Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
161071349
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2019
Location
Canandaigua, NY, USA
Phone
5853945030
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$334,277
Expenses
$256,709
Assets
$579,516
Liabilities
$31,579

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Susan Martenson (President)
  • Lynn Klotz (Past-President)
  • Emily DeBolt (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Emily DeBolt (Executive Director): $41,929 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To protect the water quality and overall environment of the Canandaigua Lake watershed for future generations by applying scientific research, advocating sound public policy, and offering educational programs to the community.

What it reported doing in 2025

Since 2007, CLWA's Watershed Education Program has taught students about the Canandaigua Lake watershed and water-quality stewardship. Serving the Canandaigua, Marcus Whitman, and Naples districts, the program reaches 3,000+ participants annually through classroom and field lessons. Educators link human activity to watershed health, inspiring responsible citizenship. CLWA also conducts community workshops, presentations, hikes, and events that educate residents and businesses on lake-friendly practices and environmental issues. Populations Served: K-12 students and adults.(Continued on Schedule O)CLWA's supports trained stewards at the State Marine Park in Canandaigua and DEC Woodville launches from May to October. They inspect boats and educate 14,000-18,000 boaters on "Clean, Drain, Dry" practices to prevent aquatic invasive species (AIS). Terrestrial programs monitor hemlock woolly adelgid and other pests affecting forests and agriculture. AIS prevention protects lake health and avoids costly eradication efforts seen in neighboring Finger Lakes. Populations Served: Boaters and watershed residents.CLWA partners with academic and statewide researchers to study the causes of declining lake water quality and harmful algal blooms (HABs). Citizen scientists assist in data collection for programs including the Shoreline HAB Monitoring Network, Lake Foam Study, Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program, and Stream Monitoring Program. Findings inform management strategies to protect the lake and its ecosystem. Populations Served: 70,000 residents and visitors relying on the lake for drinking water and recreation.Launched in 2018, the Lake-Friendly Living Program educates residents and businesses on reducing fertilizer and pesticide runoff to improve water quality. Through workshops, social media, and outreach, CLWA promotes sustainable lawn care and stormwater management. Over 300 properties, including parks, churches, and businesses, have taken the pledge and many display participation signs. Program partners include the City and Town of Canandaigua and the Watershed Council. Expansion to other Finger Lakes is planned. Populations Served: Watershed residents, businesses, and municipal parks.These programs are also supported by contributions.

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 95% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 59
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.9%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 63.3%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.63 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 23.2%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.26; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.3%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.9% of revenue deployed · 63.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $163K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $42K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 27/100.