Water Systems Council FY2021 filing

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Water Systems Council is the national nonprofit association organized to provide information, training, education, outreach, and industry data about Water wells and Water well Systems.

501(c)(6) business league; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
$129K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Pay: Part VII

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FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(6)
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
No
Donations are not tax-deductible
Worth a look: the IRS does not list 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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $65K a year · 7% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Pay to officers and key staff
$129K
to officers and key staff · 16% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 16% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 9.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $148K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$434K
59% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 59% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 13 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 13 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$867K
+7% vs prior year
Spent
$815K
Net assets
$306K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$867K
FY2021▲ +7%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$807K
FY2021$867K
FY2022$992K
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$1.1M
Expenses
$815K
FY2021▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$739K
FY2021$815K
FY2022$903K
FY2023$929K
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$1.0M
Net assets
$306K
FY2021▲ +20%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$254K
FY2021$306K
FY2022$395K
FY2023$498K
FY2024$499K
FY2025$574K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 1960.

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

14 people listed on the 990; $129K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$128,831Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Past President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Distributor Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Margaret Martens$154,947$148,513——$128,831$123,123
Martens Margaret——$143,833$138,000——
Erin Coffman$116,350$110,246$105,600———

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.

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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

Provides information, training, and education about water wells and systems.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Education and Advocacy

This program is designed to promote private water systems in the U.S. As an appropriate and viable source of safe drinking water through technical and promotional literature and programs. This program also includes support of a separate water well trust that provides financing for wells for low income households.

Pt IX · col B
02

Member Services

Industry meetings are utilized to discuss current issues and topics, to lobby for desired changes in the water well industry, and to share market data information gathered by the association.

Pt IX · col B
03

Water Well Hotline

This program operates an epa-funded hotline that serves consumers in need of information regarding water wells.

Pt IX · col B

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 · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$148K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$867K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$647K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$220K
Investment incomeLn 3$145
Money outPt IX
$815K
Ln 25
Owns and owesPt X
$306K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$668K
Total assetsLn 16$740K
LiabilitiesLn 26$434K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$220K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$647K
Investment incomeLn 3$145
Other incomeLn 4–11$10
Total revenueLn 12$867K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$668K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$668K
Total assetsLn 16$740K
LiabilitiesLn 26$434K
Net assetsLn 32$306K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 56
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$512K$668K
Total assetsLn 16$572K$740K
LiabilitiesLn 26$318K$434K
Net assetsLn 32$254K$306K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$129K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$279K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$7K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$21K
Management feesLn 11a$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$11K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$138K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$14K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$14K
Office expensesLn 13$3K
Information technologyLn 14$13K
TravelLn 17$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$39K
InsuranceLn 23$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$121K
All other expensesLn 24e$9K
Total functional expensesLn 25$815K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.1M$1.0M$76K$574K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.0M$1.0M$587$499K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.0M$929K$103K$498K 990 PDF
FY2022 $992K$903K$89K$395K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $867K$815K$52K$306K 990 PDF
FY2020 $807K$739K$68K$254K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $867,235 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $179,022$219,894
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $624,589$647,186
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,489$145
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $815$10
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $806,915$867,235
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 $413,346$435,735
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $325,781$379,579
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $739,127$815,314
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $67,788$51,921
Part VI · Governance 13 of 13 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body13
VI-1b Independent voting members13
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $867,235 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$219,894
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$219,894
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $647,186$647,186
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $145$145
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $10$10
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $647,196 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $145$867,235
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $815,314 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staff$128,831
IX-7 Other salaries and wages$278,987
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$6,731
IX-9 Other employee benefits$21,186
IX-11a Management fees$4,561
IX-11b Legal fees$3,475
IX-11c Accounting fees$10,778
IX-11d Lobbying fees$138,000
IX-11g Other fees for services$14,403
IX-12 Advertising and promotion$14,194
IX-13 Office expenses$3,275
IX-14 Information technology$13,226
IX-17 Travel$1,554
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$38,728
IX-23 Insurance$7,711
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)$120,694
IX-24e All other expenses$8,980
IX-25 Total functional expenses$815,314
Part X · Balance sheet $740,406 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $511,500$667,838
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $21,232$22,799
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $8,316$19,775
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $3,423$2,823
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $27,961$27,171
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $572,432$740,406
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $5,032$9,921
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $313,248$424,412
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $318,280$434,333
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $254,152$306,073
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $254,152$306,073
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $572,432$740,406
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $306,073 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$867,235
XI-2 Total expenses$815,314
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$51,921
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$254,152
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$306,073

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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