2023 Community Impact Report

Clean River Partners

Working for over 30 years to protect our waterways, particularly the Cannon River watershed in southeast Minnesota.

Photo: Water quality event at Legvold Farm—taken by Margie O’Loughlin.

Download this report as a PDF Document

Our mission is to inspire people and organizations to value, protect, and improve the Cannon River Watershed’s land and water.

Our vision is a community that collaboratively creates and protects a watershed with healthy soils; drinkable groundwater; and clean, fishable, and swimmable rivers, lakes, and streams.

Our work is driven by four core values: building resilience, acting equitably, engaging intentionally, and inspiring hope.

Message from the Team

Thank you for taking the time to read our community impact report. We are thrilled to share all that we have accomplished in 2023, thanks to our donors, sponsors, foundation funders, and other partners. Together, we have made a significant impact in our environmental outreach and education work and have made progress on our signature projects.

Beyond our achievements, we have also invested time and effort into building a shared vision for Clean River Partners. Our 2024-2026 Strategic Framework outlines our community, land, and water commitments, and we have welcomed four new staff members to help us achieve our goals.

Our community has shown us that Clean River Partners has the power to bring people together and create positive change. Moving forward, we will continue to rely on our key skills: developing partnerships, empowering action, communicating with our community, and maintaining trustworthy administration. With the support and generosity of our partners, we are confident that we can make a real difference in the watershed!

Photo: CRP Staff Jennifer Tonko and Kevin Strauss, presenting at Northfield Earth Day—taken by Margie O’Loughlin.

Our Staff

  • Jennifer Tonko

    Executive Director

  • Alan Kraus

    Conservation Program Manager

  • Teresa Tillson

    Administrative & Development Assistant

  • Heron Mahr

    Community Engagement Coordinator

  • Felicia Hokenstad

    Communications Coordinator

  • Maggie Stahley

    Conservation Program Assistant

Our Board of Directors

  • Kathleen Doran-Norton

    Chair

  • Beth Kallestad

    Vice Chair

  • John Hamer

    Treasurer

  • Erica Zweifel

    Secretary

  • Bill Jokela

    Board Member

  • Bradley Rademacher

    Board Member

  • Caroline Brice

    Board Member

  • Carrie Jennings

    Board Member

  • David Legvold

    Board Member

  • Diane Angell

    Board Member

  • Greg Neis

    Board Member

  • Jenascia Barrientos

    Board Member

  • Juan Palacios

    Board Member

  • Margaret O’Loughlin

    Board Member

  • Paul Carlson-Donohoe

    Board Member

  • Sarah Fortner

    Board Member

  • Todd Churchill

    Board Member

Impact Stories

Strategic Famework

As a community, we know how important it is to work towards clean water, thriving soils, and a livable climate—for ourselves and for future generations. In 2023 we reflected on how Clean River Partners can better connect people to actions that support these goals. We considered our existing framework, the changing conditions in our world, and our organizational health and trajectory to envision 2024-2026. The result is this strategic framework and a set of commitments to you, our community, who love and care for the land and water here.

View our full strategic framework here.

Photo: CRP Executive Director, Jennifer Tonko, presenting Cannon River Champions award to Nancy Braker—taken by Margie O’Loughlin.

  • Water, Land, and Climate Health

    Improve the environmental health of the Cannon River Watershed and the aquifers which support it by connecting, supporting, recognizing, and providing opportunities for residents, farmers, and landowners.

    Organizational Capacity

    Strengthen Clean River Partners’ organizational capacity and capabilities.

    Community Relationships

    Build relationships with individuals and organizations in the watershed, region, and state, and connect them to each other to inspire shared actions.

    Connections

    Create opportunities for people to directly experience the land and water of the Cannon River Watershed.

  • Partnership Development

    Facilitating connections between watershed community members, making individual changes more effective through a systems approach.

    Empowering Action

    Learning from others and providing community members with information, resources, and inspiration to take meaningful action toward watershed health.

    Communication

    Encourage productive dialogue and reach community members from all areas of the Cannon River Watershed.

    Administration

    Maintain sound operating practices that enable the expansion of Clean River Partners’ programs and activities.

Financial Update

We are pleased to share with you that we finished the last year strong. In 2023, your support provided about 30% of our operating funds. These dollars are critical for exploring new opportunities and partnerships, providing a safe and functional working environment for our staff, and being flexible and creative when working toward community building and behavior change. Thank you for filling this crucial need! It really is true when we say we can’t do this work without you!

Thank You!

Thanks for your support as donors, volunteers, and members. Your contributions are critical for us to explore new opportunities and partnerships, provide a safe working environment for our staff, and make a positive impact on the Cannon River Watershed’s land and water.

We are grateful for your generosity and dedication to our cause. Click on the button below to download and view a full list of members and grant/foundation support.

Photo: CRP Members at Cider on the Cannon—taken by Margie O’Loughlin.

Clean River Partners is a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organization that relies on support from our members to do our work for clean water. If you haven’t given recently, consider making a donation today!