Santa Ynez Water Group

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
881433980
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2023
Location
Irvine, CA, USA
Phone
7146300299
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Chambers of Commerce & Business Leagues

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,532
Expenses
$6,311
Assets
$62,100

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

People named in this filing

  • DOUGLAS CIRCLE (CHAIRMAN)
  • KEVIN MERRILL (SECRETARY)
  • MARY HEYDEN (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The purpose of the organization is to (1) establish and/or participate in a cohesive group to advance the interests of landowners within the santa ynez river valley groundwater basin; (2) develop and promote policies and support the interests of the members with respect to sustainable groundwater use; (3) provide members with information regarding sustainable groundwater use, among other things; and (4) participate in the implementation of gsps for the santa ynez river valley groundwater basin as required by the sgma.

What it reported doing in 2025

Develop and promote policies regarding sustainable groundwater use for the santa ynez river valley groundwater basin.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 84% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 100
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -311.9%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.84; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -61.3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -64.3% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 31.1% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $6K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 6 of 6 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 1 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.