irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $88KEDUCATION - PARTNERSHIP WITH AREA SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT ST.LAWRENCE RIVER ECOLOGY.
- #2 $105KRIVERKEEPER - VOLUNTEER PROGRAM TO CLEAN UPTRASH ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE SHORELINE.
named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
Advocacy on Water Levels and Plan 2014
Policy campaign focused on improving water level regulations on the St. Lawrence River through engagement with the International Joint Commission
Clean Up the Ballast
Advocacy initiative to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species through improved ballast water management on commercial vessels
Data Center Environmental Monitoring
Advocacy effort addressing water consumption, thermal pollution, and chemical contamination risks from hyperscale data centers along the river
Education Partnerships with Schools and Libraries
Program delivering river ecology education to students through collaborations with local schools and libraries
Riverkeeper Volunteer Program
Volunteer initiative organizing shoreline cleanups and monitoring the health of the St. Lawrence River
Winter Environmental Conference
Annual conference bringing together scientists, policymakers, and community members to share research and knowledge about the St. Lawrence River ecosystem
Winter Shipping Opposition
Longstanding campaign to prevent year-round shipping on the St. Lawrence River, particularly in ice conditions
activities · 9 groups
What they do
-
Lake and River Advocacy 5 activities
- Advocacy for data center environmental protectionsAdvocates for mandatory transparency in water usage, adoption of closed-loop cooling systems, and protections against chemical runoff from data centers to protect the St. Lawrence River ecosystem.
- Advocacy for improved water level management and regulationConducts campaigns to improve water level regulations on the St. Lawrence River, including engagement with Plan 2014 and the International Joint Commission to promote ecologically sustainable policies.
- Advocacy to prevent invasive species via ballast water dischargeAdvocates for stronger regulations and improved management practices to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species through ballast water discharge in the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes.
- Volunteer river health monitoring programRuns a volunteer monitoring program to assess the health of the St. Lawrence River through citizen science initiatives.
- Waterkeeper program: pollution monitoring and responseAs the designated Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper and member of the Waterkeeper Alliance since 2004, patrols waterways, investigates pollution sources, responds to citizen complaints, and identifies water quality issues to advocate for clean water protections.
-
-
Lake and Watershed Monitoring & Assessment 3 activities
- Shoal marking and navigation safety programImplements shoal marking programs to improve navigation safety and protect sensitive river habitats on the St. Lawrence River.
- Volunteer monitoring program trainingOperates the Riverkeeper Monitoring Program, which trains volunteers to identify and report wildlife and pollution issues on the St. Lawrence River, supporting community-based stewardship and data collection.
- Water quality monitoring at public swimming sitesMonitors swimming water quality annually at nine public sites along the St. Lawrence River by collecting water samples each summer as part of the Beach Watch program to ensure public safety.
-
-
Lake Stewardship Education & Outreach 1 activity
- Annual Winter Environmental ConferenceOrganizes and hosts the annual Winter Environmental Conference in Clayton, New York, one of the largest gatherings of scientific knowledge on the St. Lawrence River, covering topics in science, policy, and stewardship.
-
-
Artificial Nesting Habitat Management 1 activity
- Common Tern restoration and nesting site maintenanceConducts Common Tern restoration projects including annual maintenance of artificial nesting sites across the Thousand Islands by replacing fencing, clearing debris, and preparing gravel substrate to support bird population recovery.
-
-
Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
- Environmental education programs for studentsPartners with schools and libraries to educate students about St. Lawrence River ecology through in-school curriculum, on-the-water field trips, summer camps, and ready-to-use resources such as lesson plans, virtual field trips, videos, and activity booklets aligned with New York State Science and ELA standards for PreK–middle school.
-
-
Ocean and Plastic Pollution Research and Reduction 1 activity
- Fishing line recycling stationsInstalls and maintains fishing line recycling stations along the St. Lawrence River to reduce plastic pollution and protect wildlife.
-
-
Ecological Habitat Restoration 1 activity
- Invasive water chestnut removal programOrganizes and leads water chestnut pull events, including hand-pulling invasive plants in local waterways such as Guffin Bay, to control the spread of this invasive species in the St. Lawrence River.
