| Form 990, Part III, Line 4b Impact Initiatives cont. |
The National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP) is working to protect the Okavango watershed by exploring and surveying its source waters in Angola. The team has conducted a series of canoe- and land-based expeditions focusing on the least known, most inaccessible parts of the Okavango Basin's river catchments in southeastern and central Angola - a study area of approximately 150,000 square kilometers (57,915 square miles). This area, when linked to protected areas in Namibia and Botswana, would become one of the largest transboundary protected areas on the African continent. The NGOWP is led by National Geographic Fellow Dr. Steve Boyes, who has built an interdisciplinary expedition team to explore the remote Angolan source rivers that feed the Okavango Delta. Since 2015, the NGOWP team has been surveying the river systems, collecting data and scientific insights to help determine strategies for protecting these essential waterways. In addition to building a case for conservation through expedition science, the team is focused on facilitating long-term, sustainable management of protected areas in Angola by establishing partnerships among governments, NGOs, and local communities. In 2018 the team executed the third of three baseline river megatransects, which completed the exploration of all major rivers in both the Okavango and Kwando River basins. It is anticipated that over 30 species of animal and plant life identified on these expeditions will be new to science, and that 54 species can now include Angola as part of their distribution ranges. Two papers were developed with The Nature Conservancy (building a business case for the Okavango-Zambezi Watertower) and The World Wildlife Fund (an analysis of the legal and institutional framework for community-based approaches to conservation and natural resource management) respectively, laying the foundation for longer-term formal partnerships with these - and other - NGOs interested in supporting Angola's development and conservation goals.'Into the Okavango'was premiered to a global audience in 2018 and critically, a Protocol of Cooperation was signed with the government of Angola, recognizing the convening role of the NGOWP in terms of developing a protected area network in Angola's central highlands, and ensuring a collaborative approach to conservation interventions in this landscape. Pristine Seas is an exploration, research, and media project founded and led by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala. Its mission is to help protect 20 of the last wild places in the ocean by 2020. This includes not only preserving areas that are pristine or near pristine, but also helping to bring closer to pristine (i.e., to restore) areas that may have suffered some human impacts but still harbor unique features such as large animals, healthy bottom communities, and outstanding biodiversity. The project envisions a future ocean where representative examples of undisturbed ecosystems are protected from direct human activities, with the hope that these places will be healthier, more productive, and more resilient to the impacts of ocean warming and acidification. These protected areas will be the best baselines to understand the true magnitude of human impacts on ocean life, to evaluate the efficacy of management and conservation actions, and to help us determine what future ocean we want for our children and grandchildren. Pristine Seas has carried out expeditions in 29 places, 21 of which have since been protected, covering a total area of more than 5 million square kilometers - more than half the area of Canada. The Pristine Seas project is a small team of less than thirty people based in Washington, DC and other sites around the world. The team has published more than 90 scientific papers in peer-reviewed scientific literature and produced 22 documentaries. The National Geographic Society is using a science-based approach to support wildlife-compatible landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and in central Montana-from Yellowstone National Park to Grasslands National Park in Canada. We seek to address the challenges of species recovery and migration across public and private lands while respecting the needs of local landowners and communities. National Geographic Fellow, Arthur Middleton, recieved funding through his lab at the University of California Berkeley from the Beyond Yellowstone program to assess migration patterns in the greater yellowstone ecosystem. Over the next two years, Arthur and his team will use camera traps, radio tracking, observation, and analysis to further our understanding of how living things interact across the land. National Geographic is also supporting local efforts and educators on the ground to build up the next generation of wildlife stewards around Yellowstone and beyond. National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative (BCI) is a comprehensive, action-oriented program that supports on-the-ground big cat conservation projects and a global public awareness campaign, Cause an Uproar. This initiative supports the protection of lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, snow leopards, and other top felines who are quickly disappearing, all victims of habitat loss and degradation as well as conflict with humans. By the end of 2018, BCI had awarded more than 110 grants covering 27 countries with a total of more than $4 million. The BCI grants program has made important strides in helping communities understand and protect big cats. BCI continues to offer several ways for public engagement, including free educator lesson plans, text and an online donations platform. The Nat Geo Society Storytelling team filmed grantees and used these assets to create local impact videos for the grantees to show to local communities. BCI also partnered with Nat Geo WILD and created public service announcements featuring BCI grantees that were featured during Big Cat Week in February and November. The PSAs ended with a call to action to learn more on the BCI website. The National Geographic Photo Ark is a multiyear effort to raise awareness of and find solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting wildlife and their habitats. The Photo Ark's three-pronged approach harnesses the power of National Geographic photography and the bold ideas of our explorers. Led by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, the project aims to document every species living in the world's zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, inspire action through education, and help save wildlife by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts. In 2018, Sartore passed both the 8,000 and the 9,000 species mark when he added the Pyrenean desman and Bandula barb to the Photo Ark. In partnership with the Zoological Society of London's EDGE of Existence Program, which focuses on the planet's most unique and endangered species, the Photo Ark established a new fellowship program, coined Nat Geo Photo Ark EDGE Fellows. The program supports on-the-ground conservation efforts to help save species featured in the National Geographic Photo Ark. The 2017 cohort of fellows all focused on Latin American species. In 2018, the Photo Ark and EDGE named an additional 13 fellows based in Asia. The Nat Geo exhibitions team had over 18 Photo Ark exhibitions on display at nonprofit venues around the world. This includes the Annenberg Space for Photography, the Miami Zoo and the London Zoo. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a Experiences & Outreach cont. |
National Geographic Live, the Society's signature live event series, had wonderful spring and fall seasons in 2018 featuring over 100 events including lectures by scientists, photographers, and special guests. A new after-hours exploration series continued in 2018, Nat Geo Nights is a monthly series and invites guests to visit after work and hear stories from the field by some of National Geographic's youngest explorers. New virtual reality (VR) equipment was installed in the theater this year, making it the first and largest VR theater in the world. These events feature lectures by explorers enhanced with VR experiences that add context and content to the talk. The museum also hosted several film festivals in 2018 and 10 student matinees for school groups in Washington, DC and throughout the region. The Impact Video team produces videos that further the goals of the National Geographic Society and its programs. Videos are created to achieve measureable results amongst targeted audiences and are distributed during live events, on NGS digital and social platforms, and in classrooms. Additionally, videos were screened at global events such as United Nations World Wildlife Day and were finalists in the International Big Cats Film Festival. In 2018, close to 500 videos were produced, contributing to the marketing, fundraising, conservation, and educational initiatives of the Society. The National Geographic Society Digital team produces digital content and applications for current and potential funders, influencers, partner non-profit organizations, policy makers, teachers/Educators, Explorers, and targeted public audiences. In 2018, the team introduced new applications and a number of significant improvements to existing web properties and applications. Here are a few of the highlights from 2018: * Launched an online community platform that enables Educators and Explorers to connect and engage with other members of their community. * Launched an online learning platform that enables Educators and Explorers to enroll and complete professional development courses offered by National Geographic. * Launched "Explore Photo Ark" search database for the 9,000 species Joel Sartore has photographed during his career so far. * Launched a Sumatran Rhino Alliance page that is an unbranded hub for all the partnerships involved in the Sumatran Rhino Alliance. *Incorporated Bablic translation tool into our CMS to enable translations on our pages into many different languages within minutes. * Launched a redesigned Events Hub with various new plugins