Waterkeeper Alliance
“To fight for every community’s right to clean water.”
5 comments to the agencies, 78 cents of every dollar to the work.
The origin
How they started
Waterkeeper Alliance is the hub of a worldwide movement of local Waterkeeper groups who patrol and defend specific rivers, bays, and coastlines, including the public waters running through forests and parks. It grew out of the Hudson River’s Riverkeeper and was founded in 1999 by a coalition of those early groups. By 2019 the network had grown to roughly 350 Waterkeeper organizations across 46 countries. It runs out of New York City.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “To protect our right to clean water in communities around the world.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
All Other Programs
$2.4M, 33% of spendingThe remainder of our programs includes promoting the waterkeeper method of advocacy and issues of common concern to waterkeeper groups through digital communications, print publications, and other media; licensing new…
Including $351,057 granted onward, the largest share ($42,000) to Riverkeeper.
Read it as they filed it
ALL OTHER PROGRAMS: THE REMAINDER OF OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDES PROMOTING THE WATERKEEPER METHOD OF ADVOCACY AND ISSUES OF COMMON CONCERN TO WATERKEEPER GROUPS THROUGH DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS, PRINT PUBLICATIONS, AND OTHER MEDIA; LICENSING NEW WATERKEEPER GROUPS; PROTECTING THE TRADEMARKED WATERKEEPER FAMILY OF NAMES; ADVOCATING FOR STRONGER ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, INCLUDING LEGISLATION SUCH AS THE CLEAN WATER RESTORATION ACT; AND UTILIZING EVENTS AND PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS TO INCREASE AWARENESS FOR THE WATERKEEPER MOVEMENT, THREATS TO CLEAN WATER, AND HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS VIA OUR CLEAN WATER DEFENSE CAMPAIGN. A SIGNIFICANT AREA OF ADVOCACY IS WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE'S CLIMATE AND SAFE ENERGY CAMPAIGN. THE CAMPAIGN'S FOCUS IS TO COMBAT THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS AND ADVOCATE FOR A NO-CARBON FUTURE. WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE ENGAGES IN LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS BUILT AROUND LEGAL ADVOCACY, GRASSROOTS MOBILIZATION, AND AGGRESSIVE MEDIA ATTENTION AND PUBLIC EDUCATION TOWARD A NO-CARBON FUTURE THAT UTILIZES CLEAN AND SAFE ENERGY.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Global Conference and Regional Summits
$914K, 12% of spendingGlobal conference& regional summits corrected language - regional meetings afford waterkeeper groups the opportunity to develop regional advocacy strategies, share resources, and continue capacity building and technical…
Including $42,306 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
GLOBAL CONFERENCE AND REGIONAL SUMMITS: GLOBAL CONFERENCE& REGIONAL SUMMITS CORRECTED LANGUAGE - REGIONAL MEETINGS AFFORD WATERKEEPER GROUPS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP REGIONAL ADVOCACY STRATEGIES, SHARE RESOURCES, AND CONTINUE CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL LEARNING. A GLOBAL CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN SEPTEMBER 2024.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Pure Farms Pure Waters Campaigns
$588K, 8% of spendingSee schedule o.
Including $46,026 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
PURE FARMS PURE WATERS CAMPAIGN: SEE SCHEDULE O.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
78 cents of every dollar goes to the work
Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.
$5,743,844 programs, $695,550 management, $881,828 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The backers
Backed on the record by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, latest filing FY23.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at the Waterkeeper Alliance? Claim this page.
Those 17 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If the Waterkeeper Alliance is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $3,295,505 |
| 2012 | $4,417,359 |
| 2013 | $4,056,835 |
| 2014 | $10,728,210 |
| 2015 | $9,921,169 |
| 2016 | $16,365,758 |
| 2017 | $20,082,608 |
| 2018 | $17,695,017 |
| 2019 | $15,589,366 |
| 2020 | $17,327,128 |
| 2021 | $11,721,218 |
| 2022 | $15,198,182 |
| 2023 | $8,822,541 |
| 2025 | $8,517,767 |
From $3.3M in 2011 to $8.5M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024).
In court
Fights alongside Center for Biological Diversity (1 shared case), Environment America (1 shared case), Southern Environmental Law Center (1 shared case) and Surfrider Foundation (1 shared case). Same case, same side, on the federal docket. Their dockets on CourtListener.
On the Hill
The Waterkeeper Alliance has hired federal lobbyists: 6 filings from 2023 to 2024, naming 1 bill. The filings, at the Senate.
Most filed on the environment.
The record
On the record with the agencies
5 comments on federal decisions since 2023, each filed under the group’s own name on regulations.gov, none yet on a decision we track. Read them on regulations.gov.
Year by year
The record, in order
- 1999Waterkeeper Alliance is formed.the return, formation year
- 2022Dakota Resource Council v. U.S. Department of the Interior: plaintiff, closed.the docket
- First appears in William & Flora Hewlett Foundation’s grants.the funder’s return
- 20253 comments, most to the Fish and Wildlife Service, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 20262 comments, both to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 1 federal case with the group on the docket, 5 comments filed under its own name, 1 funder whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Under threat right now
The most urgent fights on the record
Open comment windows first, then live federal cases. Each opens the groups defending it.
- Comments close Oct 16 · 9 days leftCumberland Island National SeashoreGeorgia
- Comments close Oct 23White Mountain National ForestNew Hampshire
- Comments close Oct 26Gifford Pinchot National ForestWashington
- Comments close Nov 2Gates of the Arctic (Ambler Road)Alaska
Every place under threat, the fifty states and the wildlife, each with who’s on the record for it.
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗FollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with the Waterkeeper Alliance
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.