Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$336,391

Total expenses

$285,335

Contributions and grants received

$316,661

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$16,070

Investment income

$669

Other revenue

$2,991

Total assets, end of year

$264,051

Total liabilities, end of year

$5,608

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$258,443

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$224,228

Management and general expenses

$36,167

Fundraising expenses

$24,940

Program service expenses (Part III)

$224,228

Program services were 78.6% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2024

• LAKESMART IS MAINE LAKES FLAGSHIP PROGRAM THAT USES TEAMS OF TRAINED VOLUNTEERS TO VISIT, EDUCATE AND REWARD LAKEFRONT HOMEOWNERS WHO MANAGE THEIR PROPERTIES IN WAYS THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITY, AQUATIC HABITAT, PROPERTY VALUES, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2024, THE LAKESMART PROGRAM CONTINUED TO GROW, WITH 134 PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS VISITING 303 PROPERTIES ACROSS THE STATE. LAKESMART STAFF LEAD AN ONLINE INTRODUCTION FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS 7 ON-SITE TRAININGS. LAKESMART STAFF CONTINUE TO BUILD MOMENTUM ON LAKES WITH ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO NEW LAKESMART TEAMS. LAKESMART CREATES A BEHAVIORAL NORM AMONG LAKEFRONT HOMEOWNERS THAT THE RIGHT THING, IN FACT THE ONLY THING TO DO, IS TO STOP EROSION AND PROTECT WATER QUALITY. LAKESMART IS A CRITICAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM AND IS THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM AT MAINE LAKES.

  Expenses $110,109 · Revenue $121,500

• EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ARE CORE TO MAINE LAKES MISSION. IN 2024, WE CONTINUED OUR LOOK OUT FOR LOONS PROGRAMING, ENGAGING 70 VOLUNTEERS WHO GAVE PRESENTATIONS, HELD TABLING EVENTS, COLLECTED LEAD SINKERS, AND LEAD FIELD TRIPS HIGHLIGHTING WAYS TO REDUCE DISTURBANCE TO LOONS AND INCREASE THEIR SUCCESS. OUR FRESHWATER EDUCATION NETWORK PROJECT CONTINUED TO GROW, WITH TAMARA WHITMORE AS A PROGRAM MANAGER AND WITH SUCCESSFUL GRANT FUNDS IN HAND. WE OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT/GAVE AWAY ALL OF OUR LAKE BOOKS (A HANDBOOK FOR LAKESIDE LIVING THAT HIGHLIGHTS THINGS PEOPLE CAN DO TO PROTECT THEIR LAKE), AND WILL WORK TO UPDATE AND REVISE THE TEXT FOR AN UPDATED EDITION IN 2025. WE CONTINUED TO GROW OUR LAKE LIBRARY AND OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES, AND GAVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT LAKE CONSERVATION AND LAKESMART AT 12 VENUES IN 2024, INCLUDING THE WATER AND SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE AND THE ANNUAL MAINE LAKES MONITORING MEETING. WE MET WITH LAKE ASSOCIATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND GAVE PRESENTATIONS AT ANNUAL MEETINGS AROUND A VARIETY OF LAKE TOPICS. WE PUBLISHED 8 ISSUES OF OUR MAINE LAKES E-NEWS PLUS TWO SPECIAL EDITIONS GEARED TO OUR LAKE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS.

  Expenses $66,693 · Revenue $5,050

• MAINE LAKES ONCE AGAIN PARTNERED WITH LAKE STEWARDS OF MAINE TO CO-HOST THE ANNUAL LAKES CONFERENCE, HELD ON JUNE 13TH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON. WE HAD RECORD ATTENDANCE, WITH OVER 345 REGISTRANTS, 12 SPEAKERS AND A PANEL OF LAKE ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS. OUR THEME WAS THE VALUE AND LEGACY OF MAINES LAKES AND OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS (ADAM DAIGNEAULT AND MELISSA GENOTER FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE) SHARED AN OVERVIEW OF A THREE-YEAR ECONOMIC STUDY THEY HAD COMPLETED VALUING THE LAKES OF MAINE. OTHER SPEAKERS ADDRESSED A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS, INCLUDING THE MYTHICAL CREATURES OF MAINES LAKES, A NEW SCORECARD FOR LAKES, AN UPDATES ON INVASIVE PLANTS, AND MUCH MORE. A SILENT AUCTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONFERENCE ONCE AGAIN BROUGHT IN MUCH NEEDED FUNDS TO HELP DEFRAY CONFERENCE COSTS.

  Expenses $2,650

• THE MAINE LAKES ADVOCACY PROGRAM INCLUDES A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON SHARING INFORMATION WITH MEMBERS, COLLEAGUES, AGENCIES AND DECISION-MAKERS ABOUT PROPOSED STATE LEGISLATION. BECAUSE 2024 WAS THE SECOND SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE, WE SPENT LESS TIME TRACKING LAKE BILLS THAN IN 2023. HOWEVER, THERE WERE SEVERAL VITAL BILLS THAT NEEDED EXTENSIVE OUTREACH TO BOTH LEGISLATORS AND TO ACTIVISTS. WE SENT THREE LEGISLATIVE ALERTS TO OUR NETWORK OF 500 GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS FOR ACTION ON BILLS TO INCREASE FUNDS FOR INVASIVE SPECIES RISK REDUCTION, ENABLE MUNICIPALITIES TO PUT LIENS ON PROPERTIES IN GROSS VIOLATIONS OF SHORELAND ZONING LAWS, AND CREATE A SETBACK FROM SHORE FOR WAKESURFING. ACTIVISTS CAME THROUGH WITH TESTIMONY AND PHONE CALLS IN SUPPORT OF LAKE PROTECTION. MAINE LAKES HAD AN ON-LINE TRAINING FOR LAKE ADVOCATES IN JANUARY, AND WORKED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER BUILDING A LAKE PROTECTION COALITION THAT IT HOPES WILL HELP BUILD CAPACITY FOR MORE AND STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS AROUND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND LAKE ADVOCACY EFFORTS IN 2025. THIS COALITION BUILDING WORK RESULTED IN LARGER SPENDING IN THE ADVOCACY PROGRAM THAN IS TYPICAL FOR MAINE LAKES.

  Expenses $44,776

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2024

Filed

17 November 2025

IRS schema version

2024v5.0

Source object

202523219349315817

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