Discover Cayuga Lake INC

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Engage students, community members, and visitors in learning about the ecology and history of Cayuga Lake and its watershed and to inspire people to maintain these healthy environments for future generations.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 10 volunteers and 9 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
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $20K a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$62K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.5 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $12K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$106K
49% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 49% 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
$513K
+15% vs prior year
Spent
$491K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$112K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$513K
FY2024▲ +15%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$343K
FY2021$443K
FY2022$443K
FY2023$448K
FY2024$513K
Expenses
$491K
FY2024▼ -15%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$232K
FY2021$342K
FY2022$450K
FY2023$577K
FY2024$491K
Net assets
$112K
FY2024▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$111K
FY2021$212K
FY2022$205K
FY2023$97K
FY2024$112K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jun 2020.

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $348K Management & general 29% · $143K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $62K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$61,675Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Bill Foster’s $62K as Executive Director is at the 42nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1989 $100K–1M environment 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2020
Bill Foster$61,675$60,830$56,553$27,860

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 Discover Cayuga Lake INC executive salaries →

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

Educate people about Cayuga Lake's ecology and history to foster environmental stewardship.

Questions for Discover Cayuga Lake INC

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1 program · $348K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The Floating Classroom program on Cayuga Lake where students and adults learned how to do science on thelake; The Finger Lakes Trout in the Classroom program helping students raise trout from eggs and release trout fry to local streams; Community access programming opening Cayuga Lake to all segments of our community; Ecotourism programs…

$348Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$12K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$513K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$364K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$149K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4
Money outPt IX
$491K
Ln 25
Programscol B$348K
Managementcol C$143K
Owns and owesPt X
$112K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$62K
Total assetsLn 16$218K
LiabilitiesLn 26$106K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$149K
Government grantsLn 1e$26K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$364K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4
Total revenueLn 12$513K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$62K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$62K
Accounts receivableLn 4$33K
Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$1K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$110K
Other assetsLn 15$11K
Total assetsLn 16$218K
LiabilitiesLn 26$106K
Net assetsLn 32$112K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 59
VolunteersI 610
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$36K$62K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$130K$110K
Total assetsLn 16$200K$218K
LiabilitiesLn 26$103K$106K
Net assetsLn 32$97K$112K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$62K$45K$17K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$228K$165K$62K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$6K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$28K$17K$11K
Legal feesLn 11b$15K$450$15K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$9K$8K$555
Office expensesLn 13$10K$9K$907
Information technologyLn 14$8K$480$7K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$1K$949$278
InterestLn 20$1K$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$20K$20K
InsuranceLn 23$26K$14K$12K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$63K$57K$7K
All other expensesLn 24e$14K$11K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$491K$348K$143K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Apr 12, 2025 $513K$491K$22K$112K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 6, 2024 $448K$577K−$129K$97K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 $443K$450K−$7K$205K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Sep 22, 2022 $443K$342K$101K$212K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Dec 25, 2021 $343K$232K$111K$111K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $513,021 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $142,559$149,219
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $305,056$363,798
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$4
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $447,615$513,021
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $311,650$322,935
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $265,448$168,074
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $577,098$491,009
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$129,483$22,012
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 $513,021 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$26,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$123,219
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$149,219
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $363,798$363,798
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $4$4
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $363,802 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$513,021
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $491,009 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $45,023 · Management $16,652$61,675
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $165,239 · Management $62,351$227,590
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $5,681$5,681
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $16,720 · Management $11,269$27,989
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $450 · Management $14,825$15,275
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $8,429 · Management $555$8,984
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $9,423 · Management $907$10,330
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $480 · Management $7,125$7,605
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $949 · Management $278$1,227
IX-20 InterestManagement $1,370$1,370
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $20,000$20,000
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $13,948 · Management $12,223$26,171
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $56,603 · Management $6,820$63,423
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $10,906 · Management $2,783$13,689
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $348,170 · Management $142,839 · Fundraising $0$491,009
Part X · Balance sheet $217,895 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $36,427$62,484
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $21,893$33,312
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $950$1,125
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $130,000$110,000
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $10,739$10,974
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $200,009$217,895
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $26,129$29,096
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $7,815$15,800
X-23 Secured mortgages and notes payableStart of year $58,500$49,962
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $10,739$10,974
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $103,183$105,832
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $88,826$87,813
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $8,000$24,250
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $96,826$112,063
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $200,009$217,895
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $112,063 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$513,021
XI-2 Total expenses$491,009
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$22,012
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$96,826
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$6,775
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$112,063

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

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