Four Lakes Task Force

Overview

Mission

Maintaining the inland lake water levels and dams of Sanford, Wixom, Smallwood, and Secord Lakes (the Four Lakes), to preserve the environment, promote the welfare and safety of the public, enhance the recreational and health benefits arising from the Four Lakes, and conduct all activities incidental or necessary to accomplishing the foregoing purposes.

What it reported doing in 2025

Maintaining the lake water levels and dams of Sanford, Wixom, Smallwood and Secord Lakes ("Four Lakes"), to preserve the environment, promote the welfare safety of the public, enhance the recreational and health benefits arising from the Four Lakes, and conduct all activities necessary to accomplishing the foregoing purposes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
274698447
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2017
Headquarters
Midland, MI, USA
Phone
9894869223
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 89
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 98.8%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 19.3%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.85; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.93; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.2%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.3% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.1% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80% of revenue deployed · 98.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $74.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $165K · 10 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $71.7M reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 annual filings from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Kayla Stryker (Treasurer/Secretary): $165,137 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.