and revamped the search index for both public events and traveling exhibitions. * Launched a map viewer that allowed us to launch various different types of maps with varying requirements throughout our CMS. * Launched a consolidated search experience for the Education Resource Library. *Redesigned the education site, including new pages and updated information architecture. * Launched "Plastics: Source to Sea" landing page to support and publicize the Society's work around preventing plastic from reaching the world's oceans. * Researched, wrote, and built, in collaboration with Google's Geo for Good team, the "Protecting the Okavango River Basin" Google Earth Voyager story to support both the Okavango Wilderness Project and the Labs team. * Launched the "Untold Titanic" exhibit site to support the Museum exhibition. * Launched separate experiences for the Explorers and Grants directories to streamline the search and discovery process depending on the use case. * Updated the GeoBee trivia games available on iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Amazon Echo Show, and Google Home platforms to support new version OS versions and correct usability issues reported by end users. The Storytelling team is responsible for the overall editorial content relationship between the National Geographic Society and National Geographic Partners. The team also manages all media (photos and videos) submitted contractually by Explorers in the field. In 2018, the team oversaw the Storytelling Grants and Fellows programs with some of the world's best conservation and natural-world storytellers. The team engages in regular dialogue and planning with Partners' editorial units - highlights from 2018 include a bird migration supplement map in National Geographic magazine, a Sumatran Rhino Rescue PSA developed to run across National Geographic Channels, storytelling grant support for the Seabird Crisis and Bears Ears articles in National Geographic magazine, and a 4-part VR Okavango Wilderness Project experience developed with National Geographic Immersive Media. The National Geographic Museum store offers visitors the opportunity to take National Geographic home with them by offering captivating books and unique handmade products from around the globe as well as travel accessories that will help guide them on their way. Much of the merchandise relates directly to content in the exhibitions in the museum. Many of the products also contain descriptive histories educating visitors about indigenous peoples or endangered species around the world. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4d Education Programs, cont. |
The Geo-Inquiry Process relies on using a geographic perspective, offering a unique lens to analyze space, place, and the interconnections between the human and natural world. Using both a geographic perspective and the Geo-Inquiry Process, students begin to connect complex components, see patterns, and make connections that change their communities. The five-step process guides students to ASK geographic questions they want answered, COLLECT data that will help answer their questions, VISUALIZE how they should best present this data, CREATE a presentation to help tell their geo-inquiry story, and finally to use these stories to ACT on a plan to address their questions. NGS is delivering training for educators using the Geo-Inquiry process in their own classrooms to help their students learn about the world and how it works, so they can succeed and make it a better place. We deliver this training through in-person workshops and a new 30-hour online course entitled "Connecting the Geo-Inquiry Process to Your Teaching Practice." March of 2018 marked the programming launch of the fully-staffed Educator Network, a national group of formal and informal K-12 educators committed to teaching their students about the world and how it works - inspiring the next generation to take action and make the world a better place. At its core, the Network provides in-person and online learning opportunities for like-minded educators to engage with National Geographic resources and, most importantly, with one another. Participants in the Network have access to an online community where they can learn, share, and connect with National Geographic's explorers, photographers, and storytellers. During the 2018 building year, the Educator Network partnered with 64 high-level state department of education representatives and 130 school-level representatives in state-based councils formed to provide our Network with local expertise and reached approximately 3,750 educators with high-quality training. Training & Certification: City Labs--an in-depth partnership with a school district serving under-resourced communities over the course of one or more years that includes the provision and evaluation of professional development programming and resources designed to empower educators and inspire students. The National Geographic Society is committed to educating students about the world, empowering them to succeed and to make the world a better place by becoming global citizens. In order to support this mission, the Society created an Education Fellows program in late 2017, announcing its first class of five Fellows in January for the 2017-2018 school year. The Education Fellows support innovative project development and project leadership, share their expertise on an emerging issue or priority, and help incubate new ideas for geographic education. Fellows are generally mid- to late-career educators and they range from pre-K through 12 classroom teachers, informal educators, academic geographers committed to geographic education, and nonprofit professionals to thought leaders in the education space. The 2017-2018 Fellows supported National Geographic Education's work on Geo-Inquiry, Explorer Classroom, GeoChallenge, and Explorer magazine. In 2018, we selected eight Fellows to serve from January through December 2019. The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship is a professional development opportunity made possible by a partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Education. The program is named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, chairman emeritus of the National Geographic Society. It gives current Pre-K through 12 classroom teachers and informal educators from the 50 U.S. states, Canada, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico the opportunity to extend Grosvenor's legacy of excellence in geographic education. Exemplary educators are recognized for their commitment to geographic education and are given the opportunity to travel aboard the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet. Through this experience, they bring new geographic awareness into their learning environments and communities. In 2018, the program was funded by the Lindblad/NGS Fund and two private donations. National Geographic sent 35 educators on expeditions to the Arctic, Galapagos, Antarctica, and Alaska. While aboard, educators shared the importance of geographic literacy with fellow travelers, developed activities to bring back to their classrooms, and had the adventure of a lifetime. Prior to their expeditions, all Grosvenor Teacher Fellows traveled to Washington, D.C., for a pre-voyage workshop sponsored by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. The 2017 Fellows also completed their year 2 leadership commitment by supporting the work of the National Geographic Education team. The online educator community, externally known as the online Educator Network, is an online space with discussion boards where Pre-K through 12 educators connect with each other and National Geographic around a shared commitment to teach students about the world and how it works, empowering them to succeed and to make it a better place. Educators share best teaching practices, resources, opportunities to collaborate, and feedback for National Geographic. National Geographic also shares free and at-cost resources and opportunities to connect and collaborate, both in-person and online. Examples include in-person Educator Network professional development opportunities and online challenges and exchanges with Explorers. Special interest groups have their own discussion boards where they connect around certification, the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, Geo-Inquiry, and more. In 2018, community discussions took place on Google+ and in our new online discussion platform, Higher Logic. In September 2018, we did a soft launch of the certification community in Higher Logic. By December 2018, we migrated 40% of our Google+ members to Higher Logic and grew to 1,400 online Educator Network members. Google+ will offically shut down in March 2019, and the online Educator Network will offically launch in April 2019 with expected growth of 10,000 educators by the end of 2019. The National Geographic GeoBee is an academic competition for public schools, private schools, and home schools in the United States and its territories as well as Department of Defense Dependents Schools. Students in grades 4-8 compete to win $90,000 in scholarships and other prizes. In the 2018 program, 9,727 schools across the country held a National Geographic GeoBee, engaging 2,529,020 students to learn about the world and how it works. Up to 100 school winners in each state went on to compete in the state competition, and the state champions traveled to Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Finals. National Geographic created and distributed school GeoBee packets that included a question booklet, rules, participation certificates, and a champion medal. The Society also generated a number of study tools for students, including online quizzes and voice-activated apps. Additionally, the Society administered state competitions in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and created and disseminated question booklets, procedures, and prizes. The GeoBee culminated in three days of competition in Washington, D.C., in May, with the final day dedicated to the Championship round positioning the top 10 students in a competition to determine the first-, second-, and third-place overall winners. In the 2018-19 school year, the GeoChallenge program was offered free in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. by issuing a challenge entitled "Tackling Plastic!" that invited participants to create solutions to the single-use plastic crisis while building skills in geography, mapmaking, storytelling, and video production. A total of 9,695 teams registered to participate in the GeoChallenge and 1,172 teams submitted projects. Of these, about 200 were selected to participate in regional competitions in March of 2019, and 16 teams will be invited to compete in the national level in Washington, D.C. in May, 2019. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4b Impact Initiatives, cont. |
In 2018, NGS ensured the improved and continued protection of 21,500 km2 through its three initial Last Wilderness Partnerships (LWP). This included 2,800 km2 of newly protected area adjacent to Gorongosa National Park by The Carr Foundation made possible with NGS support. To date, these areas are within three larger landscapes in North America and Africa totaling 55,000 km2 in size. Three additional LWP partners were added in 2018 to the program through the LWP advisory board, including Tompkins Conservation, Andes Amazon Fund, and Northern Rangelands Trust. This positioned the program to expand into South America in 2019. In addition to directly funding the LWP partners, the program developed nine LWP leadership areas. The leadership areas are conservation approaches that the NGS program team identified as critical to long-term, large landscape scale conservation globally. These are also areas in which the LWP partners are leading experts. The leadership areas are: Rewilding; Sustainable Financing/Public Private Partnerships; Community Engagement and Enterprise Development; Monitoring, Surveillance, Public Engagement Technology; Living with Wildlife; Measuring Performance; Capacity Building, Training, and Community Leaders; Marketing Protected Areas; and Policy Engagement and Influence. In 2018, several projects and NG Fellowships were begun to take partner best practices within the above leadership areas to scale. New Fellow, Dr. Daniel Kinka, at American Prairie Reserve (APR) tests and describes progress in conservation technology tools with NGS Labs and other LWP partners for wider protected area application. New Fellow, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, began outreach to private landowners and mapping the predicted movement corridors of the growing large carnivore population radiating from Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem into APR and surrounding areas. New Fellow, Dominique Goncalves, began collaring elephants in Gorongosa National Park to track their movement to predict and prevent human/wildlife conflict as the elephant population continues to grow. New Fellow, Matthew Jordan, began work on best practices for enterprise development drawing on Gorongosa's work on coffee, cashew and other agricultural commodities. Under the LWP, NGS is developing the first-ever comprehensive resource, called Professionalizing Conservation, to train in alignment with global professional standards in conservation as set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Green List for Protected Areas. In collaboration with partners and leading protected-area practitioners, we are producing a suite of standardized, accredited online and in-person training courses for protected area managers and rangers in six focus areas: Protected-Area Fundamentals, Organization and Management Culture, Biodiversity Conservation, Site Management and Operations, Communities, and Assessing Performance. Several tools, including NGS Labs conservation technology and the LWP supported African People and Wildlife community engagement framework. NGS began the development of a training and mentorship program with the Smithsonian Institution and Global Wildlife Conservation to invest in, train, mentor and promote dedicated, promising conservationists to be leaders in their fields. This program will be offered to conservation grantees and is being designed with NGS Grants. Over the course of a decade, moving at the beat of his footsteps, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek is continuously re-walking the original 21,000-mile pathways of the first human ancestors who migrated out of Africa during the Stone Age. Guided by the latest scientific discoveries and propelled by insightful storytelling, Salopek's immensely long odyssey, called the Out of Eden Walk, is an exploration of the critical issues of our time - from climate change to technological innovation, from mass migration to cultural survival - as told through the lives of the ordinary people who inhabit these stories every day. In this way, he is reconnecting readers from across the globe with their common past - and with a vision of shared humanity that transcends borders, languages, politics, religions, and continents. In effect, the walk's "slow journalism" offers a thoughtful and innovative storytelling alternative to the shallower distractions of our wired, frenzied world. So far, Salopek has trekked from Ethiopia to India. In the years ahead, he will inch through China, Siberia, and the New World to his journey's finish line in Argentina's chilly Tierra del Fuego, the last wild horizon trod by Homo sapiens. The Illegal Wildlife Trade program leverages National Geographic's power of storytelling to raise awareness, inspire action, and provide critical tools to reduce the illegal trade in wildlife. The primary storytelling platform is the blog "Wildlife Watch", which is dedicated to shining light on commercial-scale exploitation of wildlife and other valued resources, identifying weaknesses in national and international efforts to protect wildlife, and empowering institutions and individuals working for a better world. Stories cover a range of human activity, from crime to heroism. The Society employs two investigative journalists to run the platform, and in 2018, Wildlife Watch generated an average of 13.3 million page views total and 270,000 unique visitors to the Wildlife Watch website per month. National Geographic's Life at the Extremes Impact Initiative began in 2018; over the next several years it will endeavor upon a groundbreaking scientific agenda, using the latest technologies to understand previously unstudied regions. The Life at the Extremes expeditions will generate rich stories about changes to Earth's physical geography and how wildlife and human societies are adapting to changing climatic conditions. High-profile expeditions to each environment will highlight these systems and generate new knowledge. In the coming years, three extreme locations will help National Geographic study some of Earth's most extreme environments: the highest mountains, the most biodiverse rainforests, and the least studied parts of the ocean. Our focus in 2018 was on building a robust scientific agenda for our upcoming Extreme Expeditions. Toward this goal, in 2018, the team held a scientific planning meeting, attended a conference, drafted a science plan, and drafted a Request for Proposals. All of these activities set us up well for a successful launch in 2019. Nefertiti Egypt--Between February 1 and 4, 2018, a radar team successfully deployed four different types of radar: High frequency (.5-1.5 meter depth penetration), intermediary frequency (1.5-3 meter depth penetration), low frequency (3-8 meter depth penetration, and ultra-low frequency (20+ meter depth penetration) in an effort to determine whether a potential false wall exists within KV62, the tomb or Tutankhamun, and confirm or refute the theory that a previously unidentified tomb may exist within the Egyptian tomb. Ultimately, the analysis suggested that no hidden tomb could be definitively identified as part of KV62 based on the remote sensing data. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a Experiences & Outreach Programs, cont. |
The National Geographic Society's Marketing & Engagement team catalyzes widespread understanding, engagement, admiration and support for the mission and impact of National Geographic. It propels and safeguards National Geographic's reputation and integrity and its work to further understanding of our planet. The team achieves this through strategic communications, marketing and branding, programmatic engagement, events, partnerships and targeted outreach. It focuses on diverse, targeted audiences, including donors and supporters, scientists and academia, explorers, thought leaders, influencers, partner NGOs, press and the public. In 2018, the Marketing & Engagement team's outreach in support of National Geographic's nonprofit mission included: - Continuation of the National Geographic Explorers Festival, which engaged members, donors, educators, scientists, grantees/explorers and the public around the National Geographic Society's commitment to investing in scientists, explorers, educators and storytellers to change the world. In 2018, the Explorers Festival expanded from a U.S.-only event to a series of international happenings, convening groups of donors, explorers and thought leaders in London, Mexico City and Hong Kong. Each week-long event allowed the public to tune in to live streamed presentations and engage through social and digital platforms. - Participation in major national education conferences, including those hosted by the National Science Teachers Association, the National Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for Geographic Education. At these events, National Geographic's involvement included an exhibitor space and hosting sessions that shared free or at-cost programs, products and resources with educators in attendance. - The launch of the Sumatran rhino campaign in conjunction with Global Wildlife Conservation, International Rhino Foundation, International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. With fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the world, the species will soon go extinct. The campaign focuses on establishing and expanding Sumatran rhino sanctuaries, undertaking search-and-rescue operations to move isolated Sumatran rhinos to managed conservation breeding facilities, and incorporating rhinos into a single conservation breeding program that uses state-of-the-art veterinary and husbandry care designed to maximize population growth. National Geographic's involvement is crucial to raising the profile of a lesser-known species and rallying around it to prevent its extinction. - The launch of the Wyss Campaign for Nature, which aims to help countries conserve 30 percent of the planet in a natural state by the year 2030 by creating and expanding protected areas; encouraging the international community to establish more ambitious protected area targets, investing in science, and inspiring conservation action and new investments around the world. Launch activities included an integrated press and social media campaign. National Geographic's involvement includes raising public awareness about the global conservation crisis by highlighting notable stories of conservation successes and challenges. This effort will inspire citizens, policymakers and other philanthropic organizations to help accelerate the protection of Earth's lands, waters and wildlife through investments in nature conservation. - The public launch of the joint "Planet or Plastic?" campaign with National Geographic Partners, a multiyear initiative aimed at raising awareness about the marine plastic pollution crisis and reducing the amount of single-use plastic that enters into the world's oceans. The launch included an integrated press and social media campaign in conjunction with National Geographic Partners. National Geographic creates exhibitions that allow visitors to experience the mission of the Society in a unique and highly educational setting. Each year, the National Geographic Museum presents exhibitions and programs that expand on National Geographic content and extend the life of the stories the Society tells not only in Washington, but also in museums around the country and around the world. The National Geographic Museum welcomed 180,000 visitors in 2018, including 18,000 students and school groups. The museum hosted 3 powerful exhibitions and created public programming that complemented the exhibitions. In addition, the museum toured many of its exhibitions to locations around the world. The museum hosted over 100 community programs, including Student Matinee programs, evening lectures, panel discussions, and special film screenings that inspired, educated, and enriched the lives of thousands in the Washington, D.C., area. The audience for the museum includes National Geographic members, local residents, national and international tourists, military personnel, congressional members and staffs, the diplomatic community, school groups, and students from around the region and beyond. Many of the exhibitions that originate at the National Geographic Museum are then offered to other museums around the United States and internationally, so the audiences continue to grow for these projects even after they close in Washington. The museum began 2018 showcasing the work of National Geographic photographer Stephen Wilkes in " Day to Night ". This exhibition featured powerful images commissioned by the National Geographic Magazine of bird migrations around the world. Part of a large cross platform initiative "The Year of the Bird", organized with The Audubon Society and other key NGOs, this initiative focused on the importance of birds in our world's ecosystems. In May, the museum opened "Titanic: The Untold Story." A partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Woods Hole Oceanographic Society, this exhibition featured a fascinating new look at the world's most famous shipwreck. Dozens of artifacts and media told the story of oceanographer Robert Ballard's historic discovery in 1985, the ongoing mysteries of this tragic event and how technology is helping us better understand the deep ocean. A permanent exhibition about the history of the National Geographic Society continues to engage visitors in the Society's M Street lobby gallery. "Exploration Begins Here" featured highlights from the Society's 130-year history. It was a free exhibition that included images, video, and artifacts, and it was available for all visitors and patrons in our M Street lobby throughout the year. TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS-- National Geographic traveling exhibitions were hosted by 68 venues in 14 countries in 2018. Larger exhibitions included "Monsterfish" at the new Frost Science Center in Miami and the OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, AZ. "Birds of Paradise" concluded its 5 year tour at the Chicago Academy of Sciences. There were many photography shows, including "National Geographic at 125," "50 Greatest Photographs," "The World in B&W," "Polar Obsession," , "Lions & Tigers & Bears," "Ocean Soul," and "Colors of the World." 4 new exhibitions were developed and added to the portfolio of offerings in 2018. These included "50 Greatest Landscapes", "50 Greatest Wildlife Images", " Day to Night: Stephen Wilkes" and "Weird But True". The museum's biggest traveling exhibition of 2018 was Photo Ark. Several versions of this exhibition traveled to 23 venues around the world including the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, the host of the 2018 American Zoological Assoc. conference. We estimate that about 7 million people visited a National Geographic exhibition in 2018. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4b Impact Programs, cont. |
National Geographic's Exploration Technology Lab uses technology development to build and deploy systems and hardware to accelerate exploration and understanding of our cultural and natural heritage. In 2018 the Lab has focused on Extreme Exploration, Exploration Technology, and Conservation Technology. Under our Extreme Exploration focus, the Exploration Technology Team completed an Everest mapping plan including terrestrial, drone, and fly-over satellite image collection and analysis to support scientific understanding of glacial extent, thickness and stability in the Everest region. Dropcams, designed for sampling the deep sea and monitoring ocean health, were deployed 125 times including 10 for the first time by 3rd party partners. This represents an over 250% increase in dropcam deployments per year with plans to continue accelerating our deployment rate in 2019. Five manuscripts resulting from Dropcam deployments were also submitted. In support of National Geographic Explorers, the Exploration Technology Lab deployed an advanced borescope system to Alexandria, Egypt in search of the Tomb of Alexander the Great. Additionally, over 40 Explorers were supported with cameras and other technologies loaned through our Technology Loan Program. Exploration Technology developed and deployed five programmable open-hardware deep sea camera systems (called Arduino cameras) on long-line boats in support of Brian Skerry's Whale Culture project. These cameras succeeded in the first deep water high resolution photography of Sperm whales taking catch from fishing long lines. Exploration Technology also completed the design of the Next Generation (Next Gen) camera traps deploying them for the first time in Wyoming with the wildlife photographer Charlie Hamilton James. In 2018, key conservation technology was built, tested and/or deployed. We deployed 15 Next Gen Wildlife Camera Traps, and 5 Tracking Crittercams. The Exploration Technology Lab is partnering with Esri to develop a Conservation Intelligence Platform, a monitoring, anti-poaching, and situation awareness solution to protect the Last Wild Places. The Exploration Technology Lab also collected and produced the first ever 3D, high-resolution (5cm/px), digital elevation maps of Garamba National Park (500sq. Km) and the Okavango Delta (500 sq. Km). Exploration Technology also deployed acoustic sensors and camera traps in Garamba National Park (DRC). In addition, Exploration Technology also plans to develop next generation Trailguards or anti-poaching camera traps which utilize machine classification of imagery to detect poachers in wildlife protected parks and deployed an early prototype Tracking Crittercam, an animal-borne imaging and sensing platform on Bison in the American Prairie Reserve and piloted a deployment of Crittercams with cats in Chad to investigate domestic pets as vectors of disease between wildlife and humans. The Exploration Technology team also built an instrumentation testbed for developing acoustic detection algorithms and started work on beam-forming and localization as well as integrating hardware on a Canopy Drone, an autonomous quadcopter drone, to perform biological transects autonomously in complex environments, performing first test flights. The Geographic Visualization Lab aims to transform the way people experience, understand, and appreciate natural and cultural diversity and the need for conservation through the creation of digital experiences. The Geographic Visualization Lab is building Earth Pulse, a digital platform that combines National Geographic-curated science and media content with technological advances in data visualization to tell the story of the world and its people, and bring protected areas to life. The Earth Pulse prototype platform includes data-driven dashboards, global map layers, and immersive storytellinge experiences. The Geographic Visualization lab and science and technology partners including the World Resources Institue and Google Geo For Good, contribute to impact and data driven indices that will help communicate and visualize the status and trends of the planet's vital signs. These vital signs include Habitat, Biodiversity/Wildlife, and Human Pressure. These impact-driven indices are designed to spatially and temporally track biodiversity, migration, extreme environments, critical ecosystems, human pressures, and protected areas. The indices will provide new insights about the state of the planet and inform conservation solutions. In partnership with Microsoft, the Geographic Visualization Lab announced the AI For Earth Grant in which, 11 grantees were awarded a total of $1.28M in grants for projects using artificial intelligence and machine learning to better monitor, model, and ultimately manage Earth's natural systems for a more sustainable future. The Geographic Visualization Lab also provides Geographic Services for internal and external National Geographic Society use. In 2018, 4 NGS Map Policy meetings were convened, and Version 2.0 of National Geographic's international political boundaries dataset was completed. In addition, a representative presented at three events for NG Education and at four international conferences on Mapping and Geographic Information Science. The Citizen Explorer Lab engages, inspires and empowers a new generation of explorers, scientists and change makers through participatory science and open innovation. It aims to engage millions of people around the world in acquiring data that will help us understand the patterns, status and trends of species, ecosystems, people and cultures. The Citizen Explorer Lab partners with global leaders in citizen science to build capacity in participatory science and open innovation. In 2018 the Citizen Explorer Lab built educational activities and created hands-on events that use citizen science as a tool to help students' learn the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that contribute to solving real-world issues. Partnered with the leading citizen science applications to help scale their work and attract new users that collect or analyze data at scale. Some partnerships have seen up to a 4-fold growth in users. Through ground-truthing efforts of citizen science data, Peruvian archaeologists discovered 50 new examples of Nasca lines. In 2018, the Citizen Explorer Lab helped launch an NGS grant opportunity that provides support to researchers, technologists and educators able to fill in major gaps in data through citizen science, as well as creating and launching a framework for challenge based innovation, and launching our first NGS Innovation Challenge - National Geographic Society and Sky Ocean Ventures have put together the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge to source ideas from around the world about how to address plastic waste. National Geographic's Explorer Programs empowers science, conservation, education and storytelling grantees through growth opportunities (e.g, the Explorer-at-Large program, the National Geographic Fellows program, and National Geographic awards); Explorer Community in-person and online engagement; Explorer spotlight opportunity assessments; and National Geographic capacity development opportunities such as our National Geographic Sciencetelling Bootcamp. Explorer Programs empower our community of Explorers through project support, mentorship, training and development, growth and recognition, and community engagement. In 2018, National Geographic's Sciencetelling Bootcamp continued to run monthly in-person workshops in locations the world. In total we offered ten bootcamps, in seven countries, for a total of 228 participants. 2018 also included the first-ever Spanish Language Sciencetelling Bootcamp, and Sciencetelling Bootcamp and Seminar. 2018 was also the launch of the first Sciencetelling Bootcamp online class, Video Production. The National Geographic Society continues to support the Explorers-in-Residence program to develop and enhance its long-standing relationships with some of the world's preeminent scientists and storytellers. These experts are dedicated to making notable advances in their respective fields and are highly regarded within scientific and exploration circles. National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence's groundbreaking discoveries fuel the kind of critical information, conservation initiatives, and compelling stories that are the hallmark of the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence for 2018 are Enric Sala, marine ecologist; Sylvia Earle, oceanographer; Bob Ballard, ocean explorer; Lee Berger, paleoanthropologist; Mike Fay, conservationist; Beverly and Dereck Joubert, filmmakers and conservationists; Louise and Meave Leakey, paleontologists; and James Cameron, filmmaker and explorer. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4d Education Programs |
National Geographic Live Student Matinees bring groundbreaking scientists, photographers, and explorers out of the field and onto stages across the United States and North America. Through compelling storytelling, these speakers offer exciting knowledge from the front lines of discovery, and highlight the critical importance of science, exploration, and conservation. Connecting these powerful role models directly with students inspires a new generation of explorers. In 2018, Student Matinee programs reached 33,500 students in several cities across North America, including Washington, D.C.; Buffalo, New York; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Chicago; Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Lone Tree, Colorado; Los Angeles; Madison, Wisconsin; Mesa, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4b Impact Initiatives cont. |
National Geographic Fellows provide expert consultation on active projects supported by National Geographic that have clear goals and objectives. They lead novel, ambitious projects that promise to make an impact on the world. Focusing on collaboration with cross-divisional stakeholders at National Geographic, they deliver broad media impact during their term. They represent and illustrate the diversity of disciplines that the Society covers in its scientific and editorial efforts. National Geographic Fellows are Katy Croff Bell, archaeological oceanographer; Steve Boyes, conservation biologist; Joe Grabowski, educator and scuba diver; Kavita Gupta, educator; Alex Oberle, educator; Dan Hammer, environmental economist; Charlie Hamilton James, conservation photojournalist; Corey Jaskolski, engineer; Heather Koldewey, marine biologist and environmentalist; Erika Larsen, photographer; Tom Lovejoy, tropical and conservation biologist; Arthur Middleton, biologist; Pete Muller, photographer; Paul Salopek, writer; Joel Sartore, photographer; Shah Selbe, engineer and conservation technologist; Brian Skerry, photographer and photojournalist; and Martin Wikelski, ornithologist, Bronwyn Agrios, technology; Jonatha Giddens, deep-sea research ecologist; Whitney Goodell, marine ecologist and geospatial analyst; Anne Haywood, citizen science; Naftali Honig, Wildlife Crime Investigator; Elizabeth Tyson, citizen science; Anand Varma, Photographer; Xaquin GV, visual journalist, Evgenia Arbugaeva, photojournalist, Dominique Gonalves, ecologist; Jenna Jambeck, Environmental Engineer; Matthew Jordan, project management; Heather Koldewey, Marine Biologist, Environmentalist; Danny Kinka, conservation tech, Joe Riis, photographer; Brent Stirton, Wildlife Crime Photographer; Rae Wynn-Grant, carnivore ecologist. National Geographic's annual Explorers Festival engages members, donors, educators, scientists, grantees/explorers, and the public around the National Geographic Society's commitment to investing in scientists, explorers, educators, and storytellers to change the world. Explorer Programs support the Festival by contributing to the internally focused Explorer Symposium as well as leading various explorer engagement efforts, including communications training, leadership training, mentorship, idea generation, and networking. National Geographic's Young Explorer Leadership and Development Program (now the Early Career Leadership Program) is a yearlong opportunity for researchers, conservationists, storytellers, and educators to engage with National Geographic and collaborate with each other during the crucial early years of their careers. This program arms the Society's promising younger explorers with the skills, experiences, and support necessary to propel their careers to the next level, and includes mentorship, media and leadership training, and project development guidance. National Geographic wants to help seed future generations of leaders - individuals who, together with the Society, will tackle global challenges with enthusiasm, commitment, and curiosity, generating transformative solutions in support of the planet. In 2018 National Geographic completed the pilot year of the program with the cohort that launched the program in fall of 2017. In 2018 the participants joined monthly webinars to learn from NG staff and expert explorers about topics such as starting a non-profit, effective blogging, and communicating their work to school-age children. The participants were also each paired with a National Geographic Educator and planned activities with their classrooms. In June 2018, the class participated in the National Geographic Explorers Festival in Washington, DC. The Young Explorer Leadership and Development Program 2017-2018 cohort comprises Anusha Shankar, biologist studying hummingbirds; Asha Stuart, filmmaker and photographer; Carolina Chong Montenegro, marine fisheries ecologist; Dalal Hanna, ecologist; Dedan Ngatia, carnivore researcher and conservationist; Erina Molina, environmental scientist; Hannah Reyes Morales, photographer; Hans Ngoteya, conservationist; Jen Guyton, ecologist and photographer; Lauren Eckert, ecologist; Nora Shawki, archaeologist; Sandhya Narayanan, linguist; Shivan Parasnath, biologist and photographer; Tashi Dhendup, biologist; and Tsiory Adrianavalona, paleontologist and science educator. National Geographic provides online and in-person environments to develop and catalyze our Explorers to accelerate their work by sharing ideas, solutions, and resources as well as scale their impact and influence in their own networks and local communities. Explorers share the values of the Explorers Mindset. In 2018, we piloted a National Geographic Explorers Chapter to test empowering Explorers to connect with each other within specific geographic regions and with their own communities. Additionally, we held Explorer community activities in key regions in London, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Hong Kong, and Washington, D.C. to train and empower Explorers. We launched our online Explorer Community and onboarded 600 of our Explorers into the Online Community where they shared ideas and led discussions with one another to develop skills and help each other problem solve. In 2018, National Geographic continued a formal Mentorship Program as part of a holistic empowerment program for its grantees. With the overarching goal of creating and supporting a community of change-makers and planetary leaders, the program connects Early Career grantees with more experienced National Geographic Explorers, who serve as role models and provide ongoing coaching to help grantees create smart, longer-term goals and ultimately succeed in their respective disciplines. Through yearlong structured relationships, both mentors and mentees participated in an in-person mentoring launch that armed participants with a strong foundation for goal setting and relationship building. The mentorship training sessions, as well as the overall program structure and guidance, will help build a stronger sense of community in mentorship and foster a mentoring culture for National Geographic globally, including among grantees from underrepresented groups. In 2018, we managed the year-long mentorship relationships that were launched in 2017 (51 mentees and 30 mentors) and continued supporting the teams with check-ins, evaluations, and other resources. We also launched new mentorship relationships for 5 grantees and 5 Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellows. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4d Description of other program services |
