Shorerivers
Shorerivers reported $11.3 million in revenue and $10.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $92.21 went to program services, $4.02 to management and general costs and $3.77 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 97.4% of the total. Government grants made up 82.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $176,041 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 149% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $10MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $11MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 92.2% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 4.0% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.8% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.04 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 97.4% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 82.5% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.9% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $176,041 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.68% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 5.2 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 15 of 15 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseRegulatory enforcement and pollution reducing projects shorerivers works to improve water quality through legal and policy advocacy. The riverkeepers support laws that protect our waterways. They work with state and local governments to maximize the environmental benefit of the tmdl constraints, and the water implementation plans that each jurisdiction must employ. They patrol rivers and help state officials enforce conservation regulations. Shorerivers staff work with members of the agricultural community designing, funding, and implementing pollution reduction and restoration projects
Education and outreach shorerivers publishes multuple printed and electronic newsletters each year, sponsors an environmental outreach and fundraiser each fall, hosts a summer solstice outreach and fundraising event, hosts a ride for clean rivers bike ride to bring awareness to clean water issues, publishes periodic newspaper articles on river protection issues, hosts an annual youth environmental action summit. Promotes an oyster restoration program, engages in an agricultural outreach program with farmers and sends staff to public forums, community groups, etc. To speak on river…
Water quality monitoring and testing seasonally, shorerivers monitors and tests water quality at over 67 sites multiple times each month in eastern bay, the bayside creeks, and on the choptank, miles, wye, chester and sassafras rivers and their tributaries. The riverkeepers test for water clarity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and algal concentrations. The organization also test 48 sites weekly for bacteria levels and provides training, administrative, data analysis and other support for the water quality program. The organization issues a state of the rivers report…
Highest reported compensation
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 040.00 hrs/week | $164,866 | $0 | $11,175 | $176,041 |
| DIR OPS/FINANCE Officer, 040.00 hrs/week | $166,457 | $0 | $6,658 | $173,115 |
| DIRECTOR OF AG RESTORATION Highest compensated employee, 040.00 hrs/week | $120,000 | $0 | $9,330 | $129,330 |
| SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER Highest compensated employee, 040.00 hrs/week | $109,438 | $0 | $9,920 | $119,358 |
| CHOPTANK RIVERKEEPER DIR OF RIVERKEEPER PROG Highest compensated employee, 040.00 hrs/week | $105,000 | $0 | $4,200 | $109,200 |
5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Shorerivers (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $349K (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b15 · 15 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 537
- Volunteers Part I, line 62,443
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| ECOTONE Construction | $3,944,565 |
| AQUATIC RESOURCE RESTORATION COMPANY Construction | $669,996 |
| SHENANDOAH HABITAT SERVICES LLC Planting | $351,218 |
| TAPPAHANNA CREEK FARM LLC Construction | $311,054 |
| SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE LLC Construction | $263,309 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 9 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
31 private foundations reported grants to Shorerivers totaling $708K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Shorerivers's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Shorerivers, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Shorerivers spent in 2025, $92.21 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Council on Library and Information ResourcesAlexandria, VA · revenue $11M · programs 91.5% · FY2025
- Utah Open Lands Conservation AssociationSalt Lake City, UT · revenue $11M · programs 81.8% · FY2025
- Urban Sustainability Directors NetworkSanford, NC · revenue $11M · programs 86.4% · 2024
- Clean Streams FoundationLexington, KY · revenue $11M · programs 81.3% · 2024
- North Florida Land TrustJacksonville, FL · revenue $11M · programs 58.7% · 2024
Questions people ask
How much of Shorerivers's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Shorerivers reported that 92.2% of its $10.5 million in expenses went to program services, 4.0% to management and general and 3.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Shorerivers pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Shorerivers reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $176,041, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Shorerivers get its money?
Of $11.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 97.4% came from contributions and grants (including 82.5% from government grants) and 1.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Shorerivers a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 26-3187608 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202621819349301102 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202501359349308745 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202440949349301029 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202343109349301704 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202233009349301728 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202142709349301309 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202002609349301340 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 26-3187608: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.