To develop, preserve and maintain public park lands and facilities along the arkansas River in tulsa county that is known as River Parks.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 1,000 volunteers and 37 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $3.8M a year · 32% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$253K
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.9 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $68K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$3.3M
0.9% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$10.3M
+17% vs prior year
Spent
$6.7M
To programs
100%
Net assets
$362.1M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$10.3M
FY2025▲ +17%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$10.4M
FY2021$5.0M
FY2022$26.4M
FY2023$10.4M
FY2024$8.8M
FY2025$10.3M
Expenses
$6.7M
FY2025▼ -7%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$8.6M
FY2021$8.7M
FY2022$8.7M
FY2023$8.7M
FY2024$7.3M
FY2025$6.7M
Net assets
$362.1M
FY2025-0.3%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$339.8M
FY2021$337.0M
FY2022$354.5M
FY2023$359.3M
FY2024$363.2M
FY2025$362.1M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 1974.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $6.7M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

9 people listed on the 990; $253K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$149,094Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Finance
$103,994Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

John Jeff Edwards’s $149K as Executive Director is at the 4th percentile of top reported officer pay among 290 $10–100M recreation & sports nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Matt Meyer——$165,136$93,513$88,803$86,383
John Jeff Edwards$149,094$131,399————
Tonja Pitzer——$126,929———
Lisa Cooper$103,994—————
Jeff Edwards——$19,346———

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See River Parks Authority executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Develops, preserves, and maintains public park lands and facilities along the Arkansas River in Tulsa County.

Questions for River Parks Authority

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $6.7M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Development, preservation and maintenance of river parks public lands and facilities.

$6.7Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$10.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.9M
Other incomeLn 4–11$279K
Investment incomeLn 3$132K
Money outPt IX
$6.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$6.7M
Owns and owesPt X
$362.1M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.6M
Total assetsLn 16$365.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$3.3M
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.9M
Government grantsLn 1e$2.3M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$1.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$32K
Investment incomeLn 3$132K
Other incomeLn 4–11$279K
Total revenueLn 12$10.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.6M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$363.3M
Other assetsLn 15$31K
Total assetsLn 16$365.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$3.3M
Net assetsLn 32$362.1M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 537
VolunteersI 61,000
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$6.5M$1.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$360.1M$363.3M
Total assetsLn 16$367.2M$365.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.1M$3.3M
Net assetsLn 32$363.2M$362.1M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$142K$142K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$950K$950K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$151K$151K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$160K$160K
Legal feesLn 11b$4K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$50K$50K
Office expensesLn 13$30K$30K
OccupancyLn 16$302K$302K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4.1M$4.1M
InsuranceLn 23$89K$89K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$573K$573K
All other expensesLn 24e$205K$205K
Total functional expensesLn 25$6.7M$6.7M$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $10.3M$6.7M$3.6M$362.1M 990 PDF
FY2024 $8.8M$7.3M$1.5M$363.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $10.4M$8.7M$1.7M$359.3M 990 PDF
FY2022 $26.4M$8.7M$17.7M$354.5M 990 PDF
FY2021 $5.0M$8.7M−$3.7M$337.0M 990 PDF
FY2020 $10.4M$8.6M$1.8M$339.8M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $10,314,193 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $8,449,114$9,870,743
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $92,922$32,109
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $111,784$131,857
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $155,488$279,484
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $8,809,308$10,314,193
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,373,338$1,403,458
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $5,888,424$5,332,548
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $7,261,762$6,736,006
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,547,546$3,578,187
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $10,314,193 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1d Related organizations$1,402,832
VIII-1e Government grants$2,267,911
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$6,200,000
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$1,111,082
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$9,870,743
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $32,109$32,109
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $131,857$131,857
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $279,484$279,484
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $311,593 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $131,857$10,314,193
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $6,736,006 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $141,692$141,692
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $950,481$950,481
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $150,945$150,945
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $160,340$160,340
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $4,188$4,188
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $50,025$50,025
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $30,465$30,465
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $301,757$301,757
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,078,661$4,078,661
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $89,176$89,176
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $573,105$573,105
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $205,171$205,171
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $6,736,006 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$6,736,006
Part X · Balance sheet $365,370,054 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $6,472,258$1,622,114
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $640,581$377,639
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $360,060,439$363,339,530
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $56,364$30,771
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $367,229,642$365,370,054
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $159,904$78,165
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $3,901,149$3,174,619
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $4,061,053$3,252,784
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $363,168,589$362,117,270
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $367,229,642$365,370,054
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $362,117,270 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$10,314,193
XI-2 Total expenses$6,736,006
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$3,578,187
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$363,168,589
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$122,871
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$4,752,377
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$362,117,270

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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