(Expenses $ 14,867,573 including grants of $ 317,503)(Revenue $ 3,995,490) The National Geographic Society's Education programs provide classroom materials through the free educational website natgeoed.org, the digital connection Explorer Classroom program, Giant Traveling Maps, the K-5 nonfiction reading program, Explorer magazine, and through the Society's education partner, Cengage Learning. Training and certification opportunities are provided to educators through the Nat Geo Educator Certification Program, Geo-Inquiry Process training, grants for Geographic Education, and attendance at national professional educator conferences. National Geographic's Education programs offer community and leadership programs to educators by building community, providing grants to educators, and through two Fellow programs. The National Geographic Eduction program also offered student experiences, which include the National Geographic Bee, GeoChallenge, and Student Matinees. In order to reach a planet in balance, we must teach students about how the world works and inspire them to be the next generation of planetary stewards. The Resource Library features free resources for educators that are aligned to the content and pedagogy standards they must meet, but do this through the lens of NGS explorers, scientists, storytellers, conservationists, and technologists. We feature people and places from around the world, with an emphasis on human involvement in a changing planet. Major topics include geography, social studies, earth, life, physical science, technology, and culture. In 2018, we developed 1,000 new resources to cover many of the topics middle students (grades 6, 7, and 8) encounter, and offer an inside look at the most interesting people and places from all over the globe. Content appears as long and short-form nonfiction articles, videos, photographs, maps, GeoStories, infographics, and assessments. Our resources take students on thought-provoking journeys, informing and entertaining with credible information. Educators, using resources from National Geographic, take their students around the world without having to leave their classrooms, inspiring them to visit new places and experience other cultures in real life. In 2018, the Resource Library served 4,000+ pieces of content to more than 8 million unique users. Explorer Classroom digitally connects classrooms directly with National Geographic Explorers in the field for a real-time, unfiltered experience. The program aims to show students that science, exploration, and conservation are alive outside of their textbooks and it introduces them to explorers doing critical work in the field, gathering important data, exploring new places, and satisfying their curiosity about the world. The program connects students with scientists, photographers, and filmmakers. Programs are offered on monthly themes, such as Women in Science and Oceans. In 2018, 53 programs reached 79,500 students. In 2018, the new Giant Maps program offered 52 state maps (ranging from 21' x 14' to 21' x 17') and 7 continental maps (average size 25' x 30' of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, the Pacific, and the Solar System) for sale to the education market. The vinyl floor maps were designed using the expertise of National Geographic's cartographic division and research on elementary spatial thinking. Maps of the continents and Pacific Ocean are designed for K-8 students, and the Solar System Map is intended for K-12 students. State Giant Maps are designed for third-and-fourth-grade state studies. In 2018, 348 maps were sold to approximately 200 schools, reaching approximately 35,000 students. The program has been messaged to National Geographic's education audience through email communications, conferences and events, including a repurposed video illustrating the product. Explorer magazine is a K-5/6 classroom subscription with seven issues that arrive throughout the school year. Explorer features authentic, engaging, nonfiction content that showcases the adventures of National Geographic Explorers and adapts their inspiring stories for young minds. The three articles per issue support national standards such as the Common Core ELA Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the C3 Framework for Social Studies. Each issue includes a full-color, double-sided classroom poster; a free Teacher's guide with lesson plans, blackline masters, and activities for educators; a free projectable PDF for whole-class instruction; and free digital magazines with read-aloud text highlighting, games, embedded videos, animations, and pop-up vocabulary. All Explorer magazines are free of advertising. Subscriptions for 2018 totaled 382,787, of which 16,687 were underwritten by donor support. National Geographic licenses the right to publish K-12 textbooks and English Language Teaching products to Cengage Learning under the National Geographic Learning (NGL) trademark. National Geographic works closely with Cengage to ensure these products maintain the highest quality and inspire learners to explore the world. National Geographic Learning's products center on the unique stories of Society explorers, grantees, and photographers to engage learners. In 2018, National Geographic Learning reached more than 2.1 million students domestically with Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Supplemental materials for the K-12 market. National Geographic Learning reached nearly 181 million students of all ages in 108 countries with its English Language Teaching products. In 2018, NGL developed the Social Studies version for the Panorama reading program; partnered with Big Ideas and began development of Math NGL-branded textbooks; and, published US History for high school and middle school. National Geographic Learning has spotlighted National Geographic explorers, grantees, and photographers in over 1,140 editorial features since 2013. National Geographic Educator Certification is a free professional development program that recognizes pre-K through 12 formal and informal educators committed to inspiring the next generation of explorers, conservationists, and changemakers. These educators are part of a powerful movement to make the world a better place by empowering students to be informed decision-makers equipped to solve meaningful challenges in their communities and beyond. These educators become part of National Geographic's online educator community, stay connected with National Geographic and each other, and take on leadership roles such as certficiation facilitators, mentors, and advisors and Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. There are three phases to complete certification. Phase 1: educators participate in a 1.5-hour in-person or online workshop rooted in the National Geographic Learning Framework, Phase 2: educators implement two activities with students designed to build their global and geographic competency, Phase 3: educators submit a multimedia capstone project that includes a written reflection, lesson plan, photos of student work, and a 3-5 minute video. In September 2018, we offically launched certification with a new version of the online workshop in the new Learning Management System. In 2018, 704 educators became certified, for a total of 1,228 certified educators at the end of December 2018. The Education team at National Geographic offers a series of online courses for teachers designed to help them learn strategies and access content to implement in their classrooms. The courses are designed to develop an explorer's mindset in students (based on National Geographic's Learning Framework), be authentic, engaging, connected to instructional practice, and to deepen and broaden content knowledge. In 2018 we built, piloted, and published our first three long courses (30+ instructional hours): Connecting Geo-Inquiry to Your Teaching Practice; Teaching Global Change in Your Classroom; and Integrating Service with Learning Goals. In addition, we are developing a series of shorter courses designed to help our teacher leaders deliver outreach sessions around our programs, as well as sets of MicroCredentials that will help teachers demonstrate mastery in individual teaching strategies. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4d Description of other program services |
