The NepRWA Board of Directors finalized a new five-year strategic plan for the organization in February 2020. The planning process involved consultation with our volunteers, members, local residents, and municipalities, along with many facilitated discussions among Board and Staff.

The plan focuses our work on six key goals and identifies numerous specific objectives. It calls for significant organizational growth to achieve those objectives. See below for a brief summary of the plan or click this link to review a more detailed outline.

View the entire strategic plan here.

Mission

The mission of the Neponset River Watershed Association (NepRWA) is to protect and restore the natural resources of the Neponset River, its tributaries and surrounding watershed lands for the benefit of present and future generations. 

Organizational Context

NepRWA is a grassroots nonprofit organization that has been working since 1967 to clean up and protect land and water resources across the 14-community Neponset River Watershed area. Over this time, the river has progressed from being a fenced-off open sewer, to a waterway that now meets water quality standards most of the time, with rebounding fish and wildlife populations, and attractive public access improvements in some areas.

The organization has grown steadily in recent years, and now has nine staff (eight full-time equivalents or “FTE”) and some 500 active volunteers annually. Support comes from our base of almost 700 individual and small business members, as well as several foundations, occasional government grants, and municipal contracts.

Even with this progress, much more needs to be done to realize the vision of a clean, healthy watershed that serves as a valued amenity for all watershed residents. The challenges to be addressed are substantial and will require engaging a wide variety of partners.

NepRWA’s strategic plan lays out six key goals we will work to achieve over the next five years and identifies the strategies, objectives, and tasks to be pursued in each area, as well as expected resource requirements and internal capacity building objectives. 

NepRWA’s Strengths

• As a place-based organization with a grassroots perspective, we have a deep connection to, and knowledge of, the communities we serve and the challenges they face.
• Our regional “watershed” perspective drives comprehensive approaches to interconnected land and water resource issues that do not conform to municipal boundaries.
• We have a long track record of success in facilitating partnerships among diverse stakeholders.
• We have a committed base of donors and volunteers with the potential for substantial growth given the population of our watershed.
• We have a stable and committed volunteer leadership and staff with cross-disciplinary expertise in science, policy, education, organizing, and hands-on implementation.

Summary of Strategic Goals

NepRWA has identified six long-term strategic goals to guide our work. They are highly interconnected such that progress on one will drive and is dependent upon progress on others.

1. Make our waterways, water supplies, communities, and habitats resilient to climate change
2. Stop water pollution and restore swimmable water quality
3. Conserve water, reduce flooding and restore natural stream flows
4. Protect and restore habitats for native fish and wildlife
5. Open-up recreational access and facilitate the protection of open spaces
6. Build a diverse and lasting constituency through education and advocacy

View the entire strategic plan here.