GATHERING WATERS INC: Form 990, tax year 2025

View the entire original 990 at ProPublica ↗

Organization: GATHERING WATERS INC (EIN 39-1805090)
Tax period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31
Filed: 2026-09-03
IRS object ID: 202602469349301520
Schema version: 2025v4.2
Source: Download XML · Original 990 at ProPublica

Every field in the e-filed return. Faint text is the IRS element name, for citing.

Return header
Form 990
Schedule A
Schedule B
Schedule C
Schedule D
Schedule M
Schedule O

Return header ReturnHeader

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Return	2026-09-03T14:40:39-05:00	ReturnTs
Tax Period End	2025-12-31	TaxPeriodEndDt

Preparer Firm PreparerFirmGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Preparer Firm EIN	390974031	PreparerFirmEIN

Preparer Firm Name PreparerFirmName

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Business Name Line1	WEGNER CPAS LLP	BusinessNameLine1Txt

Preparer US Address PreparerUSAddress

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Address Line1	2921 LANDMARK PL STE 300	AddressLine1Txt
City	MADISON	CityNm
State Abbreviation	WI	StateAbbreviationCd
ZIP	537134236	ZIPCd

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Return Type	990	ReturnTypeCd
Tax Period Begin	2025-01-01	TaxPeriodBeginDt

Filer Filer

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
EIN	391805090	EIN

Business Name BusinessName

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Business Name Line1	GATHERING WATERS INC	BusinessNameLine1Txt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Business Name Control	GATH	BusinessNameControlTxt
Phone	6082519131	PhoneNum

US Address USAddress

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Address Line1	211 SOUTH PATERSON STREET 270	AddressLine1Txt
City	MADISON	CityNm
State Abbreviation	WI	StateAbbreviationCd
ZIP	53703	ZIPCd

Business Officer BusinessOfficerGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Person	MICHAEL CARLSON	PersonNm
Person Title	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	PersonTitleTxt
Phone	6082519131	PhoneNum
Signature	2026-09-03	SignatureDt
Discuss With Paid Preparer	Yes (1)	DiscussWithPaidPreparerInd

Preparer Person PreparerPersonGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Preparer Person	HANNAH JENSEN CPA	PreparerPersonNm
PTIN	P01635171	PTIN
Phone	6082744020	PhoneNum
Preparation	2026-09-03	PreparationDt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Tax	2025	TaxYr

Form 990 IRS990

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Principal Officer	MICHAEL CARLSON	PrincipalOfficerNm

US Address USAddress

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Address Line1	211 SOUTH PATERSON STREET 270	AddressLine1Txt
City	MADISON	CityNm
State Abbreviation	WI	StateAbbreviationCd
ZIP	53703	ZIPCd

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Gross Receipts	$1,775,856	GrossReceiptsAmt
Group Return For Affiliates	0	GroupReturnForAffiliatesInd
Organization501c3	Yes (X)	Organization501c3Ind
Website Address	GATHERINGWATERS.ORG	WebsiteAddressTxt
Type Of Organization Corp	Yes (X)	TypeOfOrganizationCorpInd
Formation	1994	FormationYr
Legal Domicile State	WI	LegalDomicileStateCd
Activity Or Mission	TO HELP LAND TRUSTS, LANDOWNERS, AND COMMUNITIES PROTECT THE PLACES THAT MAKE WISCONSIN SPECIAL.	ActivityOrMissionDesc
Voting Members Governing Body	11	VotingMembersGoverningBodyCnt
Voting Members Independent	11	VotingMembersIndependentCnt
Total Employee	14	TotalEmployeeCnt
Total Volunteers	30	TotalVolunteersCnt
Total Gross UBI	$0	TotalGrossUBIAmt
Net Unrelated Bus Txbl Incm	$0	NetUnrelatedBusTxblIncmAmt
PY Contributions Grants	$1,236,443	PYContributionsGrantsAmt
CY Contributions Grants	$1,697,918	CYContributionsGrantsAmt
PY Program Service Revenue	$0	PYProgramServiceRevenueAmt
CY Program Service Revenue	$18,874	CYProgramServiceRevenueAmt
PY Investment Income	$56,450	PYInvestmentIncomeAmt
CY Investment Income	$59,064	CYInvestmentIncomeAmt
PY Other Revenue	$0	PYOtherRevenueAmt
CY Other Revenue	$0	CYOtherRevenueAmt
PY Total Revenue	$1,292,893	PYTotalRevenueAmt
CY Total Revenue	$1,775,856	CYTotalRevenueAmt
PY Grants And Similar Paid	$0	PYGrantsAndSimilarPaidAmt
CY Grants And Similar Paid	$0	CYGrantsAndSimilarPaidAmt
PY Benefits Paid To Members	$0	PYBenefitsPaidToMembersAmt
CY Benefits Paid To Members	$0	CYBenefitsPaidToMembersAmt
PY Salaries Comp Emp Bnft Paid	$898,551	PYSalariesCompEmpBnftPaidAmt
CY Salaries Comp Emp Bnft Paid	$967,014	CYSalariesCompEmpBnftPaidAmt
PY Total Prof Fndrsng Expns	$0	PYTotalProfFndrsngExpnsAmt
CY Total Prof Fndrsng Expns	$0	CYTotalProfFndrsngExpnsAmt
CY Total Fundraising Expense	$268,636	CYTotalFundraisingExpenseAmt
PY Other Expenses	$344,003	PYOtherExpensesAmt
CY Other Expenses	$423,392	CYOtherExpensesAmt
PY Total Expenses	$1,242,554	PYTotalExpensesAmt
CY Total Expenses	$1,390,406	CYTotalExpensesAmt
PY Revenues Less Expenses	$50,339	PYRevenuesLessExpensesAmt
CY Revenues Less Expenses	$385,450	CYRevenuesLessExpensesAmt
Total Assets BOY	$1,744,136	TotalAssetsBOYAmt
Total Assets EOY	$2,114,539	TotalAssetsEOYAmt
Total Liabilities BOY	$233,941	TotalLiabilitiesBOYAmt
Total Liabilities EOY	$204,006	TotalLiabilitiesEOYAmt
Net Assets Or Fund Balances BOY	$1,510,195	NetAssetsOrFundBalancesBOYAmt
Net Assets Or Fund Balances EOY	$1,910,533	NetAssetsOrFundBalancesEOYAmt
Info In Schedule O Part III	Yes (X)	InfoInScheduleOPartIIIInd
Mission	GATHERING WATERS (WISCONSIN'S ALLIANCE FOR LAND TRUSTS) STRENGTHENS LAND TRUSTS TO PROTECT WISCONSIN'S SPECIAL PLACES AND GROW HEALTHY, VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. THE STRONGER THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN GATHERING WATERS' STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS, LAND TRUST LEADERS, AND THE BROADER CONSERVATION COMMUNITY, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL WE ARE IN PROTECTING THE LANDS THAT PROVIDE SO MUCH VALUE TO ALL OF US.	MissionDesc
Significant New Program Srvc	0	SignificantNewProgramSrvcInd
Significant Change	0	SignificantChangeInd
Expense	$391,249	ExpenseAmt
Grant	$0	GrantAmt
Revenue	$18,874	RevenueAmt
Desc	EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH: EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, PROFESSIONALS, AND PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LAND CONSERVATION AND THE VOLUNTARY TOOLS AVAILABLE TO PERMANENTLY SET ASIDE PRIVATE LANDS FOR CONSERVATION. GATHERING WATERS MAINTAINS AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE AND PUBLISHES PAPER AND ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DURING 2025, GATHERING WATERS HELD A STATEWIDE CONFERENCE FOR LAND TRUSTS AND OTHER CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS WITH 130 PARTICIPANTS IN ATTENDANCE; HELD "LAND TRUST DAYS", TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEARLY 2,000 PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED BY WISCONSIN'S LAND TRUSTS ON LAND THAT THEY HAVE PROTECTED; AND HELD VARIOUS AWARD EVENTS HONORING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY LEADERS IN LAND CONSERVATION.	Desc

Prog Srvc Accom Acty2 ProgSrvcAccomActy2Grp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Expense	$362,164	ExpenseAmt
Grant	$0	GrantAmt
Revenue	$0	RevenueAmt
Desc	POLICY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: WORK WITH DECISION MAKERS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE STATE, LOCAL, AND FEDERAL POLICIES THAT SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE THE WORK OF LAND TRUSTS AND THE CONSERVATION OF PRIVATE LAND. SPECIFICALLY, GATHERING WATERS ADVOCATES FOR CONTINUATION OF FUNDING FOR THE KNOWLES NELSON STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM, A PROGRAM OF PUBLIC FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LAND IN WISCONSIN. IN 2025, GATHERING WATERS CONTINUED ITS EFFORTS TO CONNECT ELECTED OFFICIALS WITH THEIR LOCAL CONSTITUENTS AND WORKED WITH LAWMAKERS AND THE GOVERNOR TO IMPROVE HOW THE KNOWLES-NELSON STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM FUNCTIONS AND IS ADMINISTERED AND ADVOCATED AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE WEAKENED PROTECTIONS FOR PROTECTED LAND IN WISCONSIN.	Desc

Prog Srvc Accom Acty3 ProgSrvcAccomActy3Grp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Expense	$197,466	ExpenseAmt
Grant	$0	GrantAmt
Revenue	$0	RevenueAmt
Desc	TECHNICAL TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE: INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF MORE THAN FORTY WISCONSIN LAND TRUSTS AND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PEER LEARNING, AND WORKSHOPS. GATHERING WATERS WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE, A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LAND TRUSTS, TO OFFER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO WISCONSIN LAND TRUSTS. DURING 2025, GATHERING WATERS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES DIRECTLY TO WISCONSIN LAND TRUSTS THROUGH THE LAND CONSERVATION LAW PROGRAM.	Desc

Prog Srvc Accom Acty Other ProgSrvcAccomActyOtherGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Expense	$28,964	ExpenseAmt
Grant	$0	GrantAmt
Revenue	$0	RevenueAmt
Desc	PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION IN WISCONSIN, THROUGH CONSULTATION WITH LAND TRUSTS AND OTHER CONSERVATION LEADERS AND STRATEGIC PLANNING ACTIVITIES.	Desc

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Other Prog Srvc Expense	$28,964	TotalOtherProgSrvcExpenseAmt
Total Other Prog Srvc Grant	$0	TotalOtherProgSrvcGrantAmt
Total Other Prog Srvc Revenue	$0	TotalOtherProgSrvcRevenueAmt
Total Program Service Expenses	$979,843	TotalProgramServiceExpensesAmt
Described In Section501c3	Yes (1)	DescribedInSection501c3Ind
Schedule B Required	Yes (1)	ScheduleBRequiredInd
Political Campaign Acty	0	PoliticalCampaignActyInd
Lobbying Activities	Yes (1)	LobbyingActivitiesInd
Subject To Proxy Tax	0	SubjectToProxyTaxInd
Donor Advised Fund	0	DonorAdvisedFundInd
Conservation Easements	Yes (1)	ConservationEasementsInd
Collections Of Art	0	CollectionsOfArtInd
Credit Counseling	0	CreditCounselingInd
Donor Rstr Or Quasi Endowments	Yes (1)	DonorRstrOrQuasiEndowmentsInd
Report Land Building Equipment	0	ReportLandBuildingEquipmentInd
Report Investments Other Sec	Yes (1)	ReportInvestmentsOtherSecInd
Report Program Related Invst	0	ReportProgramRelatedInvstInd
Report Other Assets	Yes (1)	ReportOtherAssetsInd
Report Other Liabilities	Yes (1)	ReportOtherLiabilitiesInd
Include FIN48 Footnote	0	IncludeFIN48FootnoteInd
Independent Audit Fincl Stmt	Yes (1)	IndependentAuditFinclStmtInd
Consolidated Audit Fincl Stmt	0	ConsolidatedAuditFinclStmtInd
School Operating	0	SchoolOperatingInd
Foreign Office	0	ForeignOfficeInd
Foreign Activities	0	ForeignActivitiesInd
More Than5000 K To Org	0	MoreThan5000KToOrgInd
More Than5000 K To Individuals	0	MoreThan5000KToIndividualsInd
Professional Fundraising	0	ProfessionalFundraisingInd
Fundraising Activities	0	FundraisingActivitiesInd
Gaming Activities	0	GamingActivitiesInd
Operate Hospital	0	OperateHospitalInd
Grants To Organizations	0	GrantsToOrganizationsInd
Grants To Individuals	0	GrantsToIndividualsInd
Schedule J Required	0	ScheduleJRequiredInd
Tax Exempt Bonds	0	TaxExemptBondsInd
Engaged In Excess Benefit Trans	0	EngagedInExcessBenefitTransInd
PY Excess Benefit Trans	0	PYExcessBenefitTransInd
Loan Outstanding	0	LoanOutstandingInd
Grant To Related Person	0	GrantToRelatedPersonInd
Business Rln With Org Mem	0	BusinessRlnWithOrgMemInd
Business Rln With Fam Mem	0	BusinessRlnWithFamMemInd
Business Rln With35 Ctrl Ent	0	BusinessRlnWith35CtrlEntInd
Deductible Non Cash Contri	Yes (1)	DeductibleNonCashContriInd
Deductible Art Contribution	0	DeductibleArtContributionInd
Terminate Operations	0	TerminateOperationsInd
Partial Liquidation	0	PartialLiquidationInd
Disregarded Entity	0	DisregardedEntityInd
Related Entity	0	RelatedEntityInd
Related Organization Ctrl Ent	0	RelatedOrganizationCtrlEntInd
Trnsfr Exmpt Non Chrtbl Rltd Org	0	TrnsfrExmptNonChrtblRltdOrgInd
Activities Conducted Prtshp	0	ActivitiesConductedPrtshpInd
Schedule O Required	Yes (1)	ScheduleORequiredInd
IRP Document	10	IRPDocumentCnt
IRP Document W2 G	0	IRPDocumentW2GCnt
Employee	14	EmployeeCnt
Employment Tax Returns Filed	Yes (1)	EmploymentTaxReturnsFiledInd
Unrelated Bus Incm Over Limit	0	UnrelatedBusIncmOverLimitInd
Foreign Financial Account	0	ForeignFinancialAccountInd
Prohibited Tax Shelter Trans	0	ProhibitedTaxShelterTransInd
Taxable Party Notification	0	TaxablePartyNotificationInd
Nondeductible Contributions	0	NondeductibleContributionsInd
Quid Pro Quo Contributions	0	QuidProQuoContributionsInd
Form8282 Property Disposed Of	0	Form8282PropertyDisposedOfInd
Rcv Fnds To Pay Prsnl Bnft Cntrct	0	RcvFndsToPayPrsnlBnftCntrctInd
Pay Premiums Prsnl Bnft Cntrct	0	PayPremiumsPrsnlBnftCntrctInd
Indoor Tanning Services	0	IndoorTanningServicesInd
Subj To Tax Rmnrtn Ex Prcht Pymt	0	SubjToTaxRmnrtnExPrchtPymtInd
Subject To Excs Tax Net Invst Inc	0	SubjectToExcsTaxNetInvstIncInd
Info In Schedule O Part VI	Yes (X)	InfoInScheduleOPartVIInd
Governing Body Voting Members	11	GoverningBodyVotingMembersCnt
Independent Voting Member	11	IndependentVotingMemberCnt
Family Or Business Rln	0	FamilyOrBusinessRlnInd
Delegation Of Mgmt Duties	0	DelegationOfMgmtDutiesInd
Change To Org Documents	0	ChangeToOrgDocumentsInd
Material Diversion Or Misuse	0	MaterialDiversionOrMisuseInd
Members Or Stockholders	0	MembersOrStockholdersInd
Election Of Board Members	0	ElectionOfBoardMembersInd
Decisions Subject To Approva	0	DecisionsSubjectToApprovaInd
Minutes Of Governing Body	Yes (1)	MinutesOfGoverningBodyInd
Minutes Of Committees	Yes (1)	MinutesOfCommitteesInd
Officer Mailing Address	0	OfficerMailingAddressInd
Local Chapters	0	LocalChaptersInd
Form990 Provided To Gvrn Body	Yes (1)	Form990ProvidedToGvrnBodyInd
Conflict Of Interest Policy	Yes (1)	ConflictOfInterestPolicyInd
Annual Disclosure Covered Prsn	Yes (1)	AnnualDisclosureCoveredPrsnInd
Regular Monitoring Enfrc	Yes (1)	RegularMonitoringEnfrcInd
Whistleblower Policy	Yes (1)	WhistleblowerPolicyInd
Document Retention Policy	Yes (1)	DocumentRetentionPolicyInd
Compensation Process CEO	Yes (1)	CompensationProcessCEOInd
Compensation Process Other	0	CompensationProcessOtherInd
Investment In Joint Venture	0	InvestmentInJointVentureInd
States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld	IL	StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd
States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld	MN	StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd
States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld	WI	StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd
Upon Request	Yes (X)	UponRequestInd

