Friends of the Riverfront
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Friends of the Riverfront
EIN: 25-1655056
as of November 2023
as of November 13, 2023
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Land Trail Development
As a founding project, Friends of the Riverfront is dedicated to the continued expansion of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Traditionally, our role has been largely focused on the development and stewardship of trails within the Allegheny County, and we have been extremely successful in these endeavors. Now we seek to build on this success by expanding the Three Rivers Heritage Trail outward to include riverfront trail development and acquisition of critical right of ways along our region's riverfronts.
Water Trail Development
The Three Rivers Water Trail is a system of non-motorized access points that offer easy access to and from the rivers. The access points include informative signage and canoe/kayak racks. Friends of the Riverfront will continue to develop the Three Rivers Water Trail System, which began with the Allegheny River and is now expanding to include the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Friends of the Riverfront works in conjunction with community leaders, river users and government officials to scout for potential access sites, parking areas and hazards. We then install non-motorized boat racks, place informative signage to be seen from land and water and create, circulate and update maps for users of the water trail landing sites.
Volunteer Stewardship
Riverfronts Naturally is a program working to restore native vegetation to areas adjoining the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, desolate Brownfield areas and other public spaces. The Three Rivers Heritage Trail has established public access to the rivers, and is creating an opportunity to improve and showcase the ecological health of our riparian environment. Aided by Friends of the Riverfront's Trail Care Handbook we have a clear road map to engaging volunteers in meaningful stewardship of our riverfronts and trail related amenities.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planFinancials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
123.71
Months of cash in 2022 info
17.9
Fringe rate in 2022 info
13%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Friends of the Riverfront
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
This snapshot of Friends of the Riverfront’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $102,336 | $38,304 | $28,958 | $328,358 | $273,885 |
As % of expenses | 48.6% | 13.1% | 7.3% | 77.9% | 54.8% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $102,336 | $38,304 | $28,958 | $324,728 | $270,255 |
As % of expenses | 48.6% | 13.1% | 7.3% | 76.4% | 53.7% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $234,050 | $325,902 | $613,807 | $564,269 | $726,711 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | -53.3% | 39.2% | 88.3% | -8.1% | 28.8% |
Program services revenue | 3.3% | 6.5% | 6.0% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Investment income | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other grants and contributions | 96.6% | 93.0% | 93.8% | 87.7% | 90.5% |
Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.4% | 0.0% |
Expense composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses before depreciation | $210,714 | $292,102 | $395,931 | $421,618 | $500,047 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | -55.1% | 38.6% | 35.5% | 6.5% | 18.6% |
Personnel | 48.2% | 61.3% | 69.2% | 67.6% | 63.6% |
Professional fees | 30.4% | 16.2% | 8.8% | 20.0% | 21.5% |
Occupancy | 8.9% | 6.1% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.0% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other expenses | 12.6% | 16.4% | 18.3% | 8.7% | 11.9% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses (after depreciation) | $210,714 | $292,102 | $395,931 | $425,248 | $503,677 |
One month of savings | $17,560 | $24,342 | $32,994 | $35,135 | $41,671 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $55,227 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $18,150 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $228,274 | $316,444 | $428,925 | $478,533 | $600,575 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Months of cash | 9.8 | 8.5 | 13.1 | 17.1 | 17.9 |
Months of cash and investments | 10.0 | 8.7 | 13.3 | 17.2 | 18.1 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 13.1 | 17.6 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cash | $172,597 | $207,916 | $433,774 | $601,348 | $745,550 |
Investments | $2,476 | $4,093 | $4,093 | $4,093 | $7,994 |
Receivables | $0 | $0 | $30,000 | $10,600 | $31,815 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $95,500 | $95,500 | $95,500 | $113,650 | $113,650 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 11.0% | 11.0% | 11.0% | 12.4% | 15.6% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 1.4% | 2.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% | 0.7% |
Unrestricted net assets | $166,734 | $205,038 | $233,996 | $558,724 | $828,979 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $94,671 | $90,167 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $94,671 | $90,167 | $279,085 | $93,378 | $50,000 |
Total net assets | $261,405 | $295,205 | $513,081 | $652,102 | $878,979 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Ms. Kelsey Ripper
After growing up riding her bike on the trails and rowing the rivers of Pittsburgh, Kelsey lived and worked in New York City as a nonprofit manager and then as a nonprofit and economic development attorney. Her first introduction to Friends of the Riverfront was as a board member and volunteer. Before joining Friends as Executive Director, Kelsey was the Director of the Microenterprise Project at Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), an economic development program that provides free legal assistance to under-resourced small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Prior to working at VOLS, Kelsey was an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Lawyers Alliance for New York where she designed and implemented a program to provide legal services to nonprofit clients addressing food security. Kelsey has a J.D. from Fordham Law School and a B.A. in Environmental Studies and American Studies from Fordham University. She continues to hike, bike, and row along Pittsburgh's rivers.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Friends of the Riverfront
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Friends of the Riverfront
Board of directorsas of 11/28/2023
Board of directors data
Mr. Durwood Hill
Stacey Vernallis
Emeritus
Durwood Hill
Tom Demagall
Golden Triangle Bike Rental
Jeanne K. Clark
Alcosan
Samantha Hartzman
Duquesne Light
Christopher Hetz
PNC
Anna Tang
Bicycle League of America
Lauren Burge
Eckert Seamans
Doug Clark
Civil & Environmental Consultants
Will Simpson
Simpson McCrady
Angela Martinez
City of Pittsburgh
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data