Skutik River Restoration Trust

What it reported doing in 2025

Skutik Trust monitored progress and consistently engaged with public and private entities including organizations, individuals, businesses and tribal, state, regional and governmental entities to ensure successful sea-run fish passage in the Skutik River watershed. Skutik Trust contributed extensive river and sea-run fish restoration expertise to help ensure the success of projects currently being planned or implemented at dams on the lower Skutik River to ensure sea-run fish effectively pass dam barriers to successfully migrate to and from historic habitat.Stukik Trust advocates for effective monitoring of fish passage projects in process to ensure they provide safe, timely and effective passage of all native fish throughout the watershed for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy tribe and all people throughout the watershed. On-going research and discussion with governmental and non-governmental partners concerning existing and planned monitoring efforts on the Skutik River, including international, state, tribal and academic efforts as foundation for a collaborative monitoring approach for the river. Working closely with partners including the Passamaquoddy Tribe, we continued to assessed restoration opportunities watershed wide. We also continued to monitor and participate in licensing proceedings and other public venues impacting dam management. We worked on strategic plan development to maximize positive impacts of Skutik River restoration to benefit the Passamaquoddy Tribe and all people of the watershed.Outreach: Skutik Trust engaged with hundreds of citizens, groups and leaders throughout and beyond the watershed to raise awareness and collaborate on Skutik River restoration. We secured resources to advance our web site for release in 2026, and identified and developed materials for use across electronic and print platforms.We worked with partners to organize events to foster awareness of Skutik River restoration with broad audiences, including planning a first-time event showcasing how art and artists can support Skutik River watershed restoration. We connected with people from throughout the watershed at Passamaquoddy Days, an annual multi-day event held each August since the 1970s by the Passamaquoddy Tribe for the entire community and attended by hundreds of people. We shared information and, to guide our work, listened to community members' input on Skutik River restoration efforts and on the cultural, economic, ecological and other benefits of a restored Skutik River. We also helped organize and participated in a long-distance run highlighting the upstream migration of alewives to promote support for Skutik restoration. We engaged with people watershed-wide and beyond through presentations and discussions with organizations, citizens, funders, community groups and others to build long-term support and collaboration to restore the Skutik River.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 37.8%; rating input score 38
• Program expense ratio: 79.7%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $96.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th 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: 80%; rating input score 80; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • 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: 53.2%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.15; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.78; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 77.8%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 150% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -21.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 31.6% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings