We're not on the water yet.
Fathom Restoration is a new Utah nonprofit. The legal structure is complete, the leadership is in place, and our IRS Form 1023 application for 501(c)(3) status is filed and under review. Right now we're focused on one thing — securing the grant funding that puts boats on the water and crews on the bottom.
We haven't recovered a single vehicle yet. Here's why that matters — and why we'd rather you hear it from us.
Fathom Restoration is brand new. We don't have a fleet of boats. We don't have a warehouse full of dive equipment. Our IRS Form 1023 application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is filed and under review — the IRS determination window typically runs 6 to 18 months from submission. What we have is an executable plan, a board that's already legally accountable, and a contamination problem on Utah's waterways that nobody else is positioned to solve. We're raising the capital to start.
Four phases between today and clean water.
Entity formed in Utah. EIN secured. Bylaws, governance policies, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower, and document retention policies all signed and on file.
IRS Form 1023 filed — awaiting 501(c)(3) determination. Grant pipeline active. Donor and partner outreach underway. Targeting initial awards through 2026.
Recovery vessels, ROV systems, hydraulic lift rigs, HazMat containment. USCG-certified divers and CDL HazMat driver onboarded once funded.
Initial operation on Utah Lake or partnered waterway. Documented end-to-end. Public water-quality reporting from day one.
The foundation is already in place.
Most new nonprofits start with an idea. We started with an executable structure. Every line item below is signed, filed, or on its way through formal review — not aspiration.
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Entity Name Reserved — Fathom Restoration
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Federal EIN Obtained — 42-2166469
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Articles of Incorporation Approved by the State of Utah
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Bylaws Adopted & Signed by All Three Directors
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Governance Policies Adopted
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Organizational Meeting Minutes Signed
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IRS Form 1023 (Long Form) Filed
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501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Determination
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Initial Grant Awards
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First Recovery Operation
What it costs to put us on the water.
Underwater vehicle recovery is capital-intensive work. Below are the numbers the IRS, our auditors, and our donors will see — the same numbers we publish in every grant application.
Recovery vessels, dive equipment, F-550 and semi truck, ROV technology, hydraulic lift systems, HazMat containment, six-month working reserve.
Full team payroll, fuel, insurance, certifications, compliance, equipment maintenance, ongoing training, and field operations.
Combined grant awards, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships — with a 10% operating reserve built into every projection.
From paperwork to first launch.
IRS application for 501(c)(3) status submitted and under review. Fiscal sponsor partnerships pursued to bridge the determination window.
Active applications across Utah DEQ, NFWF, Bureau of Reclamation, and corporate foundations. Donor outreach in motion.
First grant decisions expected. Equipment procurement begins. Crew onboarding for dive officers and licensed captain.
Inaugural underwater recovery operation on Utah Lake. Documented end-to-end with full water quality reporting.
The first dollars do the most work.
Funding a pre-operational nonprofit isn't a leap of faith — it's a multiplier. Early capital determines whether a mission ever gets off the ground. Here's what early support actually buys.
Your name on the wall — literally. Founding donors are recognized in every annual report, on every vessel, and at every public launch event for the life of the organization.
Once 501(c)(3) determination is granted by the IRS, contributions are retroactively tax-deductible to the organization's formation date. We can also accept gifts via fiscal sponsorship in the interim.
Every dollar shortens the gap between today and the first vehicle off the bottom. The faster we close startup capital, the sooner Utah's waterways start getting cleaner.
Public budget. Public expense reporting. Public water-quality data after every recovery. We're built to be audited — that's the whole point of doing this as a nonprofit instead of a private salvage company.
Three disabled veterans. One mission.
We served the country. Now we serve the waterways. Every member of the founding board is a U.S. military veteran with a service-connected disability rating.
Responsible Party — primary signatory on EIN, Articles, and all federal filings. Leads operations, strategy, and field execution.
Corporate records, governance documentation, meeting minutes, and official correspondence. Owner of legal and regulatory compliance.
Financial oversight, grant reporting, budget management, and bank account authority. CPA-level financial stewardship.
The honest answers.
Our Form 1023 application is filed and under IRS review. Once the determination letter is issued, contributions made during the review window are retroactively deductible back to the date of formation. In the interim we're also pursuing a fiscal sponsorship arrangement that allows immediate deductibility. Either way, every donor receives full documentation.
Our target is Q1 2027 for the first recovery operation, contingent on closing the startup capital gap. The earlier funding lands, the earlier that timeline moves up. We won't put a vessel on the water until we can do it safely, certified, and fully insured.
Private salvage exists to profit from insurance claims. The vehicles we want to recover — the abandoned, the unclaimed, the long-submerged contamination sources — have no commercial value. They only get pulled if someone is willing to do it for the lake. That's a nonprofit job.
A three-person board with documented financial controls, signed conflict-of-interest policies, dual-signature thresholds on disbursements, and a CPA-experienced treasurer. Annual filings (Form 990) become public record once we're operational.
Yes. Articles of Incorporation, signed bylaws, governance policies, and meeting minutes are available on request to grant funders, partners, and serious prospective donors.
Be why this gets off the ground.
Fathom Restoration is the only Utah nonprofit positioned to recover submerged vehicles from our lakes — and we will not exist without founding-phase support. Grants, donations, fiscal sponsorship, in-kind equipment, and partner introductions all move the timeline.