AMERICAN RIVERS INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

AMERICAN RIVERS INC

EIN 23-7305963 · Environment (C013)

What they do

AMERICAN RIVERS is CHAMPIONING A NATIONAL EFFORT to PROTECT and RESTORE ALL RIVERS, FROM REMOTE MOUNTAIN STREAMS to URBAN WATERWAYS. HEALTHY RIVERS PROVIDE PEOPLE and NATURE WITH CLEAN, ABUNDANT WATER and NATURAL HABITAT. for 50 YEARS, AMERICAN RIVERS STAFF, SUPPORTERS, and PARTNERS HAVE SHARED A COMMON BELIEF: LIFE DEPENDS ON RIVERS. AMERICAN RIVERS is THE ONLY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED ENTIRELY to PROTECTING and RESTORING THE RIVERS ALL LIFE DEPENDS ON. WITH A HALF-CENTURY of EXPERIENCE ADDRESSING RIVER THREATS FROM COAST-TO-COAST, WEVE PROTECTED MORE RIVERS and REMOVED MORE DAMS THAN ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION. IN 2025, WE WORKED IN 50 STATES to PROTECT HEALTHY RIVERS, RESTORE DAMAGED ONES, and CHAMPION A POWERFUL RIVER MOVEMENT. WE REMOVED 108 DAMS, RECONNECTED OVER 2,500 RIVER MILES, PROTECTED 1,165 MILES FROM POLLUTION and DEVELOPMENT, SAFEGUARDED 212,000 ACRES of RIVERSIDE LAND, and SUPPORTED 148 COMMUNITIES to ENSURE CLEAN WATER and SAFETY.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $77.00 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders36 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

59.75%of revenue went to mission work77.0% of expenses · Program services

10.30%of revenue went to fundraising13.3% of expenses

$77.58spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

7.53%of revenue went to management and office costs9.7% of expenses

$0.97in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

98.4%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

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Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $440,478 for THOMAS KIERNAN (PRESIDENT). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$53,419,167

Mission workProgram services$31,918,47759.75% of revenue77.0% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$4,022,6217.53% of revenue9.7% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$5,503,14910.30% of revenue13.3% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$11,974,92022.42% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$41,444,24777.58% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 77.0% mission · 9.7% management · 13.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 77.58% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 78.5% mission · 8.1% management · 13.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 92.85% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 69.5% mission · 12.0% management · 18.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 95.53% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 68.4% mission · 13.8% management · 17.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 87.66% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 75.0% mission · 10.7% management · 14.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 100.12% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 72.5% mission · 10.5% management · 17.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 98.22% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 80.8% mission · 7.8% management · 11.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 105.30% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 83.6% mission · 6.9% management · 9.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 113.92% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$53,419,167

Expenses$41,444,247

Annual surplus $11,974,920 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$31,918,477 · 77.0% of expenses

Management and office costs$4,022,621 · 9.7% of expenses

Fundraising$5,503,149 · 13.3% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$53,419,167

Expenses$41,444,247

Assets$40,075,409

Income$57,522,323

Contributions$52,538,378

Mission work (program services)$31,918,477

Fundraising$5,503,149

Grants given$25,292,615

Average grant$62,917

Management and general$4,022,621

Executive compensation (total)$807,021

Stocks and bonds$3,426,762

Accounting fees$138,161

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

THOMAS KIERNANPRESIDENT · 40 hrs/week $440,478Base $387,622 · Other $52,856

KRISTIN MAYCFO (THRU 3/14/25) · 40 hrs/week $256,135Base $233,263 · Other $22,872

PAULA WOLFERSEDER YABARSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADV · 40 hrs/week $246,152Base $231,725 · Other $14,427

JENNIFER MARSHALLASSISTANT SECRETARY · 37 hrs/week $241,383Base $186,499 · Other $54,884

HEATHER TAYLOR-MIESLESENIOR VICE PRESIDENT · 38 hrs/week $228,177Base $216,565 · Other $11,612

JENNIFER HOFFNERVP, CONSERVATION STRATEGIES · 40 hrs/week $225,475Base $179,026 · Other $46,449

AMANDA KOBERVP, COMMUNICATIONS · 40 hrs/week $194,243Base $150,251 · Other $43,992

MELISSA LEWISVP, PPL JUSTICE & CULTURAL (THRU 1/15/25) · 40 hrs/week $186,068Base $179,672 · Other $6,396

BRUCE ALAN LEATHWOODSENIOR DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $150,607Base $131,186 · Other $19,421

JONATHON D MORYCSENIOR DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $150,368Base $130,138 · Other $20,230

BRIAN E GRABERSENIOR DIRECTOR, DAM REMOVAL STRATEGY · 32 hrs/week $146,121Base $126,078 · Other $20,043

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (36)

THOMAS KIERNANPRESIDENT

KRISTIN MAYCFO (THRU 3/14/25)

PAULA WOLFERSEDER YABARSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADV

JENNIFER MARSHALLASSISTANT SECRETARY

HEATHER TAYLOR-MIESLESENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

JENNIFER HOFFNERVP, CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

AMANDA KOBERVP, COMMUNICATIONS

MELISSA LEWISVP, PPL JUSTICE & CULTURAL (THRU 1/15/25)

BRUCE ALAN LEATHWOODSENIOR DIRECTOR

JONATHON D MORYCSENIOR DIRECTOR

BRIAN E GRABERSENIOR DIRECTOR, DAM REMOVAL STRATEGY

MARK GREATREXDIRECTOR

JORDANA BARRACKDIRECTOR

MARK BARNES PHDDIRECTOR

MARY PAVELDIRECTOR

NATAKI OSBORNE JELKS PHDDIRECTOR

PALLAVI PHARTIYAL PHDCHAIR

QUETA GONZALEZDIRECTOR

RICHARD BURRDIRECTOR

SHANNON WHEELERDIRECTOR

TOM BARNEYDIRECTOR

TREVOR PRICEDIRECTOR

MARK BUSTODIRECTOR

MAITE ARCEDIRECTOR

KRISTIN BLAIR HULL PHDDIRECTOR

ABIGAIL ROMESECRETARY

JOISE GABELDIRECTOR

JOHN COSTELLODIRECTOR

JO-ELLEN DARCYVICE CHAIR

JASON BOGARDUSDIRECTOR

ERIC LADDDIRECTOR

CLAY MOOREHEADDIRECTOR

ANDREW SHEEHANTREASURER

ALYSSA MACYDIRECTOR

AJA DECOTEAUDIRECTOR

ADRIANNA QUINTERODIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1984
Location: 1101 14TH STREET NW 1400, WASHINGTON, DC 20005
County: District of Columbia
In care of: VICKIE J BARROW-KLEIN
Primary officer: VICKIE J BARROW-KLEIN, CFO

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailmembership@americanrivers.org Phone(202) 347-7550

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: July 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: RSM US LLP
NTEE classification: Environment (C013)
IRS tax category: Other Social Advocacy Organizations
Grant-giving organization: Yes