Henrys Fork Foundation Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

A healthy fishery starts with water. The amount of water and the quality of water in the river have a direct impact on fish and insect health, and our fishing experience.Collaborative Water ManagementTrout do not have water rights, so HFF must find ways to work within a system that affords us neither management authority nor decision-making power. What we do have, is data.HFFs science program collects, analyzes, and distributes data on the scale of a small university lab. It is our reputation as a source for reliable data that gets us a seat at the table where those crucial water management decisions are made. It is through partnerships, the Drought Management Planning Committee, and the Henrys Fork Watershed Council that HFF shares daily water reports and custom, predictive modeling to influence management for the benefit of wild trout.Water QualityHFF has also developed one of the most extensive water-quality monitoring networks run by a nonprofit in Idaho. With 12 sondes (underwater data collectors), a real-time data website, and an extensive water sampling protocol, HFF measures water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity parameters on a daily and weekly basis. HFF also maintains an annual macroinvertebrate study to track aquatic insect population health.FisheriesHFF has completed or funded well over 100 research, monitoring, and restoration projects throughout the watershed. Since our founding, fisheries health, habitat, and biological research have made up the core of our programmatic work, including monitoring fish passage, implementing gill lice surveys, quantifying macrophyte cover, and conducting stream restoration work.The Value of FishingHFF collaborated with nonprofit, state agency, and university partners on a multi-year assessment of the economic value of recreational fishing in the Henrys Fork Watershed to help decision-makers understand the economic contribution of our fisheries to the region. HFF also conducts assessments of angler attitudes to better understand angler values and prioritize future conservation work.The Upper Snake River Farms and Fish ProgramIn the Upper Snake River Basin, agriculture accounts for 90% of water withdrawals. While fish and farms might not seem like a natural pair, bridging the gap between local agricultural producers and the Henrys Fork fishery can bring benefits to water resources and the health of the river at a more significant scale than ever before.HFF and partners are working with major agricultural producers and landowners in our area through voluntary transactions that compensate irrigators for reducing irrigation demand, thus keeping more water in Island Park Reservoir.On-Farm Water ManagementA key tool HFF can use to influence water use is land-lease agreements, including agreements to not divert water from the river. These agreements are actually simpler and more straightforward legally and administratively than leasing water rights.Alternative CropsThe program also incentivizes farmers to plant alternative crops that use less water, use water outside of peak irrigation demand, improve soil health, reduce wind erosion and sediment runoff, and benefit water quality.Aquifer RechargeGroundwater contributions from the aquifer in late summer provide an important component of baseflows, adding cool, clear water when it is really needed. Recharge of the aquifer has been decreasing with changes in irrigation technology, so HFF is working to support well-timed recharge efforts to benefit flows without significant detrimental impact on the day-to-day fishing experience.MonitoringAll of these methods depend heavily on the capacity of HFF and partners to monitor water use to verify that the objectives will be achieved and to guard against unintended consequences.Creating MarketsTo be successful into the future, the Farms and Fish Program must be self-sustaining by creating markets for crops that use less water. The program will assist local entities in building infras

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 61.4%; rating input score 61
• Program expense ratio: 71.1%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.21 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • 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: 14.9%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.07; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings