WATERSHED NOW INC Aka Watershed NOW Aka Friends of Big Elkin Creek

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811136864
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Elkin, NC, USA
Phone
3363667774
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,250
Expenses
$17,980
Assets
$8,376
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Logan Haynes (Watershed Protection Coordinator/Chair)
  • Stuart Taylor (Director/Vice Chair)
  • Woodruff Faulk (Secretart/Treasurer)

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

Preservation and protection of the Big Elkin Creek Watershed and the water supply of Elkin, NC through education, stewardship, listening to landowners and farmers, stream restoration projects and assistance to the Town of Elkin as it implements preservation and protection measures in the Big Elkin Creek Watershed Water Supply Overlay District.

What it reported doing in 2025

Collaborated with the Environmental Engineering Department of Wake Forest University to install a turbidity monitor in the Big Elkin Creek to obtain hourly data on the turbidity of the Creek. A sensor was placed in the Creek near a well travelled park trail along the Creek with online connection equipment on the stream bank with signage explaining the effects of turbidity on Creek pollution and ecosystem compromise. 50-100 people pass by this site daily with opportunity for watershed education. Participated in an Earth to Elkin event for Earth Day providing information on environmental issues in Elkin and protective measures. Participated in NC Trail Days in Elkin with booth providing environmental education. Completed a rain garden rejuvenation and stormwater runoff management presentation with the Elkin Middle School 7th graders. This included 100 students.

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 88% 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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.1%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72

Transparency & Controls

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

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -35.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.47; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 64%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -31.9% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.1% of revenue deployed · 72.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 3 filed program accomplishments · $13K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.