FLOW - FOR LOVE OF WATER
Working to keep the waters of the Great Lakes Basin healthy, public, and protected for all - for generations to come.
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We believe access to clean water is a fundamental human right, essential for public health. Unfortunately, many communities in the Great Lakes Basin lack access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water due to various issues, including household water shutoffs, lead contamination, failing infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and pollution of groundwater resources. Moreover, private interests are profiting from the extraction and bottling of public water, depleting Great Lakes tributaries, and endangering wildlife and personal wells. Climate change exacerbates surface water level changes, and the decaying Line 5 oil pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac continue to pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Great Lakes Protection
FLOW is a leading legal and scientific voice and a founding steering committee member of Oil & Water Don’t Mix, a broad-based, multi-year campaign to prevent a massive oil spill from the decaying pipelines that cross the open waters of the Straits of Mackinac.
Groundwater Protection
45% of Michigan residents drink groundwater, yet Michigan is the only U.S. state without a uniform septic code. FLOW is working to overcome more than 30 years of legislative gridlock in passing a statewide septic code that establishes a reasonable inspection schedule, ensures county health departments have sufficient resources to administer inspections and provides financial assistance to septic owners who may not be able to afford the cost of septic repairs or replacements.
In addition, FLOW is working with allies to tackle polluter pay reform. Since the repeal of polluter pay laws in Michigan in the 1990s, Michigan has amassed 11,000 contaminated "orphaned" sites for which the parties responsible for groundwater contamination are unknown.
Keeping Our Water Public
FLOW is working on solutions to address disparities in access to clean water and healthy lake ecosystems. FLOW has drafted a model state law that affirms public ownership of water and creates a Water Trust Fund using royalties derived from bottled water sales to support public health protection and infrastructure investment. FLOW is also working with allies to address water affordability concerns across the Great Lakes Basin.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of blog posts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of website pageviews
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
1. Building a Knowledge Base: FLOW is working to create a robust knowledge base accessible to communities, state agencies, academics, and legislators. This knowledge will serve as a foundation for informed policymaking and advocacy on water-related issues in the Great Lakes Basin.
2. Groundwater Advocacy: FLOW is a leading voice for groundwater protection in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. We successfully advocated for stronger protection of drinking water as the convening organizer of The Michigan Groundwater Table. Comprised of 22 knowledgeable and influential stakeholders from local government, academia, and regulatory agencies, this group developed recommendations that led to $24 million in new funding from the state for collecting and monitoring groundwater data. This scientific knowledge is critical because 45% of Michiganders rely on groundwater for their drinking water. FLOW will continue to collaborate with experts to build a consensus for meaningful and lasting groundwater policy reform.
3. Line 5 Oil Pipeline: FLOW is a founding member of the Oil & Water Don't Mix campaign, dedicated to preventing a catastrophic oil spill from the deteriorating Line 5 pipelines in the open waters of the Straits of Mackinac. We advocate for state and tribal sovereignty over their land and waters and elevate safe, smart, and sustainable alternative solutions to the construction of a new oil tunnel beneath the Great Lakes and a 41-mile pipeline reroute around the Bad River Reservation.
4. Water Equity, Affordability, and Infrastructure: FLOW is actively working to establish a sustainable funding mechanism to ensure clean water access for all. We are identifying equitable long-term financing solutions to address the deteriorating state of our storm, sewer, and drinking water infrastructure.
W advocate for the respect of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin, the implementation of public trust principles in our governance of the Great Lakes, the protection of the Lakes themselves, the rich biodiversity they support, and the rights that belong to the people living in the Great Lakes Basin.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
FLOW employs a multi-faceted systems thinking approach, including grassroots initiatives, multimedia communications, community education, policy development, and legal advocacy. We actively engage stakeholders, conduct research and legal analysis, provide expert resources, and lead campaigns to address specific challenges such as Line 5, groundwater protection, and equitable water access.
Success for our organization is defined by our ability to leverage FLOW's legal, policy, communications, and coalition-building expertise to make a tangible impact. Our goal is to educate and empower communities and their leaders in the Great Lakes Basin. We aim to strengthen long-term protections for public waters, ensure remedies for any harm to water quality or quantity, improve access to clean and affordable drinking water, and eliminate the looming threat of a catastrophic oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac. In a nutshell, our success means making lasting positive changes to keep the waters of the Great Lakes Basin healthy, public, and protected for all - for generations to come.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Accomplishments thus far:
FLOW has successfully advocated for stronger protection of groundwater, leading to the allocation of $24 million in funding from the state for collecting and monitoring groundwater data, a critical step in safeguarding drinking water for millions of Michiganders.
FLOW continues to play a pivotal role in the ongoing efforts to shut down the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
FLOW is actively engaged in addressing microplastic contamination in the Great Lakes, helping to raise awareness of this issue.
The Public Water Public Justice Act, a model legislation drafted by FLOW to protect public ownership of water and address water equity, is making progress in New York and is being considered in Michigan.
What's next:
FLOW will continue its advocacy for groundwater protection, working to pass a statewide septic code and advocating for polluter accountability to address existing contamination.
FLOW will work to advance the Public Water Justice Act, both in New York and Michigan, to protect public ownership of water and ensure equitable access to clean water.
FLOW will continue to prioritize ongoing legal and policy advocacy, public engagement, and partnership-building efforts that will be integral to addressing water-related challenges in the Great Lakes Basin and ensuring the health and accessibility of the region's waters.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild 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.
FLOW - FOR LOVE OF WATER
Board of directorsas of 02/07/2024
Douglas Jester
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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? Yes
Organizational demographics
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
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/26/2023GuideStar 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
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- 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.