Nonprofit · EIN 68-0423026
FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER
Tax-exempt · ARCATA, CA 95518
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $358,368 | $457,944 | -$99,576 | $499,940 | $6,673 | $493,267 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $345,806 | $311,614 | $34,192 | $582,094 | $1,756 | $580,338 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $331,549 | $393,213 | -$61,664 | $544,802 | $10,070 | $534,732 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $342,215
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $8,774
- Net rental income
- $5,800
- Net income from fundraising events
- $1,579
- Other revenue
- $7,379
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $180,210
- Other salaries and wages
- $42,204
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $263,690
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $102,226
- Accounting fees
- $8,022
- Occupancy
- $20,808
- Program services (functional)
- $366,362
- Management and general (functional)
- $52,135
- Fundraising (functional)
- $39,447
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $582,094
- Total assets, end of year
- $499,940
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $6,673
- Net assets, end of year
- $493,267
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $493,267
- Gross receipts
- $366,948
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 20
- Year formed
- 1998
- State of legal domicile
- CA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIKE BELCHIK | PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| ELAINE ASTRUE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| VIRGINIA GRAZIANI | VICE PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DREVET HUNT | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MARK LOVELACE | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DEREK SHAW | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| JANE ARNOLD | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| TIM DONAGHY | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MELODIE MEYER | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 7 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALICIA HAMANN | SECRETARY (NON VOTING) Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $79,318 |
| MIKE BELCHIK | PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| ELAINE ASTRUE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| VIRGINIA GRAZIANI | VICE PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DREVET HUNT | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MARK LOVELACE | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DEREK SHAW | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 7 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALICIA HAMANN | SECRETARY (NON VOTING) Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $78,203 |
| MIKE BELCHIK | PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| ELAINE ASTRUE | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| VIRGINIA GRAZIANI | VICE PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DREVET HUNT | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MARK LOVELACE | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DEREK SHAW | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- PO BOX 4945, ARCATA, CA 95518-4945
- In care of
- % PATRICIA HAMILTON
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- ALICIA HAMANN, PO BOX 4945, ARCATA, CA 95518
- Signed the 990
- ALICIA HAMANN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- Phone
- (707) 798-6345
- Website
- eelriver.org
- Return prepared by
- Gayle Arnoul CPA
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 68-0423026 or by the name FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
Friends of the Eel Rivers mission is to protect and restore the Eel River watershed and its fisheries. Friends of the Eel Rivers keystone priority over the next decade is to restore fish passage to the Eel River headwaters.
Program accomplishments
- Dam Removal: FOER continued working to ensure timely removal of the two Potter Valley Project dams in the Eel River headwaters and to restore native fish access to prime spawning and rearing habitat in the upper basin. We reviewed and commented on both versions of PG&Es License Surrender Application, held public comment workshops, gave multiple public presentations, and continued facilitating the Free the Eel coalition.Expenses $116,950
- Estuary and Lower River: FOERs board of directors voted in late 2025 to pursue an appeal in our public trust litigation seeking meaningful regulation of groundwater use in the lower Eel basin.Expenses $180,499
- Water Rights and Water Quality: FOER launched a program to research and address the impacts of 6PPD-q, a newly identified pollutant. We also continued working through several water rights protests, working collaboratively with applicants where feasible, and continued research into violations of the clean water act.Expenses $54,832
- Public Lands: FOER continued to facilitate the Great Redwood Trail Friends coalition and to work collaboratively with Indigneous entitites to guide trail development in a manner consistent with goals to restore and protect the environment and protect cultural resources.Expenses $14,081
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 68-0423026
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1999
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Environment (C320)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $499,940
- Income (IRS master file)
- $366,948
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $358,368 | $457,944 | $499,940 | XML |
| 990 | December 2024 | $345,806 | $311,614 | $582,094 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2023 | $331,549 | $393,213 | $544,802 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $371,320 | $353,999 | $588,610 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 68-0423026).
Questions about FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER
- What is the EIN of FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER is 68-0423026.
- Is FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1999.
- Are donations to FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names ALICIA HAMANN.
- Who are the officers and directors of FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 9 people; 0 received compensation from the organization.
- How much revenue does FRIENDS OF THE EEL RIVER have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $358,368, expenses of $457,944 and total assets of $499,940 at year end.
Other nonprofits in ARCATA
- CONSERVATION STRATEGY FUND EIN 94-3294843 · last filed 990 for 2024
- PACIFIC COAST FISH WILDLIFE AND WETLANDS ASSOC EIN 68-0259824 · last filed 990 for 2025
- FRIENDS OF THE DUNES EIN 68-0373871 · last filed 990 for 2024
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INFORMATION CENTER INC EIN 94-2798433 · last filed 990 for 2025
- SISKIYOU LAND CONSERVANCY EIN 72-1568115 · last filed 990 for 2025
- NORTHCOAST ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER EIN 23-7122386 · last filed 990 for 2025
- HUMBOLDT WATERKEEPER EIN 86-1468130 · last filed 990-EZ for 2025
- KLAMATH FOREST ALLIANCE EIN 68-0204089 · last filed 990-EZ for 2025