Friends of the River Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Restoring flows to California rivers.friends of the river worked to return water to dry and depleted rivers. For led efforts to restore flows and fisheries in the dewatered sections of the san joaquin river. For opposed the harmful delta conveyance project, engaged in protesting the water rights, and participated in extensive public planning and decision-making processes to limit harmful impacts of the project. For represented environmental interests for the american river through the sacramento water forum which will result in a historic water forum 2050 agreement. For led efforts to restore river connectivity in the merced watershed and ensure the lower merced river does not run dry again. For partnered with over 50 local and regional groups and tribes working to restore rivers throughout California, including threats to the san francisco bay delta estuary, rewatering the kern river, restoring the stanislaus, tuolumne, merced, san joaquin, ensuring flows on the american, sacramento, and yuba rivers.protecting rivers from wasteful and destructive dams and reservoirs.friends of the river monitored water policy for over 100 dams and reservoirs, engaged in public processes for funding, permitting, water rights, or environmental compliance, to identify and oppose harmful and costly impacts for over 40 projects. Our work focused on projects such as the proposed sites reservoir, shasta dam raise, del puerto reservoir, and pacheco reservoir, for leads a multi-stakeholder coalition of over 200 leaders in California water policy that tracks, shares information, and organizes joint action on surface water reservoir projects throughout the state. For analyzed the endangered species permits for existing reservoirs in the federal central valley project and state water project, and engaged with decision-makers to improve compliance with environmental laws.promoting low impact hydropower.hydropower and pumped storage projects can have a tremendous negative environmental, recreation, and economic impacts on rivers. Hydropower dam projects are relicensed once a generation, every 30 to 50 years. For worked to balance the needs of hydropower generation with environmental, fish passage, and recreational needs. For supported clean water act section 401 compliance for relicensing dams on the yuba and tuolumne rivers. Friends of the river provided leadership on oroville dam operations and flood safety on the feather river, and focused efforts on american river license implementation, relicensing for hydropower dams on the tuolumne, yuba, stanislaus, and kern rivers, as well addressing the risks of proposed pumped storage projects on the mokelumne and other rivers. Building public support for rivers.friends of the river inspires, builds awareness and support for river protection through education, communication and outdoor programs, producing monthly newsletters, social media and prodigious data and information on the website. For hosted 7 river trips for over 100 people to support native tribes in reconnecting to their ancestral waters, and inspire and educate decision-makers, influencers, and other nonprofit organizations in connecting to the rivers we are all working to save.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 68.8%; rating input score 69
• Program expense ratio: 77.4%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 12.4%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.72; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.7% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings