Nonprofit · EIN 81-0781793
SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY
Tax-exempt · FREELAND, WA 98249
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $263,354 | $201,214 | $62,140 | $186,845 | $238 | $186,607 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990-EZ | $187,630 | $186,856 | $774 | $124,595 | $129 | $124,466 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990-EZ | $154,536 | $218,457 | -$63,921 | $123,692 | – | $123,692 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $185,370
- Program service revenue
- $50,626
- Investment income
- $6,875
- Net income from fundraising events
- -$992
- Net income from sales of inventory
- $2,628
- Other revenue
- $20,483
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $125,242
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Accounting fees
- $13,889
- Occupancy
- $9,191
- Travel
- $201
- Program services (functional)
- $135,452
- Management and general (functional)
- $44,562
- Fundraising (functional)
- $21,200
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $124,596
- Total assets, end of year
- $186,845
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $238
- Net assets, end of year
- $186,607
- Gross unrelated business income
- $25,722
- Gross receipts
- $273,032
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 0
- Year formed
- 2016
- State of legal domicile
- WA
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIAN GRANER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 40 | $25,904 |
| PAUL BELANGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 10 | $0 |
| ROBBIN BOYATT | PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 20 | $0 |
| PAULBEN MCELWAIN | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 30 | $0 |
| GAYLEN HEACOCK | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 10 | $0 |
| ALLISON HILTNER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 10 | $0 |
| JEANIE MCELWAIN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 10 | $0 |
| SCOTT CHASE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 10 | $0 |
| FRAN HORVATH | VICE PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 10 | $0 |
| SUZANNE SHWETZ | DIRECTOR Trustee or director, Officer | 10 | $0 |
| MARK COMMINS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 10 | $0 |
| SEAN DUFFY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 10 | $0 |
990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2024: 8 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAUL BELANGER | PRESIDENT | 10 | $0 |
| ROBBIN BOYATT | VICE PRESIDENT | 10 | $0 |
| PAULBEN MCELWAIN | TREASURER | 10 | $0 |
| GAYLEN HEACOCK | SECRETARY | 10 | $0 |
| LEE BADOVINUS | DIRECTOR | 4 | $0 |
| ALLISON HILTNER | DIRECTOR | 4 | $0 |
| JEANIE MCELWAIN | DIRECTOR | 4 | $0 |
| SCOTT CHASE | DIRECTOR | 4 | $0 |
990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2023: 8 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBBIN BOYATT | Vice President | 2 | $0 |
| SCOTT CHASE | Director | 2 | $0 |
| LEE BADOVINUS | Director | 2 | $0 |
| GAYLEN HEACOCK | Secretary | 2 | $0 |
| ALLISON HILTNER | Director | 2 | $0 |
| JEANIE MCELWAIN | Director | 2 | $0 |
| PAULBEN MCELWAIN | Treasurer | 2 | $0 |
| PAUL BELANGER | President | 2 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- PO BOX 1620, FREELAND, WA 98249-1620
- In care of
- % BOB GENTZ
- Mailing address (990-N for 2016)
- PO Box 1620, Freeland WA 98249
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- ROBBIN BOYATT, PO BOX 1620, FREELAND, WA 98249
- Principal officer (990-N for 2016)
- John Welsch, PO Box 1620, Freeland WA 98249
- Signed the 990
- ROBBIN BOYATT, CO-PRESIDENT
- Phone
- (360) 321-2778
- Website
- SOUNDWATERSTEWARDS.ORG
- Return prepared by
- GAVAC & ASSOCIATES CPAS
Mission
TRAIN VOLUNTEERS WORKING IN AND AROUND ISLAND COUNTY FOR A HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE PUGET SOUND ENVIRONMENT THROUGH EDUCATION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, STEWARDSHIP, AND CITIZEN SCIENCE
Program accomplishments
- SINCE 2016 SOUND WATER STEWARDS HAS BEEN MOBILIZING COMMUNITY POWER TO PROOTCT THE FRAGILE MARINE AND SHORELINE ECOSYSTEMS OF ISLAND COUNTY AND THE GREATER SALISH SEA. WE HAVE A SIMPLE, POWERFUL GOAL: TO BUILD A HEALTHIER, MORE SUSTAINABLE MARINE ENVIRONMENT BY GIVING PEOPLE THE KNOWLEDGE,TOOLS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE ACTION. EACH YEAR, MORE THAN 500 MEMBERS DONATE OVER 17,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS TO SUPPORT OUTREACH EDUCATION, COLLECT DATA FOR COMMUNITY SCIENCE PROGRAMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH PROJECTS AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS. WE ACHIEVE THIS BY PROVIDING FACT BASED, NONPARTISAN ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION WHEN ITS NEEDED MOST. WE BELIEVE WHEN PEOPLE ARE GIVEN KNOWLEDGE AND A WAY TO CONTRIBUTE, CHANGE HAPPENS. SOUND WATER STEWARDS COLLABORATES CLOSELY WITH LOCAL,STATE AND TRIBAL PARTNERS.Expenses $104,752 · revenue $12,266
