Silver Lake - Kosciusko Co - Conservation Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
843574560
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2023
Location
Avon, IN, USA
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Reported finances

Revenue
$49,100
Expenses
$57,513
Assets
$343

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Brett Burch (Director)
  • Denise Burch (Treasurer)
  • Lori Dotson (Assistant Director)

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 Primary purposes of the Silver Lake Kosciusko County Conservation Foundation Inc are as follows: 1. To promote and enhance the water quality in Silver Lake North Little Lake and South Little Lake. 2. To develop and promote a watershed management plan for the Silver Lake Watershed. 3. To educate stakeholders and property owners within the Silver Lake Watershed of the benefits of a watershed management plan. 4. To work with stakeholders and property owners within the Silver Lake Watershed to improve and enhance quality of storm water draining into the Silver Lake Watershed. 5. To promote responsible economic development of undeveloped land located within the Silver Lake Watershed. 6. To assist with fishery management of Silver Lake and North Little Lake. 7. To acquire real property or real property rights for the use of conservation in the Silver Lake Watershed. 8. To work with other groups foundations and agencies for the betterment of Indiana lakes and streams.

What it reported doing in 2025

Silver Lake - Kosciusko Co - Conservation Foundation Inc. hired Ecosystems Connections Institute LLC to perform a two year water quality assessment for Silver Lake and North Little Lake in southern Kosciusko County. Year one of the two year water quality assessment was completed in 2023 and paid for during 2024. Year two of the water quality assessment was completed during 2024 with the final report delivered in December 2024 and paid for in 2025. Approx. 2,334 Kosciusko County residents were served and benefitted by the water quality assessment.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 99
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 97.4%; rating input score 97

Transparency & Controls

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

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -17.1%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.01; rating input score 7; 7th 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: -16.7% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -28.6% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -184.9% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 97.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $56K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 6 of 6 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 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 23/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.