Grand Rapids Whitewater Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
271009241
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Phone
6168812888
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$251,150
Expenses
$713,700
Assets
$6,110,976
Liabilities
$1,185,419

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEVE HEACOCK (PRES./CEO (P)
  • MATT CHAPMAN (PRESIDENT /)

Highest reported compensation

  • MATT CHAPMAN (PRESIDENT /): $123,525 total reported compensation
  • STEVE HEACOCK (PRES./CEO (P): $117,480 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The purpose of the corporation is to recreate rapids that provide recreational and fitness opportunities to the general public, and to promote an environmentally sound design that will enhance the sustainability of fish, wildlife, and natural resources within the grand river.

What it reported doing in 2024

River restoration included the following phases: engineering phase i - "phase 1" included the development of preliminary engineering work for the rapids restoration project proposed in grand rapids, Michigan on the grand river. The engineering work was performed by the consultants from riverrestoration, ecoanalysts, and environmental resources management. The work performed included field surveys, project coordination and communication, preliminary analysis, preliminary scope development, and preliminary design of project components including existing dam removal, hydraulic models, a new lamprey barrier, habitat restoration and fish passage.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 90% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 90.7%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th 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: 80%; rating input score 80; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: -184.2%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.56; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 33.8%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.1% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.8% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 90.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 10 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $647K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $124K · 10 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $317K reported
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 20/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.