- SOUND WATERS UNIVERSITY IS A ONE-DAY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EVENT, FOLLOWED BY AN OPTIONAL DAY OF FIELD TRIPS FOCUSING ON RELATED TOPICS IN MARINE SETTINGS. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED BY VOLUNTEER MEMBERS WHO GATHER EXPERTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL FIELDS TO EDUCATE MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. IN ADDITION TO KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, ATTENDEES MAY CHOOSE FROM A VARIETY OF CLASSES THAT COVER AREAS SUCH AS MARINE MAMMALS, FORAGE FISH HABITAT, SHORELINE RESTORATION, EFFECTS TO THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THE CONFERENCE DRAWS OVER 300 ATTENDEES WHO RATE THE CONTENT EXCEPTIONAL IN POST EVENT SURVEYS. THE UNIVERSITY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO ENGAGE WITH ATTENDEES, TO SHARE THEIR PURPOSE AND EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT. THE EVENT HELPS TO FUND OTHER INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.Expenses $16,676 · revenue $35,163
- OUR VOLUNTEER EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM TRAINS UP TO 40 STUDENTS ANNUALLY PARTICIPANTS LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF STEWARDING THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM SURROUNDING WHIDBEY AND CAMANO ISLANDS. STUDENTS COMMIT TO ENROLLING IN A 10 WEEK, RIGOROUS PROGRAM TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT MARINE LIFE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND HOW TO PROTECT OUR SHORELINES. TRAINED STEWARDS GIVE BACK BY VOLUNTEERING AND CONTRIBUTE OVER 17,000 HOURS ANNUALLY THROUGH NEARLY 30 PROJECTS THROUGH LONG TIME PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS WA DEPT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, SCIENTISTS FROM UNIVERSITIES AND LOCAL TRIBAL BIOLOGISTS. EDUCATION PROJECTS BUILD PUBLIC AWARENESS. COMMUNITY SCIENCE INITIATIVES MONITOR AND INFORM RESEARCHERS AND DECISION MAKERS ON THE HEALTH OF OUR SHORELINE, BLUFFS, WATER QUALITY, SHELLFISH HARVESTING AND MORE.Expenses $9,707 · revenue $5,825
- EXEC DIRECTOR ALLOCATES A PORTION OF HIS SALARY TO ALLOW FOR TIME SPENT ON CONCEPTS AND IDEAS FOR FUTURE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.Expenses $4,317
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-EZ on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990-EZ on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 81-0781793
- 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
- 2016
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Environment (C32)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $186,845
- Income (IRS master file)
- $273,032
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $263,354 | $201,214 | $186,845 | XML |
| 990-EZ | December 2024 | $187,630 | $186,856 | $124,595 | XML |
| 990-EZ | December 2023 | $154,536 | $218,457 | $123,692 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $201,398 | $190,344 | $191,987 | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-N for 2016 Officer: John Welsch | December 31, 2016 | ≤ $50,000 receipts | – | – | e-Postcard |
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 81-0781793).
Questions about SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY
- What is the EIN of SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY is 81-0781793.
- Is SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2016.
- Are donations to SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY 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 SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY 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 SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY 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 SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names ROBBIN BOYATT.
- Who are the officers and directors of SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 12 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $25,904 (FLORIAN GRANER, DIRECTOR).
- How much revenue does SOUND WATER STEWARDS OF ISLAND COUNTY have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $263,354, expenses of $201,214 and total assets of $186,845 at year end.
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