Books In Care Of Detail BooksInCareOfDetail

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Person	MICHAEL CARLSON	PersonNm
Phone	6082519131	PhoneNum

US Address USAddress

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Address Line1	211 S PATERSON ST SUITE 270	AddressLine1Txt
City	MADISON	CityNm
State Abbreviation	WI	StateAbbreviationCd
ZIP	53703	ZIPCd

Form990 Part VII Section A Form990PartVIISectionAGrp (13 entries)

TitleTitleTxt	Average Hours Per WeekAverageHoursPerWeekRt	Individual Trustee Or DirectorIndividualTrusteeOrDirectorInd	OfficerOfficerInd	Reportable Comp From OrgReportableCompFromOrgAmt	Reportable Comp From Rltd OrgReportableCompFromRltdOrgAmt	Other CompensationOtherCompensationAmt
CAROL ABRAHAMZON
CHAIR	1.00	Yes (X)	Yes (X)	$0	$0	$0
BECKY STEINHOFF
VICE-CHAIR	1.00	Yes (X)	Yes (X)	$0	$0	$0
JEFF OTTUM
SECRETARY	1.00	Yes (X)	Yes (X)	$0	$0	$0
CAROL FISHER
TREASURER	1.00	Yes (X)	Yes (X)	$0	$0	$0
KEVIN THUSIUS
DIRECTOR (THRU JULY)	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
VANESSA WISHART
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
STEPHANIE VRABEC
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
MARJIE TOMTER
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
NICOLE VAN HELDEN
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
KIERAN COE
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
KIM PEMBLE
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
MARK HERMAN
DIRECTOR	1.00	Yes (X)		$0	$0	$0
MICHAEL CARLSON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	40.00		Yes (X)	$110,668	$0	$24,308

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Reportable Comp From Org	$110,668	TotalReportableCompFromOrgAmt
Tot Reportable Comp Rltd Org	$0	TotReportableCompRltdOrgAmt
Total Other Compensation	$24,308	TotalOtherCompensationAmt
Indiv Rcvd Greater Than100 K	1	IndivRcvdGreaterThan100KCnt
Former Ofcr Employees Listed	0	FormerOfcrEmployeesListedInd
Total Comp Greater Than150 K	0	TotalCompGreaterThan150KInd
Compensation From Other Srcs	0	CompensationFromOtherSrcsInd
Cntrct Rcvd Greater Than100 K	0	CntrctRcvdGreaterThan100KCnt
Federated Campaigns	$14,192	FederatedCampaignsAmt
All Other Contributions	$1,683,726	AllOtherContributionsAmt
Noncash Contributions	$371,236	NoncashContributionsAmt
Total Contributions	$1,697,918	TotalContributionsAmt

