Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$5,105,697

Total expenses

$4,555,412

Contributions and grants received

$2,452,334

Grants paid

$499,748

Program service revenue

$2,540,637

Investment income

$14,026

Other revenue

$98,700

Total assets, end of year

$2,265,424

Total liabilities, end of year

$705,877

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$1,559,547

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$4,169,377

Management and general expenses

$192,003

Fundraising expenses

$194,032

Program service expenses (Part III)

$4,169,377

Program services were 91.5% 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 · 2023

• THE POLLUTION PREVENTION PROGRAM IS COMMITTED TO THE ELIMINATION OF ONGOING POLLUTION OF THE LA REGION'S COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON REGULATORY AND LEGAL ENFORCEMENT AROUND URBAN AND STORMWATER RUNOFF, INCLUDING ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND PARTNERS IN THESE EFFORTS, WHILE ALSO TRACKING OTHER SOURCES OF POLLUTION (SEWAGE SPILLS, INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES) TO ENSURE THERE IS NO BACKSLIDING OF GAINS ALREADY MADE. AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS IN 2023, WE SECURED NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS (SEPS) - A TYPE OF LEGAL FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT THAT COMPELS POLLUTERS TO INVEST IN TANGIBLE SOLUTIONS IN THE COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY THEIR ACTIONS. THESE SEPS FREQUENTLY LEND SUPPORT TO LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, CONTRIBUTING TO INITIATIVES SUCH AS HABITAT RESTORATION, IMPROVEMENT OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE OR NATIVE FISH HABITATS, AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF WATER RESILIENCE. IN 2023, THE ORGANIZATION TOOK ON 42 NEW INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER CASES, SETTLING 18 OF THEM, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIVE HALTING OF POLLUTION TO LOCAL WATERWAYS. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO TRACK AND SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS OF SEWAGE SPILLS IN THE REGION, ACTING AS AN ADVOCATE AND WATCHDOG FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST BY HOLDING AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE.

  Expenses $2,474,683 · Grants $499,748 · Revenue $2,540,637

• THE HEALTHY HABITATS PROGRAM WORKS TO ACHIEVE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND RESILIENCY FOR ALL THE REGION'S WATERS SO THEY CAN SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES AND WILDLIFE THAT DEPEND ON THEM. THE ORGANIZATION DOES THIS THROUGH ITS MARINE AND WATERSHED PROGRAMS, WHICH SEEK TO REVITALIZE OUR COASTAL AND RIPARIAN HABITATS THROUGH RESEARCH, FIELDWORK, ENGAGEMENT WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, BROAD-BASED COALITION BUILDING, AND REGULATORY AND LEGAL ENFORCEMENT AND ADVOCACY. WE CONTINUED ADVOCATING FOR A HEALTHY AND RESILIENT LA RIVER BY COMPLETING A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW OF EXISTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND SCIENTIFIC STUDIES RELATED TO THE LA RIVER, AS WELL AS ENGAGING DOZENS OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS SPECIALIZING IN LA RIVER ISSUES, TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR CONCRETE REMOVAL FROM THE RIVER CHANNEL AND RESTORATION TO A NATURAL FORM. WE ALSO RELAUNCHED OUR RIVER ASSESSMENT FIELD TEAM (RAFT) PROGRAMS, WHICH ENGAGED 250+ VOLUNTEERS IN MONITORING THE HEALTH OF THE LA RIVER, INCLUDING TESTING FOR THE PRESENCE OF PFAS AND COLIFORM BACTERIA. WITH 800 MORE VOLUNTEERS HELPING COLLECT POLLUTION DATA ON AND REMOVE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF TRASH FROM AREA BEACHES. THE HEART OF THE HEALTHY HABITATS: MARINE PROGRAM IS THE MARINE PROTECTED AREA WATCH (MPA WATCH). WITH MPA WATCH, THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS COASTAL WATER MONITORING TRIPS PROVIDING ON-THE-WATER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS. THIS COMMUNITY-SCIENCE SURVEY EXPERIENCE OFTEN INCLUDES WITNESSING SEA LIFE, INTERACTIONS WITH CARGO BARGES, TRASH FLOWS, AND ILLEGAL FISHING, WHICH SERVE AS EXPERIENTIAL REMINDERS OF HOW DRAMATICALLY HUMAN BEHAVIOR INFLUENCES THE PLANET. IN 2023, LA WATERKEEPER CONDUCTED OVER SSMPA WATCH TRIPS, BRINGING DOZENS OF HIGHLY TRAINED REPEAT VOLUNTEERS ALONG FOR THE EXPERIENCE.

  Expenses $699,319

• THE SYSTEMS CHANGE PROGRAM WORKS TO ENSURE LOCAL, LOW-CARBON, AND AFFORDABLE WATER SUPPLIES AND WATER-FRIENDLY LAND USE & ENERGY POLICIES BY HOLDING OUR ELECTED AND AGENCY OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE, PROMOTING A 4R (REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE AND RESTORE) APPROACH TO WATER SYSTEMS, AND PARTNERING WITH LIKEMINDED GROUPS PROMOTING WATER-FRIENDLY LAND-USE, TRANSPORTATION, AND ENERGY POLICIES. A HALLMARK ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THIS PROGRAM WAS SECURING $130 MILLION FOR WASTEWATER RECYCLING IN THE STATE BUDGET AS WELL AS LAUNCHING AN INITIATIVE TO RESHAPE THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT INTO AN AGENCY THAT WILL LEAD THE WAY ON WATER CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING. WE CONTINUED TO LEAD EFFORTS OF THE SAFE CLEAN WATER PROGRAM AND APPROVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR REGIONAL AND MUNICIPAL STORMWATER CAPTURE PROJECTS. AND LASTLY, WE REACHED MORE THAN 2 MILLION ANGELENOS THROUGH A BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROGRAM AIMED AT MAKING WATER CONSERVATION A WAY OF LIFE AND REDUCING RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSUMPTION BY 25%.

  Expenses $995,375

As filed on the 2023 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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

• PROYECTO PASTORAL CO PROMESA BOYLE HEIGHTS

  $83,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• ACTIVESGV

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• CLIFFORD BEERS HOUSING

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• CONSERVATION CORPS OF LONG BEACH

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• CLIMATE RESOLVE

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD LAND TRUST

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• PACOIMA BEAUTIFUL

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

• TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

  $58,333

  SYSTEMS CHANGE

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

12 September 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202422569349301517

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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