2009 Annual Report - Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Dear friend of the rivers,
June 2010
We have much to celebrate! October 1, 2008 through September
30, 2009 was a banner year for Milwaukee Riverkeeper. We
continued to expand and strengthen our core programs to protect
and restore the Milwaukee River Basin.
In April, we held our largest annual river cleanup to date with
volunteers fanning out along stretches of the Menomonee,
Kinnickinnic and Milwaukee Rivers. During the months of May
and June we trained a new class of recruits for our Volunteer
Water Quality Monitoring Program; our volunteers performed
monthly sampling of water quality parameters throughout the
watershed, providing valuable data about the condition of our
rivers and upon which management decisions can be based.
We also made progress detecting and monitoring for “hot
spot” sources of harmful bacteria in the Menomonee River and
its tributaries. As part of our efforts with the Southeastern
Wisconsin Watershed Trust (Sweet Water), we tested 141
stormwater outfalls. We found that nearly half were positive for
human fecal pollution, confirming that human sewage is entering
into the stormwater system due to illicit cross connections
between storm and sanitary sewers and failing infrastructure.
Armed with this information, we were able to move forward to prioritize areas for sewer
line repair and further evaluation.
Organizationally, the year was marked by several major changes. In December Lynn
Broaddus stepped down as Executive Director to lead environmental programs at the
Johnson Foundation. Cheryl Nenn, our Riverkeeper, served as Interim Director through
the balance of the year, which culminated in the hiring a new Executive Director, Karen
M. Schapiro, an environmental lawyer and the former Executive Director of Midwest
Environmental Advocates. Karen notes: “Although my signature appears on this report,
Cheryl deserves all the credit for leading Milwaukee Riverkeeper during the past year.”
Additional talent also came with the hiring of Paul Schwarzkopf as Outreach
Coordinator. Paul is no stranger to our organization after having served as a Public Allies
volunteer. We bid a fond farewell to Laura Maker, our devoted Development Manager
who departed in August to pursue an MBA, and Jason Schroeder, our dedicated Water
Quality Assistant.
We close with warm thanks to the Board of Directors, who provided unparalleled
guidance and support during the year. We also wish to express gratitude to our members
and contributors whose commitment affirm our mission to protect water quality and
wildlife habitat in the river corridors.
2008-2009 Members and Donors
We are indebted to the many individuals and organizations who made donations in 2008/2009.
Due to space limitations, we regret that we cannot list them all.
$10,000 and up
Bayshore Town Center
Brico Fund
Forest County Potawatomi
Community Foundation
Helen Bader Foundation
Joyce Foundation
MillerCoors
$5,000 and up
Dawes (Gretchen and Andrew) Charitable Trust
Donors Forum of Wisconsin
Godfrey (Constance P.) Trust
Lux Foundation, Inc.
Nonprofit Management Fund
Schoenleber Foundation
Shirley & John Jeffrey
Steigleder (Bert L. & Patricia S.)
Charitable Trust
We Energies
$1,000 and up
American Transmission Co.
Forrer Business Interiors
Lynn Broaddus & Marc Gorelick
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Nancy Aten & Dan Collins
Norcross Wildlife Foundation
Quentin & Cathy Rose
Raymond & Janice Perry
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
River Network
Seder Family Foundation
$500 and up
Anne & Fred Vogel
Audrey Gabrovic
Ann Terwilliger
Baird (Robert W.) & Co.
Foundation
Brian & Sue Lanser
Donald (Arthur J. ) Family
Foundation
James Taylor
Jodi Segal & Jim Taylor
Mike Uihlein
Robert Welker & Virginia Linabury
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Anthony Handzlik, Esq.
Board President
Karen Schaprio, J.D.
Executive Director
Susan Winecki & Richard
Bergholz
$250 and up
Anonymous
Demaris & Gontran Kenwood
Eddee Daniel & Lynn Kapitan
Francisco Martorell
Herbert H. Kohl Charities
Mike & Brie Lindemann
Richard Frecska
$100 and up
Anonymous (8)
Alan Hirsh
Ann Brummitt
Bechtel Family
Beverly Schwabe
Bob Fuller
Charles & Mary Kamps
Christopher White
Chrysa Murphy
Craig Jordan
Dale & Joelyn Olen
Darcy & Larry Gill
David & Debbie Ciepluch
David & Diane Wolfson
David Brittain
David Zalewski
Diane Strelow
Doug Bower & Josie Cusma
Emmely Gideon
Gareth Stevens
Gerilynne Nolan
Gisela & Doug Drysdale
Glendale Womans Club
Greg & Jean Wilde
Harriet Iwamoto & Colin Rudolph
Henry & Jean Kranendonk
Janet Lew Carr
Janet Mataszak
Jeffrey Stapleton
Jim & Katie Gennrich
Jim & Kay Koneazny
Jim Seder
John Bahr
John Mulhern
John Schafer
Karen Huth
Karen Johnson & James Toth
Karen Schapiro & Douglas Frazer
Kathleen Barry & Richard
Sternkopf
Kathleen Bates
Kathy & John DeCarlo
Kayvon & Patricia Safavi
Keith Oldham
Kent & Jill Morin
Kevin Stone & Marion Livingstone
Leonard Sobczak
Linda Grunau
Lisa & Roy Bixby
Lucille Rosenberg
Lucy Cooper
Marilyn Hildebrand
Mary Louise & Jack Magnuson
Michael Briselli & Jeannee Sacke
Michael & Mary Ellen Mervis
Mike & Michele Arney
Miriam Reading
Nadine Bergstrom
Paul Vandeveld
Peter McNamara
Raymond Weiss
Rebecca Speckhard & David
Perez
Richard & Joan Abdoo
Rob Guilbert
Scott & Lorrie Heins
Scott Silet
Sharon Muendel
Susan Winans & Judy Krause
Ted & Harriet Purtell
Terry Leahy
Tim & Ellen Murphy
Tim & Jan Schafer
Tony & Joan Handzlik
Wendy Walcott
Wendy Watson
Whitefish Bay Woman’s Club
William & Eva Rumpf
William Elliott
a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance
1845 N. Farwell Avenue | Suite 100 | Milwaukee, WI 53202
www.milwaukeeriverkeeper.org
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Annual Report
October 1, 2008 - September 30, 2009
Board of Directors 2008-2009
Anthony Handzlik, Esq.
President
We envision a future in which people from all walks of life will be able to enjoy the
healthy waterways of the Milwaukee River Basin.
Dan Gray
Vice President
Our mission is to protect water quality and wildlife habitat in the river corridors and
to advocate for sound land use in the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic River
Watersheds.
Eddee Daniel
Secretary
Adam Kapusta
Treasurer
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is a licensed member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an
international coalition ensuring clean water and strong communities.
Cover images by Troy Freund, Laura Maker, and Eddee Daniel (respectively)
9,549
40
N/A
0
Total Liabilities
8,803
10,309 Francisco Martorell
NET ASSETS
Unrestricted
Temporarily Restricted Permanently Restricted
16,165
441,234
30,773
(5,040) 248,266
34,718
Dale Olen, Ph.D.
Total Net Assets
488,172
277,944
Susan Winecki, D. Min.
Total Liabilities and Net Assets
Howard Caplan
John Grunau
Our 2009 River Cleanup was our biggest to date, with 3,300 volunteers
participating at 45 river cleanup sites. Volunteers cleaned over 100,000 pounds of
trash from rivers and streams ranging from Kewaskum to Milwaukee and all the
way out to Brookfield.
A milestone ws achieved in the dredging and removal
of 170,000 cubic yards of contaminated PCBladen sediment from the Kinnickinnic River on
Milwaukee’s south side. The cleanup was the result
of many years of collaboration between the EPA,
Army Corps of Engineers, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources and local stakeholders, including
Milwaukee Riverkeeper. Our advocacy efforts helped
bring federal attention to the polluted condition of
the river and $22 million dollars in cleanup funds
Mike Lindemann
Senior Water Advocacy Network
Staff 2008-2009
Milwaukee Riverkeeper recruited and trained 31 older
adults who participated in our third annual SWAN
(Senior Water Advocary Network) workshop. The
program taught participants about water quality
issues and gave them tools to become advocates for
local waterways.
Lynn E. Broaddus Ph.D., M.B.A.
Executive Director (until 12/09)
Citizen-Based Water Quality Monitoring Program
Riverkeeper trained 39 new citizen volunteers to perform water quality testing on
rivers and streams throughout the region. The volunteers collect data that are used
by Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and other
agencies to evaluate the health of our rivers and to prioritize restoration and riverimprovement projects.
Milwaukee River Greenway (aka Central Park)
As part of the Milwaukee River Work Group, Milwaukee Riverkeeper worked
to create guidelines, known as an Overlay District for the Milwaukee River
Greenway, an area of riverfront land along 8 miles of the Milwaukee River in central
Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Common Council recently passed legislation and
zoning to protect this area from development and to help improve public access.
Arts and Rivers Contest & Gallery Night
Milwaukee Riverkeeper held its first Gallery Night
to showcase the entries from our Arts and Rivers
Contest. Professional and amateur artists from
around the Milwaukee area showcased their work to
over 100 guests on a Friday night in December. Each
work expressed our local rivers in its own way, ranging
from watercolors and arcylic paintings to infared
photography and painted poetry. The contest was
judged and awards were given to the top four artists.
$1,299
104,491
85
39,096
29,328
93,458
1,816
3,263 15,417
784 109 7,910
0
Nancy Aten, M.S., M.L.A.
14th Annual Spring River Cleanup
As part of the Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed Trust (Sweet Water), Milwaukee
Riverkeeper tested 144 storm water outfalls along a 9.5 mile stretch on the
Menomonee River, and portions of Honey and Underwood Creeks. We found that
45% of the samples collected contained a genetic marker for human sewage when
they should have just contained runoff from the land. We are now working with
local municipalities to combat this problem and stop the flow of sewage to our local
rivers.
Sept. 30, 2008
$496,975
Kinnickinnic River Activism
Bacteria Monitoring
ASSETS
Sept. 30, 2009
Cash
Checking $8,616
Money Market
152,584
Petty Cash
200
Certificates of Deposit
34,431 Assets held by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation 30,773
Grants and Pledges Receivable
253,540
Rent Security Deposit
1,816
Other
1,081
Fixed Assets, net
12,323
Total Assets
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Accounts Payable
Sales Tax Payable
Payroll Liabilities
Deferred Revenue
Brian Adams
2008-2009 in Review
Statement of Financial Position
Annette Koerten
David Wolfson
Shirley Jeffrey
Honorary Board Member Emerita
Foundation
Government
Individuals
Cheryl Nenn, M.S.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Events
Other
$288,253
Corporation
Foundation
Government
Individuals
Event Income
Other
Total
Laura Maker
Development Manager
$23,244
442,101
7,500
45,139
6,678
7104
4%
83%
1%
8%
1%
1%
$531,766
2008-09 Use of Funds
Jason Schroeder
Water Quality Assistant
Paul Schwarzkopf
Outreach Assistant
$496,975
2008-09 Source of Funding
Corporation
Ann Brummitt, M.A.
Milwaukee River Work Group
Coordinator
$288,253
Program
Administration
Fundraising
Program
$257,377
Administration
33,054
Fundraising
31,107
Total
$321,538
80%
10%
10%