About
Waterkeeper Alliance is a global environmental nonprofit headquartered in New York City that ensures the world's Waterkeeper groups are as connected to each other as they are to their local waters, organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated global movement. Today it unites more than 300 Waterkeeper groups patrolling and protecting nearly six million square miles of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways on six continents.
Mission
Waterkeeper Alliance's mission is to protect our right to clean water in communities around the world. Its vision is a global movement united for clean, healthy, and abundant water for all people and the planet. The organization's beliefs include that water is life, that healthy watersheds connect and sustain us all, and that clean water is a basic right for all living beings, with Waterkeepers acting as guardians of that right.
What they do
Waterkeeper Alliance strengthens and grows a global network of grassroots leaders protecting everyone's right to clean water. Waterkeepers patrol waterways to track down polluters, enforce environmental laws in courtrooms, advocate in town meetings, and teach in classrooms. The Alliance's work is organized around three primary campaigns:
- Clean Water Defense — leading the global fight for strong environmental regulations
- Climate and Safe Energy — combating the global climate crisis and advocating for a no-carbon future
- Pure Farms, Pure Waters — battling pollution from industrial meat production
The Alliance also raises the alarm on PFAS pollution in U.S. waters, publishes U.S. water policy priorities, and engages with the UN and UN-Water to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
History
The Waterkeeper movement was started by a band of blue-collar fishermen on New York's Hudson River in 1966, after industrial polluters were destroying their way of life. Their grassroots brand of environmental activism sparked the Hudson's recovery and inspired others to launch Waterkeeper groups around the world. Per ProPublica, Waterkeeper Alliance Inc received its IRS tax exemption in January 2000.
Scale and impact
- More than 300 Waterkeeper groups united under the Alliance
- Nearly six million square miles of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways patrolled and protected
- Presence on six continents, from Alaska to the Himalayas and the Great Lakes to Australia
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for the fiscal year ending June 2025 Waterkeeper Alliance Inc (EIN 13-4071318) reported total revenue of $8,517,767, total expenses of $7,321,222, and net assets of $4,712,467. Contributions accounted for 95.6% of revenue in fiscal 2025.
Governance
Marc Yaggi serves as CEO, with reported compensation of $278,187 in the most recent filing year per ProPublica. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located at 180 Maiden Lane, Suite 902, New York, NY 10038.