PLATINUM2023

WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL

Discover Your Better Nature

Providence, RI   |  www.wrwc.org

Mission

The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council creates positive environmental, social and economic change by revitalizing the Woonasquatucket River, its Greenway and its communities.

Ruling year info

2001

Principal Officer

Ms. Alicia J Lehrer

Main address

45 Eagle Street, Suite 202

Providence, RI 02909 USA

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EIN

05-0519694

NTEE code info

Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C. (C99)

Youth Development Programs (O50)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

River Rangers

Paid green job program for youth local to the neighborhoods surrounding the Woonasquatucket River, particularly in Providence and Johnston.  River Rangers are trained as Woonasquatucket Greenway leaders, ambassadors and stewards.

Population(s) Served
Young adults
Multiracial people
People of Latin American descent
Economically disadvantaged people
At-risk youth

In-school/after school program that uses growing native fish in the classroom as a means to teach about ecology, biology, science and math.  Fish are raised from eggs or fry in the classroom.  Students care for them, watch them grow, learn about their lifecycle, habitat and needs.  At the end of the program, they release the fish into the Woonasquatucket River to help repopulate the river with native fish.

Population(s) Served

The Red Shed is located in Riverside Park in the Olneyville Neighborhood or Providence (one of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in RI).  It provides very low cost bike repairs, sales, rentals and free classes for youth and adults in bike repair and maintenance.  The shop also offers volunteer opportunities where volunteers can earn bike parts by learning and repairing bikes along with the mechanics. The Red Shed helps make it possible for everyone in Olneyville to have access to bikes and prevents bikes from being discarded due to broken parts.

Population(s) Served

The WRWC hosts paddle, hiking and biking trips with its friends and neighbors to share the wonder, beauty and history of the Woonasquatucket River. Join us as we float along different sections of the river, bike through history, and discover wildlife while meandering up the Woony River Greenway!

Population(s) Served
Adults

One week day camp for youth ages 8 to 13, provides bike, helmet and lock for every camper to keep, training in basic bike maintenance and repair, safe riding skills, learning to ride, and daily bike rides. In addition, we teach campers how to safely use our bike path and natural resources through an environmental education program

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Awards

Champion in Action 2007

Citizens Bank

American Heritage River 2001

United States Government

Affiliations & memberships

Afterschool Alliance 2013

Rhode Island Rivers Council 2001

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of volunteers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

River Rangers

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Gallons of water saved over due to the organization's services

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

River Rangers

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Clarification: this is the # of gallons that do not run into the Woonasquatucket River during heavy rainstorms. Plants, soils, & other natural materials protect the river from pollution and flooding.

Number of stakeholders or stakeholder groups who agree to engage

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

River Rangers

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council's long term goals are:

Program Goal #1: Connect Greenway space from Cricket Field & beyond through downtown Providence
Program Goal #2: Connect community members to Greenway, Watershed, and each other
Program Goal #3: Care for Greenway parks, spaces, and river health
Program Goal #4: Grow community connection and engagement on climate resilience
Program Goal #5: Improve diversity, access, and inclusion to youth programs and job training

Administrative Goal #1: Expand organization brand to create greater community awareness and evaluate/change organization’s name
Administrative Goal #2: Increase staff capacity to achieve mission
Administrative Goal #3: Increase Board expectations and capacity
Administrative Goal #4: Upgrade physical plant
Administrative Goal #5: Build long-term success for staff retention

Fiscal Goal #1: Diversify organization revenue and create sustainable funding base
Fiscal Goal #2: Secure funding for space that houses all of our functions
Fiscal Goal #3: Maintain funding for programs as established in program goals
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How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    All people who live within the Woonasquatucket River watershed with a major focus on economically and environmentally disadvantaged communities.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We have increased the amount of Spanish translation and interpretation in our written and spoken communication.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL

Board of directors
as of 02/14/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Ms. Laureen Ratti

SignalWorks

Term: 2020 - 2023

John Flaherty

Grow Smart RI

Christopher Riely

Sweet Birch Consulting

Jennifer Lisi

Locke Lord

Martina Haggerty

Daphne Sarcia

Lendlease

Douglas Stephens

Rhode Island Rivers Council

Jenn Recinos

Rhode Island School of Design

Eric Army

Signalworks

Elder Trejo González

City of Providence Department of Sustainability

Michael Hanley

Salesforce

William Lawrence

Brian Platt

Moses Brown School

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/14/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 02/14/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.