Pennsylvania Lake Management Society
The Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS) is a public charity based in Mertztown, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1989, it promotes lake and watershed management through education, technical assistance, workshops, conferences, and grants for lake-related projects.
Pennsylvania Lake Management Society at a glance
- Total assets
- $120,031
- +167.1% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $164,747
- -2.4% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $4
- -55.6% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $89,661
- -69.1% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Pennsylvania Lake Management Society
- How to Apply
-
It describes a competitive application for eligible lake-related projects and requires public education as part of a project.
- Review Cycle
- The page required eligible projects and expenses to be completed by September 30, 2026; that date has passed.
- Deadline
- The page required eligible projects and expenses to be completed by September 30, 2026; that date has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 171, Mertztown, PA 19539
Phone: (215) 345-7577
Website: https://palakes.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pennsylvania Lake Management Society funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
22 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 22 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
PALMS describes its work and mini-grant program as statewide, serving lakes and watersheds across Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Pennsylvania Lake Management Society gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $17K (2019) to $184K (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $159K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Sheridan Cottagers Association Factoryville, PA | Lake Sheridan in Lake Phosphorus Reduction Project | $23,986 |
| Loyalhanna Watershed Association | Donegal Lake Mini Grant | $23,984 |
| Birchwood Lakes Community Association Dingmans Ferry, PA | Middle Birchwood Lake in Lake Phosphorus Reduction Project | $22,423 |
| Lake Latonka Poa | Lake Latonka Mini Grant | $18,623 |
| Mercer County Conservation District | Lake Wilheim Mini Grant | $17,711 |
| Regional Science Consortium Erie, PA | Shoreline restoration lake erie coastline w/ vegetated rock socks | $15,000 |
| Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy Williamsport, PA | FJ Sayers Lake Project | $15,000 |
| Warrington Township Warrington, PA | Lion's Pride Park Water Chestnut Control Project | $8,140 |
| Heart Lake Association | Heart Lake Project | $7,392 |
| Susquehanna County Conservation District Montrose, PA | Campaign to Eradicate Curly - Leaf Pondweed | $6,916 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $120,031 | $164,747 | $89,661 | — | — | $4 |
| 2024 | $44,945 | $168,728 | $290,616 | $159,175 | 10 | $9 |
| 2023 | $166,833 | $277,480 | $261,955 | $184,023 | 9 | $16 |
| 2022 | $151,309 | $127,843 | $94,395 | $23,993 | 1 | $13 |
| 2021 | $117,861 | $205,593 | $142,314 | $40,715 | 2 | $9 |
| 2020 | $54,582 | $44,242 | $77,027 | $18,426 | 1 | $6 |
| 2019 | $87,367 | $99,174 | $78,410 | $16,625 | 1 | $14 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
PALMS’s mission is to promote understanding of ponds, lakes, reservoirs, impoundments, and their watersheds and ecosystems, and their protection, restoration, and management. Its stated activities include passing through state grant funds for the maintenance and improvement of lakes and ponds in Pennsylvania, and providing forums to share information about lake and watershed management.
The mini-grant program has offered competitive awards for shoreline restoration, stormwater improvements, nutrient or sediment reduction, and aquatic invasive species management. The program calls for an educational public-awareness component. Its stated eligible applicants include landowners, nonprofits, county conservation districts, and municipalities. A grantee, Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, received $15,000 in 2024; the conservancy describes its own mission as conserving and enhancing the lands and waters of northcentral Pennsylvania to support local communities’ environmental well-being and recreational needs.
Grantmaking
IRS filing data reports 10 grants totaling $159,175 in 2024, an average of about $15,918 per grant, and 9 grants totaling $184,023 in 2023, an average of about $20,447 per grant. The 2025 filing reports no grants. One identified 2024 recipient is Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, which received $15,000.
PALMS’s website says that its 2019 Growing Greener award supported 23 mini-grants totaling $374,352.25, with projects completed between 2022 and 2024. Separately, PALMS reported receiving a $333,214 Growing Greener award in January 2025 for a subsequent lake best-management-practices project; that was funding received by PALMS, not grants it gave.
The mini-grant page lists awards of up to $24,000 and says the call is closed through at least all of 2026 and early 2027. It excludes, among other items, design studies, surveys, plan development, maintenance, dredging, and certain algae-control activities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kate Harms as executive director; Ed Molesky as president; Nick Spinelli as past president; Gretchen Schatschneider as treasurer; and Brian Pilarcik, Josh Burnside, Robert Schindler, Joe Pinkerton, Megan Kresila, and Lorah Reese as directors.
Pennsylvania Lake Management Society is led by Kate Harms, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kate Harms
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
15 hrs/week
$24K (2019) → $62K (2025)
Ed Molesky
President
Regional Director → President Elect, 2024
President Elect → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Pilarcik
Director
Past President → Regional Director, 2020
Regional Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Josh Burnside
Director
President → Past President, 2024
Past President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Schindler
Director
Regional Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Pinkerton
Director
Regional Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lorah Reese
Director
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Megan Kresila
Director
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gretchen Schatschneider
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Hudson
Secretary
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nick Spinelli
Past President
Presidnt Elect → President, 2024
President → Past President, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeanette Schnass
President Elect
Regional Director → Director, 2024
Director → President Elect, 2025
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Martin Mesko (2019–2023) — President Past
- Former: Nick Decker (2019–2022) — Regional Director
- Former: Tricia Mazik (2020–2021) — Regional Director
- Former: Milt Ostrofsky (2019) — Regional Director
- Former: Tim Hummel (2019) — Regional Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $62K, to Kate Harms (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania Lake Management Society
How large is Pennsylvania Lake Management Society?
Pennsylvania Lake Management Society reported $120K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $165K.
What does Pennsylvania Lake Management Society fund?
PALMS’s mission is to promote understanding of ponds, lakes, reservoirs, impoundments, and their watersheds and ecosystems, and their protection, restoration, and management. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pennsylvania Lake Management Society?
It describes a competitive application for eligible lake-related projects and requires public education as part of a project. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Pennsylvania Lake Management Society make grants?
PALMS describes its work and mini-grant program as statewide, serving lakes and watersheds across Pennsylvania.
What is Pennsylvania Lake Management Society's EIN?
Pennsylvania Lake Management Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2569587. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 6, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Pennsylvania Lake Management Society funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Pennsylvania Lake Management Society's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Pennsylvania Lake Management Society's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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