Sound Rivers Inc
Sound Rivers Inc is a public charity based in Washington, North Carolina, that works to protect the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River watersheds. Its website describes work with concerned citizens to monitor, protect and preserve watersheds covering nearly one-quarter of North Carolina.
Sound Rivers Inc at a glance
In short: Sound Rivers Inc gave $85K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $85,000
- +41.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +150.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,500
- -43.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,915,196
- +0.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (82% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Sound Rivers Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1854, Washington, NC 27889
Phone: (252) 946-7211
Website: https://soundrivers.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sound Rivers Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mountain True ($20K). Together the top 9 received $85K.
Grant Size Distribution
14 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 14 grants of 14 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Sound Rivers’ stated watershed focus is the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River basins, which its website says cover nearly one-quarter of North Carolina. In 2024, 82% of its grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 18% to recipients in South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $60K (2023) to $85K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $85K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain True Asheville, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $20,000 |
| Winyah Rivers Alliance Conway, SC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $15,000 |
| Cape Fear Riverwatch Wilmington, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $10,000 |
| Sound Rivers (PD by WKC) Washington, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $10,000 |
| Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation McAdenville, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $5,000 |
| Coastal Carolina Riverwatch Morehead City, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $5,000 |
| Yadkin Riverkeeper Winston-Salem, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $5,000 |
| Haw River Assembly Bynum, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $5,000 |
| Good Stewards of Rockingham Mayodan, NC | Water foundation sub grant for promoting nature based solutions through community collaboration | $5,000 |
| Sound Rivers (PD by WKC) Washington, NC | Mosaic Grant Administration Year 2 | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sound Rivers Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing states that conservation easements are reported at their original cost to the organization. Because Sound Rivers had no cost related to their original receipt, no value is assigned to those easements in its financial statements.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,915,196 | $1,127,285 | $1,361,712 | $85,000 | 10 | $20,874 |
| 2023 | $1,901,688 | $1,377,916 | $1,238,418 | $60,000 | 4 | $8,411 |
| 2022 | $1,569,837 | $1,092,339 | $968,679 | — | — | $64,167 |
| 2021 | $1,680,146 | $968,563 | $827,536 | — | — | $102,439 |
| 2020 | $1,585,403 | $1,037,026 | $796,907 | — | — | $57,556 |
| 2019 | $1,236,570 | $816,997 | $674,601 | — | — | $55,244 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Sound Rivers states its mission as protecting and enhancing the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse River watersheds. Its 2024 filing describes its core programs as environmental education, advocacy and research. Its website also describes river monitoring, water-quality information through Swim Guide, public access work and efforts to address pollution.
The 2024 grants show support for water-related projects and organizations. For example, Haw River Assembly says its work includes clean-water advocacy, education, stream monitoring and river clean-ups; Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation says it advocates for the health, protection and enjoyment of the Catawba River watershed. Coastal Carolina Riverwatch describes its work as a grassroots effort to safeguard clean water and marine ecosystems, while Yadkin Riverkeeper says it works to protect the Yadkin Pee Dee River Basin through education, advocacy and action.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Sound Rivers reported 10 grants totaling $85,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $20,000, with a median of $5,000. The listed grant purposes included subgrants for promoting nature-based solutions through community collaboration and a Mosaic grant administration award.
Notable 2024 grants included $20,000 to MountainTrue, $15,000 to Winyah Rivers Alliance and $10,000 to Cape Fear Riverwatch. Other listed awards included $5,000 each to Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, Yadkin Riverkeeper and Haw River Assembly.
The 2024 filing says Sound Rivers requires written grant agreements that specify the purpose and allowable use of funds. Grantees must provide periodic reports and supporting documentation; Sound Rivers reviews these and may follow up or conduct site visits to check that funds are used for their intended charitable purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Catherine Kastleman as president; Adrian Atkinson as vice president and governance committee chair; David Emmerling, EDD, as secretary and treasurer; and Betsy Hester as committee chair at-large. It also lists Joseth Bocook, Walker Knox, Trip Boyer, Caty Gray Urquhart, Miriam Espinosa and Larry Hodgkins as board members.
Sound Rivers Inc is led by Heather E. Deck, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 16 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Heather E. Deck
Executive Director
Executive Di → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$64K (2019) → $90K (2024)
Catherine Kastleman
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Betsy Hester
Committee Chair At-Large
Executive Co → Chair, 2023
Chair → Committee Chair At-Large, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adrian Atkinson
Vice President-Governance Committee Chair
Director → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → Vice President-Governance Committee Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Emmerling EdD
Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseth Bocook
Board Member
Director → Dei Chair, 2023
Dei Chair → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Walker Knox
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caty Gray Urquhart
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miriam Espinosa
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trip Boyer
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Seymour
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Collier
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry Hodgkins
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Savelli
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Arata
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Anderson
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Stephen Smith (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: David Emmerling Edh (2023) — Secretary
- Former: Sid Mitra PhD (2023) — Director
- Former: Ann Marie Holder (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Ernie Larkin (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Siddhartha Mirta (2022) — Director
- Former: Emilie Kane (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mary Davidson (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Katherine Castleman (2021) — Vice President
- Former: Sid Mirta (2021) — Director
- Former: Bill Hunneke (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Jim Kellenberger (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Lorrie Basnight (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Veronica Butcher (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Lawrence Behr (2019) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $90K, to Heather Deck (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Sound Rivers Inc
How much does Sound Rivers Inc give each year?
Sound Rivers Inc gave $85K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $60K across 4 grants.
What is Sound Rivers Inc's typical grant size?
Sound Rivers Inc's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,500, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Sound Rivers Inc give grants?
Sound Rivers Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was South Carolina (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, NC (2 grants).
Does Sound Rivers Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Sound Rivers Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Sound Rivers Inc's largest grantees?
Sound Rivers Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Mountain True ($20,000), Winyah Rivers Alliance ($15,000) and Sound Rivers (PD by WKC) ($15,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sound Rivers Inc?
Sound Rivers Inc reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.1M.
What does Sound Rivers Inc fund?
Sound Rivers states its mission as protecting and enhancing the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse River watersheds. Its 2024 filing describes its core programs as environmental education, advocacy and research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sound Rivers Inc?
Sound Rivers Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check soundrivers.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Sound Rivers Inc's EIN?
Sound Rivers Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-1475258. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sound Rivers Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sound Rivers Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sound-rivers-inc-morg_62f785ea13234993b86bb78340997d8e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_581475258_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sound Rivers Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sound-rivers-inc-morg_62f785ea13234993b86bb78340997d8e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Sound Rivers Inc'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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