The Water Research Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
136211384
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
3033476113
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$24,332,001
Expenses
$20,376,181
Assets
$62,602,447
Liabilities
$10,914,444

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

Leadership & pay

41 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PETER GREVATT (CEO/SECRETARY)

Highest reported compensation

  • PETER GREVATT (CEO/SECRETARY): $500,596 total reported compensation
  • TANIA HASKINS (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $354,647 total reported compensation
  • ALLEXIS VEAN (CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER): $282,104 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The purpose of the water research foundation (wrf) is a definitive research organization to advance the science of all things water to better meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. To engage exclusively in nonprofit, charitable and educational activities designed to initiate, supervise, coordinate, promote, and finance research in the technology, operation, and management of water, wastewater, reuse and stormwater collection, treatment, and supply systems, toward ensuring water quality and improving water service to the public.

What it reported doing in 2025

Research management: the planning, administration, and monitoring of the research programs sponsored by wrf are the responsibility of the research managers. Specific tasks include administration of wrf's research advisory council and technical advisory committees for each program and topic area; research planning; contractor monitoring and oversight; research deliverable and product review; request for proposals preparation; project advisory committee selection and administration; and proposal review and selection. Project management, knowledgement management and research planning serve as wrf's primary link with the water research and volunteer community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 72% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 61.2%; rating input score 61
  • Program expense ratio: 69%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: $39.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 16.3%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.07; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.6%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 61.2% of revenue deployed · 69% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 32 of 32 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $14.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $501K · 41 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $998K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.