River Otter Ecology Project

Tax-deductible

Forest Knolls, CA501(c)(3)AnimalsEIN 45-4997526

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OUR MISSION is to create lasting protections for local waterways using community science, research, education, and advocacy. Our ambassador is the North American River Otter - an indicator of healthy waters. We are committed to making our work accessible, inclusive, and equitable, recognizing that environmental justice and the participation of every voice are essential for meaningful and lasting change.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
88¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 35 volunteers and 2 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Spent on programs
88%
of spending
Looks good: 88% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$125K
to officers and key staff · 71% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 90% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 71% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
8
named funders · $64K
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$33
0.03% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$241K
+42% vs prior year
Spent
$177K
To programs
88%
Net assets
$119K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$241K
FY2024▲ +42%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$128K
FY2021$129K
FY2022$126K
FY2023$170K
FY2024$241K
Net assets
$119K
FY2024▲ +119%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$61K
FY2021$69K
FY2022$54K
FY2023$54K
FY2024$119K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Aug 2012.

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

Where the money goes

88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 88% · $155K Management & general 9% · $16K Fundraising 3% · $6K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

6 people listed on the 990; $125K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$90,000Pt VII · Sec A
$35,000Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Megan Isadore’s $90K as Executive Director is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1220 $100K–1M animals 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Megan Isadore$90,000$80,000$80,000$80,000$80,000
Terence Carroll$35,000$25,000$25,000$10,269$10,200

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 Otter Ecology Project 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Protect local waterways through community science, research, education, and advocacy.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until River Otter Ecology Project claims this page.

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3 program services account for $155K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

We engage people in supporting waterways in their own communities. Otters for Waters is a nationwide conservation initiative, aiming to protect and support waterways across the country, with river otters as charismatic ambassadors.

$90Kprogram expense
02

Our research helps to fill a gap in understanding of the range, reproduction, diet, health and general ecology of river otters in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. This information helps inform conservation strategies, including restoration projects and toxic spill response, and sheds light upon climate change effects on both otters…

$39Kprogram expense
03

Education about the linkages among healthy otters, healthy watersheds, and healthy communities is as important as scientific research and discovery, and perhaps more important and useful to a wider range of people.

$26Kprogram expense

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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 8 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$241K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$240K
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Other incomeLn 4–11$188
Money outPt IX
$177K
Ln 25
Programscol B$155K
Managementcol C$16K
Fundraisingcol D$6K
Owns and owesPt X
$119K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$112K
Total assetsLn 16$119K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$240K
Government grantsLn 1e$3K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Other incomeLn 4–11$188
Total revenueLn 12$241K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$36K
SavingsLn 2$77K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$112K
Total assetsLn 16$119K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33
Net assetsLn 32$119K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 635
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$49K$112K
Total assetsLn 16$54K$119K
LiabilitiesLn 26$50$33
Net assetsLn 32$54K$119K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$131K$119K$12K
Payroll taxesLn 10$10K$9K$982
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$6K$6K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$7K$152
Information technologyLn 14$4K$670$3K$541
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K$69
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$6K$6K$0$0
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$177K$155K$16K$6K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $241K$177K$64K$119K 990 PDF
FY2023 $170K$54K 990 PDF
FY2022 $126K$54K 990 PDF
FY2021 $129K$69K 990 PDF
FY2020 $128K$61K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2024 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $241,321 across 11 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $188 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$2,741
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$237,160
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$239,901
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,232$1,232
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,420$241,321
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $176,868 across 10 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $119,384 · Management $11,907$131,291
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,840 · Management $982$9,822
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $5,400$5,400
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $6,000$6,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,801 · Management $152$6,953
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $670 · Management $2,784 · Fundraising $541$3,995
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,710$2,710
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,568 · Management $69$1,637
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,851 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$5,851
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,209$3,209
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $155,033 · Management $15,894 · Fundraising $5,941$176,868
Part X · Balance sheet $118,805 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $48,685$35,895
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $78$76,588
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,180$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $2,550$4,241
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $1,877$2,081
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $54,370$118,805
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $50$33
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $50$33
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $50,887$114,772
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $3,433$4,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $54,320$118,772
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $54,370$118,805
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $118,772 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$241,321
XI-2 Total expenses$176,868
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$64,453
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$54,320
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$1
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$118,772

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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