-
-
Beach and Waterway Cleanup Initiatives 1 activity
- Volunteer shoreline and river cleanup programOrganizes and leads volunteer cleanups at multiple locations along the St. Lawrence River, including Cape Vincent, Clayton, Wellesley Island, and Alexandria Bay, removing over 170,000 pounds of trash from shorelines, wetlands, and bottom areas in the past five years; provides cleanup equipment such as trash bags, grabbers, and buckets.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Advocacy against winter navigation and Seaway expansionFounded in 1978 to oppose the expansion of winter navigation on the St. Lawrence River Seaway; continues to advocate against year-round navigation as a core mission focus.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$484K
Contributions & grants$402K83%
Program service revenue$17K4%
Investment income$40K8%
Other revenue$24K
expenses
Total expenses$483K
Program expenses71%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$365K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.78M
Cash$41K
Investments$1.39M
Liabilities$84K
Net assets$1.70M
Liquid reserves35.7 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +15.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRIDGET WRIGHT | EXEC. DIREC. | 40 | $60K |
board members · 14
- DR LEE HARPER — DIRECTOR
- HEATHER MCNALLY — DIRECTOR/PRE
- HEATHER WHITE — DIRECTOR/SEC
- ISABELLA COLELLO — DIRECTOR/VIC
- JAMES MCGARRY — DIRECTOR
- JANET BURROWS — DIRECTOR
- JUDY SWEET — DIRECTOR/TRE
- LAURA CEROW — DIRECTOR
- LAURAN THROOP — DIRECTOR
- LAWRENCE GUNTHER — DIRECTOR
- MATT ELLIOT — MEMBER AT LA
- NORMA ZIMMER — DIRECTOR
- RICH ROSSMASSLER — DIRECTOR
- RICK GREGWARE — DIRECTOR/PAS
relationships · 18
Who they work with
- Algoma University Partner — Engages with Algoma University by featuring its faculty in the Winter Environmental Conference to share expertise on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River limnology.
- Area schools Partner — Collaborates with schools to deliver environmental education programs about the St. Lawrence River.
- Clarkson University Partner — Collaborates with Clarkson University by including its faculty as speakers at the Winter Environmental Conference to present research on aquatic systems and environmental engineering.
- International Joint Commission (IJC) Government — Engages with the IJC on water level regulation campaigns for the St. Lawrence River.
- International Waterkeeper Alliance Network — Member of the International Waterkeeper Alliance network
- International Waterkeeper Alliance Network — Member of the International Waterkeeper Alliance network.
- Leonard C. & Mildred F. Ferguson Funder — Funder supporting the Trash Free River cleanup efforts.
- Libraries Partner — Partners with libraries to provide educational programming on St. Lawrence River ecology.
- River Institute Partner — Collaborates with the River Institute, whose representative participates in the Winter Environmental Conference and co-leads related river stewardship initiatives.
- River stewards across the U.S. and Canada Partner — Individual supporters and members who contribute to and amplify the organization's conservation efforts.
- SLELO PRISM Partner — Collaborates with Save The River on invasive species removal events such as water chestnut pulling in Guffin Bay.
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Partner — Partners with SUNY ESF by featuring its faculty and students as speakers at the Winter Environmental Conference to share scientific research on the St. Lawrence River.
- Sheila Parkes-Smith Partner — Development contact for sponsorship and event support
- Talking Rivers Partner — Engages with Talking Rivers, a nonprofit advocating for river rights, through shared participation in river conservation dialogue and events.
- Thousand Islands Biological Station (TIBS) Partner — References TIBS as a long-term monitor of Blind Bay, a key aquatic habitat area on the St. Lawrence River.
- Trash Free River Partner — Collaborates with Trash Free River on pollution prevention initiatives for the St. Lawrence River.
- Waterkeeper Alliance Network — Member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance and designated as the Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper.
- Waterkeeper Alliance Network — Member organization of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, designated as the Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Experiential Environmental Educationmethodology: experiential-educationBy engaging people in hands-on learning through field trips, classrooms, and summer programs, the organization fosters long-term stewardship because direct experience builds personal connection and responsibility toward the river.
- Integrated Advocacy, Education, and Science Modelmethodology: integrated-environmental-protectionBy combining advocacy, education, research, and stewardship into a unified approach, the organization achieves more durable river protection because each component reinforces public engagement, policy influence, and ecological resilience.
- Riverkeeper Model for Monitoring and Enforcementmethodology: riverkeeper_modelBy acting as a full-time, independent advocate for the river, the organization ensures environmental law compliance and rapid response to threats because it functions as an accountable, community-recognized guardian with enforcement capacity.
- Science-Community-Policy Integrationmethodology: science-community-policy integrationBy convening researchers, community members, and decision-makers in interdisciplinary dialogue, the organization generates holistic understanding and informed action because integrating diverse knowledge systems improves stewardship and policy outcomes.