we continued a concerted push for permanent instream flow protections for the Scott and Shasta Rivers and more water from the federal water projects that impact the Klamath and Trinity Rivers. Were also proud to be part of the movement to dismantle outdated dams on the Eel River and fight for water justice 2 through strategic litigation and policy advocacy. We have increased our efforts to restore flows and remove dams in the Sacramento Rivers key salmon tributaries such as Battle Deer Butte Mill and Antelope Creeks. We are also supporting efforts to bring the salmon home above the Oroville and Shasta dams the states largest dams. We intensified our efforts to restore the Bay Delta San Francisco Bay the states largest estuary which faces severe challenges from over-allocated water use and excessive pollution. As part of this work we organized rallies panels and letter-writing campaigns advocating for science-based flow decisions over toothless Voluntary Agreements in the California Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan Updates and the Biological Opinions for endangered species affected by the Central Valley Project. We also took a leading role in opposing the Sites Reservoir water rights application and joined efforts to challenge the Delta Tunnels Change of Diversion water rights. Notably the Sites Reservoir water rights proceeding marks the first major case where Tribes have intervened bringing both traditional knowledge and Tribal water rights expertise to a semi-judicial hearing. We are proud to stand against Californias first proposed reservoir in over 50 years. Centuries of harmful extraction including dam building and water projects have displaced both Native people and salmon and stopped people from practicing indigenous sciences such as cultural burning and river management. This is why we are committed to supporting land return as a means to achieving justice for Native people in California and meeting climate and restoration goals. 2024 was a huge year for public and private land return and co-management in California. We are proud to support these efforts and to have published the first California LandBack Special Report highlighting these efforts and policy recommendations. Our education programs have also expanded with significantly increased capacity for providing Native youth with culturally relevant resources and experiences. We hosted our Indigenous Science Camps for the third year in a row and expanded camps into new regions including the former dam reach of the Klamath River. We launched new curriculum lessons and provided field trips and outdoor activities for students to engage with Traditional Ecological Knowledge TEK and dam removal firsthand. We also hosted family-centered water protection and educational events along with fun family days across the Klamath Trinity Eel and Sacramento River watersheds. These one-day river events and camps included many raft and canoe trips cultural and educational workshops and a Trinity River clean-up! Our continued commitment to amplifying Native voices also led to more educational events celebrating Native culture and history several art contests and in-school lessons and the publication of new youth activity books. We also greatly expanded our staff office space and programming in 2024. We now have staff and or offices in Sacramento the Northern Central Valley the Klamath River and the 3 North Coast. We hope we can better serve and uplift our communities efforts now that we have more resources. We are currently gathering feedback on our education and youth initiatives while hosting events that celebrate our successes and engage communities in providing input. Please follow our website and social media or check out our newsletter for more information on how to engage.
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 July 2022.
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.