GOLD2023

Peaks To People Water Fund

Protecting Watersheds, sustaining habitats, enriching communities

aka Peaks To People Water Fund   |   Fort Collins, CO   |  https://peakstopeople.org/

Mission

Our mission is to create a watershed fund through which community members support land stewards who conserve and enhance nature’s ability to provide clean and abundant water, healthy food, productive soils, carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and inspiring open spaces for all community members to enjoy.

Notes from the nonprofit

Widespread decline in forest health due to the effects of climate change and wildfire suppression have decreased the ecological resilience of the Big Thompson watershed & exponentially increased the risk of catastrophic wildfire. This has put the communities within the forested areas as well as those dependent upon its natural resources at very high risk. Narrowly spared from the unprecedented 2020 East Troublesome, Cameron Peak, and Calwood wildfires, it has become more urgent than ever to protect the Big Thompson watershed and the communities housed within. It is undeniably one of the single most important resources to Northern Colorado providing water to more than 30 municipalities along the Front Range and hundreds of agricultural producers on the eastern plains. It provides thousands of acres of critical wildlife habitat and, of course, countless recreational opportunities.

Ruling year info

2018

Principal Officer

Julie Dubin

Main address

1001-A E Harmony RD #171

Fort Collins, CO 80525 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

82-3779406

NTEE code info

Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management (C32)

Natural Resource Conservation and Protection (C30)

Fire Prevention / Protection / Control (M24)

IRS filing requirement

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

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2021, 2020 and 2019.
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Communication

Blog

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?

Big Thompson Initiative

After years of protection from wildfire, Colorado’s forests have become dense and overgrown, increasing the risk of severe wildfires that threaten water supplies with sedimentation and debris. In 2020 alone, Northern Colorado experienced the catastrophic effects of the two largest fires in Colorado history, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Fires, which combined burned over 400,000 acres/625 square miles. These fires exceeded $149 million in suppression costs,

We will treat 84% of the feasible wildfire risk to the Big Thompson watershed over the next 10 years. Through leveraged funds and new funds, we will invest $67 million from 2021 to 2031 to restore our forests to their natural state and reduce the risk of severe wildfires. Guided by sophisticated tools, Peaks to People has identified the locations for treatment based on the greatest potential risk reduction. Additionally, each treatment site is monitored before and after the treatment to accurately measure the results.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative 2018

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

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 demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    All communities, municipalities and businesses downstream of the BIg Thompson watershed and served by Colorado Big Thompson water supply infrastructure.

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

    Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Suggestion box/email, Social media,

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

    To inform the development of new programs/projects, 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?

    Peaks to People funds forestry projects on private lands to protect water supplies from severe wildfire impacts. We work to educate and inform the public about the resources avaialable to them to protect their properties and livelihoods. We work closely with partners who have strong ties with the communities we serve. We are now offering project site tours to increase transparency for our donors, board members, landowners and other members of the community. The newly formed Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership (BTWHP) spearheaded by Peaks to People Water Fund will combine the resources and expertise from 13 local organizations. We are helping the group define goals so we can effectively and efficiently increase the pace and scale of forest health work occurring in the area.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    When our community members feel heard they are more engaged in our work and more empowered to do their own wildfire mitigation work. They are also empowered to communicate their needs to local, state and federal officials leading to increased awareness and support from those who represent them.

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

    We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), 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?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback,

Financials

Peaks To People Water Fund
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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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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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Peaks To People Water Fund

Board of directors
as of 02/23/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Robert Addington

The Nature Conservancy Colorado

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? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/23/2023

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
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

No data

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 02/23/2023

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 employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.