Root-pike Watershed Initiative Network Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
200971618
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Kenosha, WI, USA
Phone
2628834018
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$517,955
Expenses
$472,704
Assets
$1,547,433
Liabilities
$25,569

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVE GIORDANO (President)
  • MICHAEL LUBA (President)
  • JOSHUA SOPCZAK (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAVE GIORDANO (President): $68,873 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Working to restore, protect and sustain the root-pike basin watersheds through the funding and facilitation of a regional network of locally initiated projects.

What it reported doing in 2024

Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network (WIN), a 501(c)(3) for more than two decades, championed the EPAs Nine Key Element Watershed Restoration Planning process that we are now implementing to restore, protect and sustain the Root-Pike basin watersheds. Our strategy is to engage with landowners, communicate the watershed issues defined in our Plans, bring awareness and fundraising to the Plans restoration solutions, and then advance those solutions through the planning, design and implementation phases. The unique awareness and action we provide to the residents of the Root-Pike basin, through the Plans restoration projects, municipal educational programs, and public outreach, is bringing positive change to the water quality of the broken Lake Michigan rivers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 86% 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.

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.6%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $55.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.7%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.27; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.6%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.3% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.6% of revenue deployed · 81.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $386K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $69K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.