Back to the River Inc
Through the vision of former Nebraska senator bob kerrey, Back to the River was created to preserve and improve wildlife habitat and provide economic development opportunities in a balanced, sustainable manner along the Missouri river. Together with program supporters, Back to the River has strived to protect the environmental and economic future of the Missouri river through: wildlife habitat restoration, recreation and river access, environmental education, economic development, cultural and historical resources, and floodplain management.
Back to the River Inc at a glance
In short: Back to the River Inc gave $25K across 2 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Nebraska. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $25,000
- -10.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 2
- -33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,500
- +33.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $847,573
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (60% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
Who Back to the River Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bellevue Community Foundation ($15K). Together the top 2 received $25K.
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 7 grants of 11 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
Cities
How Back to the River Inc gives
- Giving fell 58% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2024) to $153K (2020). In 2024 it made 2 grants totaling $25K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bellevue Community Foundation Papillion, NE | To sponsor the bellevue rocks activity to bring people to the Missouri river riverbank | $15,000 |
| City of Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA | Sponsorship of summerfest 2024 to bring people to the Missouri river riverbank | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $847,573 | $60,579 | $33,976 | $25,000 | 2 | $60,579 |
| 2023 | $795,845 | $33,166 | $32,265 | $28,000 | 3 | $23,166 |
| 2022 | $734,012 | $138,011 | $154,866 | $150,000 | 2 | $38,011 |
| 2021 | $885,938 | $64,922 | $74,320 | $60,000 | 2 | $64,922 |
| 2020 | $878,606 | $147,451 | $156,860 | $153,126 | 2 | $45,554 |
About Back to the River Inc
Based on IRS filings
Back to the River Inc is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Omaha, NE. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $848K in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 2 grants totaling $25K. Net investment income was $61K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Back to the River Inc is led by Larry Foster, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 20 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Larry Foster
President
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ben Justman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Hamblin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clare Duda
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Robert Kerrey
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pete Castellano
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rodney Storm
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Bettmann
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Tomasek
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Ann Borgeson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Kalcevich
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Archer
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Winkler
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katie Bassett
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kent Holm
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gayle Malmquist
Assistant Treasurer
Director → Assistant Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jim Becic
Vice President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Bluvas
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Brohman
Secretary
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Foss
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Phil Davidson (2023) — Director
- Former: Michelle Koch (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Kelsey Bocken (2020) — Director
- Former: Merica Whitehall (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Back to the River Inc
How much does Back to the River Inc give each year?
Back to the River Inc gave $25K across 2 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $28K across 3 grants.
How large is Back to the River Inc?
Back to the River Inc reported $848K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $61K.
What is Back to the River Inc?
Back to the River Inc is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Omaha, NE. It holds $848K in total assets as of 2024.
Where does Back to the River Inc operate?
Back to the River Inc has awarded grants in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska.
What is Back to the River Inc's EIN?
Back to the River Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-0823801. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Back to the River Inc funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Back to the River Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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