(Expenses $ including grants of $)(Revenue $ 446,936) Other miscellaneous program administration including-- 2018 Sustainability The National Geographic Society is committed to operating more sustainably in its own facilities and through its expectations of suppliers, vendors, and partners. The Society's headquarters became the first LEED-EB certified buildings (2003), and through ongoing tracking of energy usage, maintenance activities, waste, and office and building supplies, the Society has maintained continuous LEED-EB certification, rising from silver to gold in 2009. In 2018, the Society received its sixth LEED-EB certification. The Society has adopted a Corporate Responsibility Policy that it shares with employees, suppliers, vendors, and partners and is working toward four core company-wide sustainability goals: 1) to become a carbon neutral company 2) to work toward zero landfill waste 3) to practice wise resource stewardship 4) to have an engaged and healthy workforce Becoming a carbon neutral company The society performs an annual carbon assessment of its Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions. The goal is to quantify carbon emissions from Society activities, reduce such emissions as much as possible, and offset emissions that cannot be eliminated. The Society purchases RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) to offset all the electrical usage of its owned buildings and leased space. Offsets also are purchased for emissions at Society-owned buildings and leased space and business travel emissions. Day to day operations are continually evaluated and improved to seek maximum energy efficiency. Sending zero waste to the landfill The Society seeks to reduce waste produced at its headquarters and to reuse, recycle or compost as much as possible. Employees and tenants are asked to share unneeded supplies to reduce the need to purchase new office supplies, packaging material, furniture, and more. Employees, tenants and guests are urged to use reusable dishware and use refillable bottles at water fountains rather than disposable containers and utensils. Furniture, equipment, supplies, and Nat Geo products that can't be used at our headquarters are offered for re-use to local nonprofits, schools, museums, and artists. Recycling and composting is encouraged on every floor and receptacles are readily available to employees, tenants and guests. Recycling and upcycling streams include paper, metals, glass, plastics, electronics, snack bags, and construction materials. Centralized compost and recycling is being expanded throughout campus and many desk side trash bins are voluntarily given up by employees. Practicing the wise use of resources Paper suppliers to the Society are asked to provide paper from certified forestry sources and never from old-growth or high-conservation-value designated forests nor bleached with elemental chlorine. National Geographic Society activities and services are to be legally and ethically conducted by treating employees, environments, and cultures with respect. Suppliers who provide manufacturing services to the Society are expected to follow Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production principles as defined by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) - including such measures as reusing waste, process modification, and the awareness and reduction of hazardous materials use. Only green-e certified cleaning products and non-VOC paints are used in the Society's complex. In addition, many of the building materials used in the Society are made from recycled material. Water Restoration Certificates are purchased to offset water usage in our DC headquarters. Butterfly gardens and beehives on the headquarters grounds and rooftop support endangered species and educational efforts. Meatless Monday discounts are offered to all employees, tenants, and guests to promote consumption of delicious, nutritious, yet less resource intensive foods. The type of supplies purchased for use at headquarters and the disposal of all items is tracked for LEED-EB, ensuring ongoing improvement in sustainable purchasing and landfill diversion. Engaged and healthy workforce Sustainability is a regular part of new employee orientation and all occupants of our buildings are encouraged to join the Green Team to help us all be more sustainable in our operations. All employees and tenants are encouraged to actively participate in and create the many, varied sustainability events and initiatives on campus including Earth Week, green courtyard markets, campus gardening, green news, bike teams, staff beekeepers, and corporate responsibility group. Lessons learned for the workplace also help encourage healthier and more sustainable activities outside the office. The Society has been designated a bike friendly workplace, encouraging bicycle commuting through the provision of sidewalk bike racks for the public, garaged bike racks and bike room for employees, a bike maintenance stand and air pumps, lockers, showers, employee discounts at bike shops, free membership with bike sharing services, and being an official pit stop on Bike to Work Day. Carpooling and the use of low-emission vehicles are supported through parking discounts and free charging for electric vehicles. Discounts with local car shares are offered to employees and tenants. Employees can benefit from a metro commuting subsidy or bicycle commuter subsidy. Exercise fitness areas are available to all staff members and tenants and were renovated and expanded in 2018. A rooftop herb garden staffed by Nat Geo employees supplies herbs to the Cafeteria. A local, sustainable farm sells CSA shares and runs a weekly farm stand in the headquarters courtyard throughout the summer, fall and early winter. Monthly throughout the summer, a green market is held in the courtyard featuring local and sustainable businesses. A "Swap Meet" is held several times a year in which employees can give away personal items they no longer want (e.g. clothes, books, toys, jewelry, small appliances) and take home personal items given by others, with any remaining items donated to local charities. Employees and tenants can bring 'difficult to recycle' CFLs and batteries from home to designated collection areas year-round and bring in personal electronics to annual e-cycling events. Specific achievements in 2018: --Earned Energy Star certification for headquarters --Included kitchen on every floor of newly renovated spaces, providing reusable dishware, low landfill coffee set ups, and bottleless water fountains in each --Opened bike room in underground garage, approximately doubling bike rack parking and providing safer, more dedicated access to bike parking. --Hosted National Bike Summit mobile workshop - https://www.bikeleague.org/content/2018-national-bike-summit-recap --Moved all newly renovated space to centralized multi-stream waste collection --As part of Planet or Plastic Initiative, began audit of National Geographic supply chains to determine extent of plastic waste and actions to eliminate it --Gave away for re-use several tons of furniture, office supplies, and art supplies during renovation --Recycled several tons of electronics and metal from renovation and upgrades --Also as part of the Plastics Initiative, NGS removed all plastic/styrofoam cups, straws, and utensils from its cafeteria Library--the National Geographic Library's reading room is open to the public by appointment, and library and archives staffers respond to phone calls, letters and emails. In 2018 they handled some 400 queries from scholars and members of the public. They also provided more than 30 tours of the library & archives, including groups from the Netherlands, Croatia, and Chile, student groups, and professional colleagues from other libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions. Librarians participated in regional interlibrary loan, lending items from the physical collection to various DC-area libraries. Finally, hundreds of books and magazines were donated to nonprofit organizations. |
| Form 990, Part V, Line 3b Reason for not filing Form 990-T |
The 990T is on extension awaiting final K-1 investment information necessary to prepare a complete and accurate return. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b Review of form 990 by governing body |
The Society's Form 990 was prepared by tax and financial staff at the Society, and was reviewed by senior management, including the CFO, Chief Legal Officer and the President and CEO. It was also reviewed by the Society's outside tax advisors. A draft of this Form 990 was provided to the full Board of Trustees for comments and questions, and a conference call was held in which all Board members had an opportunity to participate in commenting and addressing any questions or issues about the draft 990. If any revisions result from the call, another copy is then provided to each of the Trustees for any additional questions, comments, or input before it was filed with the IRS. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c Conflict of interest policy |
