Iowa Confluence Water Trails

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
871605740
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Des Moines, IA, USA
Phone
5154520024
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,430,095
Expenses
$1,313,037
Assets
$52,096,523
Liabilities
$3,429,611

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEPHANIE OPPEL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEPHANIE OPPEL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $169,098 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Icon water trails is a regionally inclusive recreational confluence connecting culture, conservation, and adventure by empowering our waterways.

What it reported doing in 2024

Icon water trails is about restoring the connection between iowans and the natural heritage of their rivers and banks. Icon's projects will elevate the water that once elevated central Iowa, and develop advocates and infrastructure that will safeguard our waterways for generations to come.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 89% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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

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 revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 38
  • Transparency & Controls: 95
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 87
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 9.5%; rating input score 10
  • Program expense ratio: 74%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $44.16 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 22nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 87.4%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 39.68; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.9%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -22.8% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 9.5% of revenue deployed · 74% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $972K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $169K · 21 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $163K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 10/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.