American Rivers Inc. is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Washington, DC. Founded in 1973, the organization works to protect wild rivers, restore damaged rivers, and conserve clean water for people and nature. American Rivers has protected and restored more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and an annual America's Most Endangered Rivers® campaign. The organization maintains offices across the country and has more than 200,000 members, supporters, and volunteers.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$26.4M
+23.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.0M
+450.7% YoY
Grant Count
59
+73.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$85K
+217.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: American Rivers works for a future when every river is clean and healthy for people and wildlife. The organization's tagline is "Life Depends on Rivers."
Primary Focus Areas:
Protect Healthy Rivers: Driving federal and state protections to safeguard 1 million miles of rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways, working with local partners through federal wild and scenic legislation and other approaches.
Restore Damaged Rivers: Addressing threats from pollution, crumbing infrastructure, and climate change impacts.
Conserve Clean Water: Ensuring clean, safe, reliable water for people and nature, recognizing that freshwater species are going extinct twice as fast as wildlife on land or in the ocean.
Mobilize River and Water Movement: Building a broad, non-partisan river movement by working with local partners, government agencies, and decision-makers to drive change that makes rivers healthier, water cleaner, and communities safer.
The organization addresses water resource, wetlands conservation and management as its primary NTEE code focus area.
Grantmaking
American Rivers makes grants to support river protection and restoration work. Based on the most recent IRS Form 990 filing (2023), the organization reported total giving of $995,348.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Revenues: $36,643,206
- Total Expenses: $34,022,477
- Total Assets: $26,399,588
- Number of Employees: 112
Previous Year Data (2023):
- Revenue: $21.8M
- Expenses: $20.8M
- Total Assets: $21.4M
- Total Liabilities: $4.51M
Workforce: The organization employs 127 people with yearly growth of 17.0%.
Rating: American Rivers holds a Four-Star rating with a 90% score based on Accountability & Finance metrics.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $26,399,588 | $21,376,739 | $18,554,152 |
| Revenue | $36,643,206 | $21,808,405 | $18,619,634 |
| Expenses | $34,022,477 | $20,833,900 | $16,322,607 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $239,871 | $172,284 | $55,049 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
187 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Hgs Llc ($830,012), Oregon Department of Transportation ($565,509), Mountain True ($470,449).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN WHITEWATER CULLOWHEE, NC | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $185,246 |
| APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB BOSTON, MA | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $21,901 |
| BONNEVILLE ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION PORTLAND, OR | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $41,738 |
| BUENA VISTA RANCHERIA OF ME-WUK INDIANS SACRAMENTO, CA | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $10,493 |
| CALIFORNIA SPORTFISHING PROTECTION ALLIANCE STOCKTON, CA | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $67,585 |
| CALIFORNIA TROUT SAN FRANCISCO, CA | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $26,500 |
| CALVIN UNIVERSITY GRAND RAPIDS, MI | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $26,000 |
| CLARK FORK COALITION MISSOULA, MT | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $25,000 |
| COMMUNITY OUTREACH WORSHIP CENTER EAST MOLINE, IL | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $7,000 |
| CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY GREENFIELD, MA | RESTORE DAMAGED RIVERS AND WATERS | $190,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- President/Executive Director: Tom Kiernan
- Board Chair: Jo-Ellen Darcy
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABIGAIL ROME | SECRETARY | 4 | — |
| AJA DECOTEAU | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ALYSSA MACY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ANDREW SHEEHAN | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| ANGELA WIGGINS | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| BETH BURROUGH | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| BILL HOFFMAN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| DAN REICHER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| DAVID SOLOMON | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| DONALD AYER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| FRED ST GOAR | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JAMES BEH | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JO-ELLEN DARCY | VICE CHAIR | 4 | — |
| JOHN COSTELLO | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| KRISTIN BLAIR HULL PHD | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARK BARNES PHD | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARK BUSTO | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARK GREATREX | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARTIN CHAVEZ | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARY PAVEL | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| NA'TAKI OSBORNE JELKS PHD | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| PALLAVI PHARTIYAL PHD | CHAIR | 4 | — |
| QUETA GONZALEZ | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ROY ROMER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| SHANNON WHEELER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| SUSAN WALLACE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| TOM BARNEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| TREVOR PRICE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JENNIFER MARSHALL | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 37 | $163,307 |
| KRISTIN MAY | CFO | 40 | $187,073 |
| THOMAS KIERNAN | PRESIDENT | 40 | $372,290 |
| HEATHER TAYLOR-MIESLE | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT | 38 | $193,751 |
| JENNIFER HOFFNER | VP, CONSERVATION STRATEGIE | 40 | $170,685 |
| PAULA WOLFERSEDER YABAR | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADV | 40 | $219,939 |
| AMANDA KOBER | VP, COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $136,868 |
| FREDERICK ILLSTON | VP, POLICY AND GOV'T (THRU 4/5/25) | 40 | $145,322 |
| JONATHON D MORYC | SENIOR DIRECTOR | 40 | $126,152 |
| MELISSA LEWIS | VP, PPL JUSTICE & CULTURAL | 40 | $165,432 |
| PATRICIA CALLAHAN | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 40 | $147,956 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
American Rivers received a $10 million gift from the James M. Cox Foundation, representing a transformational gift to the organization.
American Rivers Announces 2026 River Champion Award RecipientsThe organization announced 2026 River Champion Award recipients.
American Rivers Announces 2026 River Champion Award RecipientsAmerican Rivers received a grant of $9.3 million in October 2024 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
American Rivers Announces 2026 River Champion Award RecipientsContact Information
Address: 1101 14th Street NW, Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-347-7550 or 877-347-7550
Email: outreach@americanrivers.org
Website: americanrivers.org
EIN: 23-7305963
IRS Ruling Year: September 1984
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does American Rivers Inc fund?
**Mission:** American Rivers works for a future when every river is clean and healthy for people and wildlife. The organization's tagline is "Life Depends on Rivers." **Primary Focus Areas:** • **Protect Healthy Rivers:** Driving federal and state protections to safeguard 1 million miles of rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways, working with local partners through federal wild and scenic legislation and other approaches. • **Restore Damaged Rivers:** Addressing threats from po…
How do I apply for a grant from American Rivers Inc?
American Rivers makes grants to support river protection and restoration work. Based on the most recent IRS Form 990 filing (2023), the organization reported total giving of $995,348.
What size grants does American Rivers Inc award?
In 2024, American Rivers Inc awarded 59 grants totaling $5.0M — an average of about $85K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is American Rivers Inc's EIN?
American Rivers Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7305963. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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