River Action Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
421267366
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Davenport, IA, USA
Phone
5633222969
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$427,426
Expenses
$505,064
Assets
$884,280
Liabilities
$549,179

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JENNIFER HIRSCH (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • BETH CLARK (DIRECTOR): $2,977 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

River action strives to foster the environmental, economic, and cultural vitality of the Mississippi river and its river front in the quad city region.

What it reported doing in 2024

Environmental education - educating the public about the history, environmental impact, and uniqueness of the Mississippi river; educating the public on ways they can help improve and protect the waterways in the quad cities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 63% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.4%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 72.6%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $51.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 77; 77th 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: 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: 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -18.2%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.75; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.62; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.6%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23.7% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.4% of revenue deployed · 72.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $367K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $3K · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 56/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.