Program Service Revenue ProgramServiceRevenueGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Desc	CONFERENCE	Desc
Business	611430	BusinessCd
Total Revenue Column	$18,874	TotalRevenueColumnAmt
Related Or Exempt Func Income	$18,874	RelatedOrExemptFuncIncomeAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Program Service Revenue	$18,874	TotalProgramServiceRevenueAmt

Investment Income InvestmentIncomeGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Revenue Column	$45,760	TotalRevenueColumnAmt
Exclusion	$45,760	ExclusionAmt

Gross Amount Sales Assets GrossAmountSalesAssetsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Securities	$13,304	SecuritiesAmt

Less Cost Oth Basis Sales Expnss LessCostOthBasisSalesExpnssGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Securities	$0	SecuritiesAmt

Gain Or Loss GainOrLossGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Securities	$13,304	SecuritiesAmt

Net Gain Or Loss Investments NetGainOrLossInvestmentsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Revenue Column	$13,304	TotalRevenueColumnAmt
Exclusion	$13,304	ExclusionAmt

Total Revenue TotalRevenueGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Revenue Column	$1,775,856	TotalRevenueColumnAmt
Related Or Exempt Func Income	$18,874	RelatedOrExemptFuncIncomeAmt
Unrelated Business Revenue	$0	UnrelatedBusinessRevenueAmt
Exclusion	$59,064	ExclusionAmt

Comp Current Ofcr Directors CompCurrentOfcrDirectorsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$134,976	TotalAmt
Program Services	$92,864	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$19,518	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$22,594	FundraisingAmt

Other Salaries And Wages OtherSalariesAndWagesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$661,953	TotalAmt
Program Services	$456,672	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$67,534	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$137,747	FundraisingAmt

Pension Plan Contributions PensionPlanContributionsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$34,302	TotalAmt
Program Services	$23,653	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$3,747	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$6,902	FundraisingAmt

Other Employee Benefits OtherEmployeeBenefitsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$78,779	TotalAmt
Program Services	$54,323	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$8,606	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$15,850	FundraisingAmt

Payroll Taxes PayrollTaxesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$57,004	TotalAmt
Program Services	$39,308	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$6,227	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$11,469	FundraisingAmt

Fees For Services Accounting FeesForServicesAccountingGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$13,000	TotalAmt
Management And General	$13,000	ManagementAndGeneralAmt

Fees For Services Lobbying FeesForServicesLobbyingGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$48,000	TotalAmt
Program Services	$48,000	ProgramServicesAmt

Fees For Services Other FeesForServicesOtherGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$33,214	TotalAmt
Program Services	$27,490	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$4,289	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$1,435	FundraisingAmt

Office Expenses OfficeExpensesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$15,013	TotalAmt
Program Services	$7,708	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$1,013	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$6,292	FundraisingAmt

Information Technology InformationTechnologyGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$20,114	TotalAmt
Program Services	$19,493	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$218	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$403	FundraisingAmt

Occupancy OccupancyGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$53,012	TotalAmt
Program Services	$30,926	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$13,062	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$9,024	FundraisingAmt

Travel TravelGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$17,200	TotalAmt
Program Services	$14,592	ProgramServicesAmt
Fundraising	$2,608	FundraisingAmt

Conferences Meetings ConferencesMeetingsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$91,694	TotalAmt
Program Services	$83,623	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$892	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$7,179	FundraisingAmt

Insurance InsuranceGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$7,094	TotalAmt
Program Services	$4,892	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$775	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$1,427	FundraisingAmt

Other Expenses OtherExpensesGrp (2 entries)

DescDesc	TotalTotalAmt	Program ServicesProgramServicesAmt	Management And GeneralManagementAndGeneralAmt	FundraisingFundraisingAmt
PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUN	$79,776	$38,352	$763	$40,661
DUES, FEES, AND SUBSCRI	$37,562	$32,314	$1,551	$3,697

All Other Expenses AllOtherExpensesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$7,713	TotalAmt
Program Services	$5,633	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$732	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$1,348	FundraisingAmt

Total Functional Expenses TotalFunctionalExpensesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total	$1,390,406	TotalAmt
Program Services	$979,843	ProgramServicesAmt
Management And General	$141,927	ManagementAndGeneralAmt
Fundraising	$268,636	FundraisingAmt

Cash Non Interest Bearing CashNonInterestBearingGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$24,912	BOYAmt
EOY	$93,689	EOYAmt

Savings And Temp Cash Invst SavingsAndTempCashInvstGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$167,155	BOYAmt
EOY	$140,024	EOYAmt

Pledges And Grants Receivable PledgesAndGrantsReceivableGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$302,084	BOYAmt
EOY	$235,675	EOYAmt

Prepaid Expenses Defrd Charges PrepaidExpensesDefrdChargesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$23,312	BOYAmt
EOY	$22,727	EOYAmt

Investments Pub Traded Sec InvestmentsPubTradedSecGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$715,641	BOYAmt
EOY	$830,669	EOYAmt

Investments Other Securities InvestmentsOtherSecuritiesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$331,964	BOYAmt
EOY	$285,962	EOYAmt

Other Assets Total OtherAssetsTotalGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$179,068	BOYAmt
EOY	$505,793	EOYAmt

Total Assets TotalAssetsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$1,744,136	BOYAmt
EOY	$2,114,539	EOYAmt

Accounts Payable Accr Expnss AccountsPayableAccrExpnssGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$42,736	BOYAmt
EOY	$49,133	EOYAmt

Deferred Revenue DeferredRevenueGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$2,741	BOYAmt
EOY	$0	EOYAmt

Other Liabilities OtherLiabilitiesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$188,464	BOYAmt
EOY	$154,873	EOYAmt

Total Liabilities TotalLiabilitiesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$233,941	BOYAmt
EOY	$204,006	EOYAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Organization Follows FASB117	Yes (X)	OrganizationFollowsFASB117Ind

No Donor Restriction Net Assets NoDonorRestrictionNetAssetsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$964,145	BOYAmt
EOY	$1,426,783	EOYAmt

Donor Restriction Net Assets DonorRestrictionNetAssetsGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$546,050	BOYAmt
EOY	$483,750	EOYAmt

Total Net Assets Fund Balance TotalNetAssetsFundBalanceGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$1,510,195	BOYAmt
EOY	$1,910,533	EOYAmt

Tot Liab Net Assets Fund Balance TotLiabNetAssetsFundBalanceGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
BOY	$1,744,136	BOYAmt
EOY	$2,114,539	EOYAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Reconcilation Revenue Expnss	$385,450	ReconcilationRevenueExpnssAmt
Net Unrlzd Gains Losses Invst	$14,888	NetUnrlzdGainsLossesInvstAmt
Other Changes In Net Assets	$0	OtherChangesInNetAssetsAmt
Method Of Accounting Accrual	Yes (X)	MethodOfAccountingAccrualInd
Accountant Compile Or Review	0	AccountantCompileOrReviewInd
FS Audited	Yes (1)	FSAuditedInd

FS Audited Basis FSAuditedBasisGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Separate Basis Fincl Stmt	Yes (X)	SeparateBasisFinclStmtInd

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Audit Committee	Yes (1)	AuditCommitteeInd
Federal Grant Audit Required	0	FederalGrantAuditRequiredInd

Schedule A IRS990ScheduleA

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Public Organization170	Yes (X)	PublicOrganization170Ind

Gifts Grants Contri Rcvd170 GiftsGrantsContriRcvd170Grp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Current Tax Year Minus4 Years	$766,836	CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus3 Years	$1,146,187	CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus2 Years	$1,154,930	CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus1 Year	$1,236,443	CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt
Current Tax Year	$1,697,918	CurrentTaxYearAmt
Total	$6,002,314	TotalAmt

Total Calendar Year170 TotalCalendarYear170Grp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Current Tax Year Minus4 Years	$766,836	CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus3 Years	$1,146,187	CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus2 Years	$1,154,930	CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus1 Year	$1,236,443	CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt
Current Tax Year	$1,697,918	CurrentTaxYearAmt
Total	$6,002,314	TotalAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Substantial Contributors Tot	$2,014,283	SubstantialContributorsTotAmt
Public Support Total170	$3,988,031	PublicSupportTotal170Amt

Gross Investment Income170 GrossInvestmentIncome170Grp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Current Tax Year Minus4 Years	$3,597	CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus3 Years	$2,648	CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus2 Years	$32,195	CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus1 Year	$56,447	CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt
Current Tax Year	$45,760	CurrentTaxYearAmt
Total	$140,647	TotalAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Support	$6,142,961	TotalSupportAmt
Gross Receipts Rltd Activities	$53,537	GrossReceiptsRltdActivitiesAmt
Public Support CY170	0.64920	PublicSupportCY170Pct
Public Support PY170	0.63000	PublicSupportPY170Pct
Thirty Thr Pct Suprt Tests CY170	Yes (X)	ThirtyThrPctSuprtTestsCY170Ind

Schedule B IRS990ScheduleB

Contributor Information ContributorInformationGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Contributor	RESTRICTED	ContributorNum

Contributor Business Name ContributorBusinessName

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Business Name Line1	RESTRICTED	BusinessNameLine1

Contributor US Address ContributorUSAddress

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Address Line1	RESTRICTED	AddressLine1
Address Line2	RESTRICTED	AddressLine2
City	RESTRICTED	City
State	RESTRICTED	State
ZIP Code	RESTRICTED	ZIPCode

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Contributions	RESTRICTED	TotalContributionsAmt

Schedule C IRS990ScheduleC

Total Grassroots Lobbying TotalGrassrootsLobbyingGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$0	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Total Direct Lobbying TotalDirectLobbyingGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$56,504	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Total Lobbying Expend TotalLobbyingExpendGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$56,504	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Other Exempt Purpose Expend OtherExemptPurposeExpendGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$1,333,902	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Total Exempt Purpose Expend TotalExemptPurposeExpendGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$1,390,406	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Lobbying Nontaxable Amount LobbyingNontaxableAmountGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$214,041	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Grassroots Nontaxable GrassrootsNontaxableGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$53,510	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Tot Lbbyng Grassroot Mns Non Tx TotLbbyngGrassrootMnsNonTxGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$0	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Tot Lbby Expend Mns Lbbyng Non Tx TotLbbyExpendMnsLbbyngNonTxGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Filing Organizations Total	$0	FilingOrganizationsTotalAmt

Avg Lobbying Nontaxable Amount AvgLobbyingNontaxableAmountGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Current Year Minus3	$164,428	CurrentYearMinus3Amt
Current Year Minus2	$186,450	CurrentYearMinus2Amt
Current Year Minus1	$199,255	CurrentYearMinus1Amt
Current Year	$214,041	CurrentYearAmt
Total	$764,174	TotalAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Lobbying Ceiling	$1,146,261	LobbyingCeilingAmt

Avg Total Lobbying Expend AvgTotalLobbyingExpendGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Current Year Minus3	$5,000	CurrentYearMinus3Amt
Current Year Minus2	$31,100	CurrentYearMinus2Amt
Current Year Minus1	$14,500	CurrentYearMinus1Amt
Current Year	$56,504	CurrentYearAmt
Total	$107,104	TotalAmt

Avg Grassroots Nontaxable AvgGrassrootsNontaxableGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Current Year Minus3	$41,107	CurrentYearMinus3Amt
Current Year Minus2	$46,613	CurrentYearMinus2Amt
Current Year Minus1	$49,814	CurrentYearMinus1Amt
Current Year	$53,510	CurrentYearAmt
Total	$191,044	TotalAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Grassroots Ceiling	$286,566	GrassrootsCeilingAmt

Schedule D IRS990ScheduleD

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Preservation Public Use	Yes (X)	PreservationPublicUseInd
Protection Natural Habitat	Yes (X)	ProtectionNaturalHabitatInd
Preservation Open Space	Yes (X)	PreservationOpenSpaceInd
Historic Land Area	Yes (X)	HistoricLandAreaInd
Total Easements	1	TotalEasementsCnt
Total Acreage	210.00	TotalAcreageCnt
Historic Structure Easements	0	HistoricStructureEasementsCnt
Historic Strctr Easements Aftr	0	HistoricStrctrEasementsAftrCnt
Modified Easements	0	ModifiedEasementsCnt
States Easements Held	1	StatesEasementsHeldCnt
Written Policy Monitoring	Yes (1)	WrittenPolicyMonitoringInd
Staff Hours Spent Enforcement	10.00	StaffHoursSpentEnforcementCnt
Expenses Incurred Enforcement	$500	ExpensesIncurredEnforcementAmt
Section170h Rqr Stsfd	Yes (1)	Section170hRqrStsfdInd

CY Endwmt Fund CYEndwmtFundGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Beginning Year Balance	$10,750	BeginningYearBalanceAmt
End Year Balance	$10,750	EndYearBalanceAmt

CY Minus1 Yr Endwmt Fund CYMinus1YrEndwmtFundGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Beginning Year Balance	$10,750	BeginningYearBalanceAmt
End Year Balance	$10,750	EndYearBalanceAmt

CY Minus2 Yr Endwmt Fund CYMinus2YrEndwmtFundGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Beginning Year Balance	$10,750	BeginningYearBalanceAmt
End Year Balance	$10,750	EndYearBalanceAmt

CY Minus3 Yr Endwmt Fund CYMinus3YrEndwmtFundGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Beginning Year Balance	$10,750	BeginningYearBalanceAmt
End Year Balance	$10,750	EndYearBalanceAmt

CY Minus4 Yr Endwmt Fund CYMinus4YrEndwmtFundGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Beginning Year Balance	$10,750	BeginningYearBalanceAmt
Investment Earnings Or Losses	$339	InvestmentEarningsOrLossesAmt
Other Expenditures	$339	OtherExpendituresAmt
End Year Balance	$10,750	EndYearBalanceAmt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Board Designated Balance EOY	0.00000	BoardDesignatedBalanceEOYPct
Prmnnt Endowment Balance EOY	1.00000	PrmnntEndowmentBalanceEOYPct
Term Endowment Balance EOY	0.00000	TermEndowmentBalanceEOYPct
Endowments Held Unrelated Org	0	EndowmentsHeldUnrelatedOrgInd
Endowments Held Related Org	0	EndowmentsHeldRelatedOrgInd
Total Book Value Land Buildings	$0	TotalBookValueLandBuildingsAmt

Other Securities OtherSecuritiesGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Desc	CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	Desc
Book Value	$285,962	BookValueAmt
Method Valuation	F	MethodValuationCd

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Book Value Securities	$285,962	TotalBookValueSecuritiesAmt

Other Assets Org OtherAssetsOrgGrp (2 entries)

DescDesc	Book ValueBookValueAmt
OPERATING LEASE RIGHT-OF-USE ASSET	$145,031
REAL ESTATE HELD FOR SALE	$360,762

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Book Value Other Assets	$505,793	TotalBookValueOtherAssetsAmt

Other Liabilities Org OtherLiabilitiesOrgGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Desc	OPERATING LEASE LIABILITY	Desc
Amt	$154,873	Amt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Total Liability	$154,873	TotalLiabilityAmt
Total Rev Etc Audited Fincl Stmt	$1,790,744	TotalRevEtcAuditedFinclStmtAmt
Net Unrealized Gains Invst	$14,888	NetUnrealizedGainsInvstAmt
Revenue Not Reported	$14,888	RevenueNotReportedAmt
Revenue Subtotal	$1,775,856	RevenueSubtotalAmt
Revenue Not Reported Fincl Stmt	$0	RevenueNotReportedFinclStmtAmt
Total Revenue Per Form990	$1,775,856	TotalRevenuePerForm990Amt
Tot Expns Etc Audited Fincl Stmt	$1,390,406	TotExpnsEtcAuditedFinclStmtAmt
Expenses Not Reported	$0	ExpensesNotReportedAmt
Expenses Subtotal	$1,390,406	ExpensesSubtotalAmt
Expenses Not Rpt Fincl Stmt	$0	ExpensesNotRptFinclStmtAmt
Total Expenses Per Form990	$1,390,406	TotalExpensesPerForm990Amt

Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail (3 entries)

Form And Line ReferenceFormAndLineReferenceDesc	ExplanationExplanationTxt
PART II, LINE 5:	GATHERING WATERS' POLICY IS TO MONITOR EASEMENTS ANNUALLY, DOCUMENT THE RESULTS OF ANNUAL MONITORING, AND COMMUNICATE THE RESULTS OF ANNUAL MONITORING TO THE LANDOWNER. VIOLATIONS OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ARE RESOLVED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
PART II, LINE 9:	GATHERING WATERS RECORDS THE PURCHASE OF EASEMENTS AS AN EXPENSE IN THE YEAR OF PURCHASE. NO ASSET OR LIABILITY IS RECOGNIZED IN CONNECTION WITH EASEMENT PURCHASES. DONATED EASEMENTS ARE NOT ASSIGNED A VALUE IN THE ACCOUNTING RECORDS.
PART V, LINE 4:	GATHERING WATERS' ENDOWMENT IS A DONOR RESTRICTED ENDOWMENT FUND ESTABLISHED TO FUND INTERNSHIPS.

Schedule M IRS990ScheduleM

Real Estate Other RealEstateOtherGrp

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Non Cash Checkbox	Yes (X)	NonCashCheckboxInd
Contribution	1	ContributionCnt
Noncash Contributions Rpt F990	$352,000	NoncashContributionsRptF990Amt
Method Of Determining Revenues	FAIR MARKET VALUE	MethodOfDeterminingRevenuesTxt

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Form8283 Received	0	Form8283ReceivedCnt
Any Property That Must Be Held	0	AnyPropertyThatMustBeHeldInd
Review Process Unusual NC Gifts	Yes (1)	ReviewProcessUnusualNCGiftsInd
Third Parties Used	0	ThirdPartiesUsedInd

Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail

Field	Value	IRS element (for citing)
Form And Line Reference	PART I, COLUMN (B):	FormAndLineReferenceDesc
Explanation	THE ORGANIZATION IS REPORTING THE NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTORS IN COLUMN (B).	ExplanationTxt

Schedule O IRS990ScheduleO

Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail (4 entries)

Form And Line ReferenceFormAndLineReferenceDesc	ExplanationExplanationTxt
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B	THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF GATHERING WATERS, WHICH INCLUDES MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, REVIEWS THE FORM 990 PRIOR TO FILING. IN ADDITION, GATHERING WATERS MAKES THE FORM AVAILABLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT PRIOR TO FILING.
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C	THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REVIEWS CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENTS COMPLETED ANNUALLY BY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND COMMUNICATES TO APPLICABLE BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ARE EXPECTED TO EXCUSE THEMSELVES FROM PARTICIPATING IN DELIBERATION AND DECISION MAKING ABOUT MATTERS INVOLVING THE CONFLICT.
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 15A	THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AUTHORIZES THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COMPENSATION ANNUALLY, BASED IN PART ON INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM INFORMALLY SURVEYING COMPENSATION PAID BY COMPARABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY OTHER AVAILABLE SURVEYS. MOST RECENTLY, THE COMMITTEE CONSULTED THE DANE COUNTY AND THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE SALARY SURVEYS.
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19	GATHERING WATERS' AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FORM 990 ARE AVAILABLE ON THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE; ITS GOVERNING DOCUMENTS AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY ARE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST.