Fishery Foundation of California

What it reported doing in 2024

Fish and habitat monitoring: the fishery foundation of California (ffc) has been actively involved in the sacramento/san joaquin delta for 30 plus years both as a stakeholder and active participant in its adaptive management. Past and present activities include monitoring and evaluation of restored tidal and seasonal wetlands, tracking temporal and spatial distribution of salmon and steel head, the spatial documentation of fish community assemblages, and collection of year round water quality data. Ffc has increased awareness of delta issues and has furthered the scientific knowledge by publishing its many findings in the calfed and iep on journals and on the comprehensive assessment and monitoring program (camp) web site. Ffc staff serve on a number of scientific advisory committees in the central valley. The ffc is currently working with the department of water resources to reduce the number of predatory fish in clifton court forebay to increase survival of status fish moving throught the forebay. Salmon acclimation: ffc has been acclimating state and federal hatchery salmon since 1994. The project has been shown to increase survival of the salmon by 200-300 percent. The ffc acclimated 13.2 million hatchery salmon in 2016-2017. In total, the ffc has acclimated over 120 million salmon since the start of the program in 1994. Habitat restoration: in 2014-2018 the ffc implemented passage and habitat improvement projects in the cosumnes river watershed in partnership with the us fish and wildlife service. Ffc partnered in the fish passage assessment at 6 barriers in stevens creek during the same time period. Ffc staff serve on the cosumnes river technical advisory committee which raises awareness surrounding cosumnes river fishery issues and guides present and future restoration activities in the watershed. Currently, the ffc is monitoring the effectiveness of past restoration actions in the cosumnes watershed. Stanilaus habitat use pilot investigation: the ffc, in cooperation with the us bureau of reclamation is conducting a pilot study to document the change in habitat and fish distributions relative to discharge. The fcc, wildlands and the institute for natural systems engineering will team to implement the stanislaus river salmonid habitat use investigation. The purpose of the study be to determine fish and fish habitat reponse to different operational flows from goodwin dam into the lower stansliaus river.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 91.4%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 8.6%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.41; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 31%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -1.5% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings