Cahaba Riverkeeper is an Alabama-based environmentalist organization that as of 2024 was receiving the majority of its funding from government grants. ¹ The organization had also received support through Mosaic, a participatory environmental grantmaking initiative backed by major left-of-center climate and environmental foundations. ²

In 2025, Cahaba Riverkeeper merged with Cahaba River Society to form Cahaba River Coalition. ³

Background

Cahaba Riverkeeper is an Alabama-based environmentalist organization founded in 2008 and initiated in 2009 as a public charity. It was established by activists Myra Crawford and David Butler to advocate for the ecological protection of the Cahaba River watershed in Alabama. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham. ^{4  5}

According to its website, the group was created to defend the ecological integrity of the Cahaba River, a free-flowing river system in Alabama that spans approximately 1,870 square miles. The watershed provides drinking water to surrounding communities and contains numerous species of fish and freshwater mussels, including endangered species. The organization conducts scientific water testing throughout the watershed and documents potential environmental threats to water quality and habitat. ⁵

Cahaba Riverkeeper operates as a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international network of environmental advocacy organizations focused on water protection, and is also a member of River Network, a left-of-center environmentalist coalition. ⁴

On September 9, 2025, Cahaba Riverkeeper merged with Cahaba River Society to form a new entity known as Cahaba River Coalition. The merger was presented as an effort to strengthen watershed protection and conservation efforts for communities and wildlife in the region. ³

Leadership

Cahaba Riverkeeper was founded by Myra Crawford who was working as executive director as of 2026. Crawford previously worked for approximately 20 years as director of the Division of Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She holds a Ph.D. in health services from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to her work with Cahaba Riverkeeper, she was also executive director of the Hackney Literary Awards at the time. ^{6  4}

According to its 2024 tax return, the organization’s officers were Scott Ewert, who was president; Danielle Larkin, who was vice president; and Robert A. Webb, who was treasurer. ⁷

According to the organization’s website, its board of directors as of 2026 included Craig Neely, who was board president; Kate Smith, who was board vice president; Robert Webb, who was board treasurer; and Andy Buck, who was board secretary.  ⁸

Funding

Cahaba Riverkeeper receives most of its funding from government grant programs. In fiscal year 2024, the organization reported $335,090 in government grant revenue out of $378,985 in total revenue. Government grants therefore constituted the organization’s largest single revenue source and accounted for most of its annual income that year. ¹

In addition to government funding, Cahaba Riverkeeper has received grants from private environmentalist foundations. The Water Foundation awarded the organization $195,000 in 2023. Water Foundation is a Sacramento, California-based left-of-center environmentalist grantmaker with a focus on water-related issues. ⁹ The Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation awarded $30,000 in 2024 to support the group’s environmental work. ¹⁰

Cahaba Riverkeeper was selected as a grantee of Mosaic, an environmentalist grantmaking initiative and fiscally sponsored project of the Tides Center. Mosaic was launched in 2020 with seed funding from left-of-center philanthropic organizations and provides infrastructure funding to environmental advocacy networks. ¹¹

Through Mosaic funding, Cahaba Riverkeeper participated in the “10 Rivers Project,” a collaboration among Alabama-based Waterkeeper organizations operating as Waterkeepers Alabama. The project supported joint river patrols, coordination efforts, and shared advocacy initiatives among ten river-focused environmental groups. According to Cahaba Riverkeeper, the program was designed to strengthen statewide collaboration and was featured as one of Mosaic’s funded initiatives.  ²

Mosaic is backed by several major foundations that fund climate policy and left-of-center advocacy organizations, including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Additional funders have included the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which supports climate and environmental justice advocacy; the Tides Foundation; and the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation. These foundations are significant funders of environmental policy and advocacy initiatives at the national and regional levels. ^{12  13}

Financials

According to its 2024 tax return, Cahaba Riverkeeper reported $378,985 in total revenue and $238,450 in total expenses. The organization ended the year with $840,163 in total assets. ¹⁴

Of its total revenue, $359,155 was reported as public support derived from gifts, grants, and contributions. Membership dues totaled $24,065, while fundraising events generated $6,609. ¹

1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Cahaba Riverkeeper. 2024. Part VIII – Statement of Revenue.
2. “Alabama’s 10 Waterkeepers Work Together.” Cahaba Riverkeeper. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://cahabariverkeeper.org/10-riverkeepers-work-together/.
3. “We are Cahaba River Coalition.” Cahaba Riverkeeper. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://cahabariverkeeper.org/we-are-cahaba-river-coalition/.
4. “About Us.” Cahaba Riverkeeper. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://cahabariverkeeper.org/about-us/.
5. Our Story.” Cahaba Riverkeeper. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://cahabariverkeeper.org/our-story/.
6. “Myra Crawford.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/myra-crawford-11195917/.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Cahaba Riverkeeper. 2024. Part VII, Section A – Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees.
8. “Board of Directors.” Cahaba Riverkeeper. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://cahabariverkeeper.org/board/.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Water Foundation. 2023. Schedule I, Part II—Grants and Other Assistance to Domestic Organizations and Domestic Governments. Line 14.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Mike and Gillian Goodrich Charitable Foundation. 2024. Part XIV – Grants and Contributions Paid During the Year or Approved for Future Payment.
11. “Who We Are.” Mosaic Environmental Fund. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://mosaicenvironment.org/about/.
12. “Funding Partners.” Mosaic Environmental Fund. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://mosaicenvironment.org/funding-partners/.
13. “What Happens When Environmental Movement Leaders Make Funding Decisions?” Inside Philanthropy. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2022-3-8-what-happens-when-environmental-movement-leaders-make-the-funding-decisions.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Cahaba Riverkeeper. 2024. Part I – Summary.