Watersheds United Vermont Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Watersheds united Vermont (wuv) worked in 2024 to further our mission of empowering community-based watershed organizations to protect and restore vermonts waters. Wuv focused on three main areas: providing resources, training and information to watershed groups, facilitating connections and collaboration among watershed groups and partners, and acting as a voice for groups at the state level. Wuv continues to operate subgrant programs for watershed organizations and partners for: riparian buffer planting, clean water project development, clean water project design and implementation, dam removal design and implementation, capacity building, watershed planning and education and outreach. Most of these programs were funded through the Vermont department of environmental conservations block grant program. The private organization pur projet also contributed funds for wuv to subgrant to support tree planting in Vermont and the fidelity charitable trust contributed funds fof an education and outreach subgrant program. Wuv also worked with the Vermont community foundation to support their healthy watersheds initiative by working with 12 watershed groups across Vermont on projects to work towards healthy watersheds and resilient communities. Additionally, wuv sent out weekly messages to the wuv listserv (200+ people) on events, trainings, funding opportunities, and policy announcements. Wuv held four webinars for watershed groups and partners and one in person meeting on technical and organizational topics in part focused on flood recovery and resilience after vermonts devastating flood in july of 2023. Wuv participated in a weekly water caucus to bring the voice of community-based watershed groups to a statewide coalition. Wuv continued to provide general guidance to watershed groups to help support groups in their watershed restoration efforts.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 99.6%; rating input score 100
• Fundraising efficiency: $4,677.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.2%; rating input score 99; 37th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • 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: -10.9%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.81; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 37.8% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 38.2% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 29.7% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings