Savannah Riverkeeper Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
582630660
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Augusta, GA, USA
Phone
7068268991
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$461,387
Expenses
$439,531
Assets
$233,465
Liabilities
$13,969

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • TONYA BONITATIBUS (EXECUTIVE DI): $53,880 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The savannah riverkeeper's (srk) mission is to protect the water quality of the savannah river, the integrity of its watershed and to promote an enlightened stewardship of this unique heritage.

What it reported doing in 2024

Savannah riverkeeper (srk) creates collaborative groups to empower communities and partners to protect and defend the savannah river through strategic initiatives. Srk fosters and sustains relationships with diverse community partners to enhance access, engagement and advocacy. Those efforts include building and supporting an active volunteer base across the savannah river basin, creating advocacy and action toolkits for community partners, and facilitating collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate local and basin-wide initiatives. Srk serves as the central data hub for water quality, to provide critical information to support partners, inform decision making and drive action. This is accomplished through srk's data democratization program ("know your river" initiative). Program services include training the public for "adopt a stream" which includes water quality sampling. Removal of abandoned boats and large debris from the savannah river. Monitor the polluters through patrols. Submit official comments to the epa regarding issues like harbor deepening, plant vogle nuclear plant water usage and organizations along the 420 mile water basin. Holding community trash, litter, tires and debris cleanups.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 74% 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.
  • 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.9%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 90.8%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $27.95 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.7%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.53; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.3%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -10.4% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.9% of revenue deployed · 90.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $403K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $54K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 31/100.