The National Geographic Society maintains a Code of Ethics stating the Society's expectation that staff (employees), officers and third party representatives (including independent contractors, consultants, business partners and others who support our mission or receive our funds), will perform their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the highest standards of ethical conduct. The Code of Ethics is published internally, and on the Society's public facing Website https://www.nationalgeographic.org/ethics/. The Code of Ethics is rooted in the Society's commitment to carry out its mission in a manner that earns the respect of everyone we interact with including charitable donors, business associates, third party representatives, Society members, our staff, explorers, fellows, grantees and the general public. In recognition that accomplishing this objective depends on the individual commitment of our staff and business partners to acting with personal integrity, the following core principles apply: (1) we will conduct every aspect of our business in a fair, lawful and ethical manner; (2) we will encourage and expect everyone we work with to do the same; and (3) we will maintain a culture that reinforces these principles. The Code of Ethics includes the Society's Conflict of Interest Policy, which (1) defines potential conflicts of interest and provides several illustrative examples; (2) requires disclosure of any potential conflict to the Society; and (3) prohibits a conflicted staff member from engaging in any activity or decision-making concerning a potential conflict of interest in the absence of disclosure and independent resolution (including recusal and other steps deemed appropriate to resolve the potential conflict) by the Society, as set forth as follows in the terms of the policy itself: "Avoid Conflicts of Interest A conflict of interest arises when you, a family member, or a close friend has a business, financial, or personal interest in the other side of a transaction or business dealing with the National Geographic Society. You must always act in the best interest of the Society. This includes being sensitive to situations where it might appear that your responsibility to the Society has been compromised. Here are some ways a conflict of interest might arise: Having a personal, family, or financial interest in any Society transaction Acting as an employee or consultant for, or providing any other assistance to, a competitor Having a financial interest in a competitor, supplier, contractor, grantee, fellow, consultant, or other business partner Hiring or supervising a family member Accepting gifts, discounts, or services beyond policy limits from anyone doing (or seeking) business with the National Geographic Society Most potential conflicts can be resolved in a simple and mutually acceptable way. The key is to disclose the issue promptly-before it becomes an actual conflict that could compromise your responsibility to act exclusively in the National Geographic Society's best interest. If you have a potential conflict of interest, you must report it to your manager-before you engage in any activity related to the situation. Your manager, in consultation with you, Human Resources, and Law &Business Affairs, will determine what measures should be taken to resolve it appropriately. Such measures typically include recusing yourself from any decision relating to the matter. If you are unsure but have questions, get help from your manager, Human Resources or the Society's ethics officer. Gifts and Gratuities Staff members may not receive any gift worth more than $100 from any person or organization doing business with the National Geographic Society. Staff members involved in purchasing decisions must take extra care to avoid any gifts that might affect, or appear to affect, their decision-making responsibilities on behalf of the National Geographic Society. Additionally, the Society's Code of Ethics expressly prohibits bribery and all other forms of corruption; sets standards for conducting diligence and for approval of certain third party business relationships; and mandates reporting of any potential issues to the Society's Ethic's Officer, or other designated Society representative as set forth in the Code of Ethics: Corruption and Bribery - Strictly Prohibited Every country we work in has laws against corruption and bribery. We take compliance with these laws seriously. As a U.S.-based organization, the National Geographic Society focuses particular attention on the anti-bribery standards of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. We may not offer, promise, pay, give, or approve any bribe, kickback, or other inducement in the form of cash or anything else of value (such as gifts, travel, entertainment, or charitable contributions) to any person or organization with the intent to exert improper influence over the recipient, induce the recipient to violate their duty of loyalty, secure an improper advantage for the National Geographic Society, or improperly reward the recipient for past conduct. Nor may we allow any third party representative (such as customs clearance brokers, independent contractors, consultants, business partners, or anyone else) to do so on our behalf. Our Anti-Corruption policy sets standards that must be followed in our relationships with explorers, fellows, grantees, third party representatives, field workers ('fixers'), exhibitors, and recipients of charitable donations. Additionally, there are special standards that apply to our interactions with government officials (including travel, accommodations, meals, and entertainment). If you think that an improper payment has been solicited, offered, or made, you must promptly report it to the ethics officer, or another contact listed on the last page of the Code. The Society requires each of its employees including its officers to complete a business conduct certification (referred to as the Society's 'Ethics and Policies Pledge') as a condition of continuing employment annually. Each staff member is required to affirm that: * I have read and I understand my obligations under the National Geographic Society's Code of Ethics. I agree to comply with the Code, the Society's policies, and laws that apply to my responsibilities on behalf of the Society. * I understand that I am obligated to report all potential Code, policy or legal violations I am aware of. I am familiar with the options available to me for asking questions or reporting a potential violation. * I am not aware of any potential violation, or I have reported all potential violations that I am aware of. (A staff member who is aware of an unreported potential violation is prompted to report it prior to completing the certification.)" The Society maintains an Ethics Helpline operated by an independent third party for reporting potential violations or asking questions concerning the Code of Ethics, the Society's policies and/or legal compliance. The Helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Helpline accepts email, web-based and automated phone line submissions, and also offers the option of speaking to a customer service representative. The Helpline accepts anonymous reports and allows an individual who makes a report to receive follow up communications even if he/she chooses to remain anonymous. The Society maintains a separate Code of Ethics for its Directors and Trustees, which is based on the same core principles as the Code applicable to the Society's staff and third party partners, and grounded in the same commitment to maintaining the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity. It includes a Conflict of Interest policy applicable to Directors and Trustees specifically, which mandates disclosure of potential direct or indirect material conflicts involving Board-level decisions, as well as recusal from decision-making and voting on a conflict matter. The Society's Board members may contact the General Counsel or Ethics Officer with questions or concerns, and may also avail themselves of the Society's Ethics Helpline. Each Board member submits a Conflict of Interest Certification annually certifying that: there are no conflicts of interest (or disclosing potential conflicts if any may exist); and committing to continuing disclosure should a conflict arise subsequently. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a Process to establish compensation of top management official |
The Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society has delegated authority to the Compensation Committee to oversee the compensation and benefits of certain senior executives of the Society. The Committee, which is composed exclusively of independent members of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for overseeing an executive compensation program for the Society's senior executives. The Committee follows the procedures set forth in the IRS regulations under Section 4958 in making compensation decisions. In particular, the Committee engages an independent compensation consultant to prepare and present comparable market data with respect to the Society's cash compensation and benefits programs, and is also advised by outside counsel. The Committee reviews the performance of senior executives and evaluates their compensation and benefits in light of the comparable market data provided by the independent compensation consultant and other relevant factors. The Committee relies on such market data in awarding cash compensation and reviewing benefit programs for the Society's senior executives, and receives an opinion from the independent compensation consultant as to the reasonableness and comparability of the Society's executive compensation and benefits programs to that provided for similar services by similar organizations under similar circumstances. The Committee documents its decisions regarding executive compensation decisions in its minutes. The Chair of the Committee promptly reports all actions taken by the Committee to the full Board of Trustees. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 15b Process to establish compensation of other employees |
The Compensation Committee followed the process described above at meetings held in February, September of 2018 with respect to compensation decisions for the following senior executives positions; President and CEO: EVP, Chief Operations & Financial Officer; EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary; Chief Marketing & Engagement Officer and SVP, Global Strategy; Chief Scientist & SVP, Science and Exploration; Executive Director, Yellowstone Project and Special Advisor; SVP, Partnerships. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Line 19 Required documents available to the public |
The Society's corporate charter is available to the public through the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Corporations Division. The financial statements of the tax-exempt parent, the National Geographic Society, are made available in this Form 990. The Society does not currently make its audited financial statements available to the public because they are issued on a consolidated basis, which include financial details of the activities of Society's taxable subsidiaries which are not disclosed for competitive reasons. The Society's Forms 990 and 990T are available upon request, as well as online at Guidestar.org. |
| Form 990, Part XI, Line 9 Other changes in net assets or fund balances |
Post-retirement Benefits-FAS 158 - 2399233; Grants cancelled/returned - 187788; Misc. - -2429; |
Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. 
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.