Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
205465233
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2010
Location
Twinsburg, OH, USA
Phone
3305629681
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,567,792
Expenses
$1,362,169
Assets
$394,872
Liabilities
$3,081

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • REBECAH TROUTMAN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ERICA MATHENY (EXEC DIRECTO): $97,500 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To protect and restore water quality and habitats of the tinkers creek watershed through community partnerships. The tinker's creek watershed drains 96.4 square miles and is the largest tributary to the cuyahoga river. The watershed area spans 24 communities in cuyahoga, summit, portage, and geauga counties. Tcwp is governed by 15 dedicated volunteer board members who bring a variety of expertise in the fields of stormwater management, environmental education, engineering, natural resources conservation, planning, and economic development. The daily activities of tcwp are carried out by the watershed coordinator with the support of the board. The state-endorsed tinker's creek watershed action plan (wap) guides tcwp in their efforts to protect and restore the watershed and educate the public. The wap along with the group's mission shapes the goals of tcwp. Tinker's creek watershed partners goals are to: - increase understanding about the natural and monetary value of protecting water re

What it reported doing in 2024

Tinker's creek watershed partners (tcwp) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) watershed organization officially established in 2006. Our mission is to protect and restore water quality and habitats of the tinker's creek and brandywine creek watersheds through community partnerships. The tinker's creek watershed drains 96.4 square miles and is the largest tributary to the cuyahoga river. The watershed area spans 24 communities in cuyahoga, summit, portage and geauga counties. Tcwp is governed by a volunteer board of directors who bring a variety of expertise in the fields of stormwater management, environmental education, engineering, natural resources conservation, planning, and economic development. Tcwp is guided in their efforts to protect and restore the watershed and educate the public by four Ohio and u.s. Epa endorsed nonpoint source implementation strategic plans (nps-is plans). Each plan encompasses a subset of the tinker's creek watershed and brandywine creek watershed. Program accomplishments for the fiscal year ended june 30, 2025 consist of the following: 1.Ohio stormwater conference - 79 presenters, 944 attendees, 95 volunteer hours 2.28 americorps members served at 17 host sites across northern Ohio 3.2 storywalks installed 4.9 rain barrel workshops 5.28 educational programs & webinars (869 attendees 6.5 guided hikes 7.7 tabling events 8.19 bags trash cleaned up 9.6 bags invasive plants removed 10.4 rain and pollinator gardens installed

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.4%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 94.8%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: $98.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.1%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.29; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.2%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.9% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.4% of revenue deployed · 94.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $98K · 15 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $128K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 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: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 14/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.