Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
Go to
www.irs.gov/Form990 for instructions and the latest information.
| (i) Name of supported organization | (ii) EIN | (iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 10 above (see instructions)) | (iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document? | (v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions) | (vi) Amount of other support (see instructions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||
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Total |
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Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2016 | (b) 2017 | (c) 2018 | (d) 2019 | (e) 2020 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grant.") .. | ||||||
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf.... | ||||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3 | ||||||
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f).. | ||||||
| 6 | Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | ||||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2016 | (b) 2017 | (c) 2018 | (d) 2019 | (e) 2020 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | ||||||
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources... | ||||||
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.).. | ||||||
| 11 | Total support. Add lines 7 through 10 | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2016 | (b) 2017 | (c) 2018 | (d) 2019 | (e) 2020 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | 12,767,795 | 7,053,166 | 4,113,003 | 6,993,379 | 4,506,989 | 35,434,332 |
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose | 27,067,868 | 27,182,388 | 28,260,140 | 29,167,299 | 19,014,421 | 130,692,116 |
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513 ..... | 644,476 | 668,860 | 482,209 | 610,700 | 153,442 | 2,559,687 |
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5 | 40,480,139 | 34,904,414 | 32,855,352 | 36,771,378 | 23,674,852 | 168,686,135 |
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons | 6,982,165 | 324,295 | 85,246 | 2,671,250 | 388,845 | 10,451,801 |
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | 0 | |||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | 6,982,165 | 324,295 | 85,246 | 2,671,250 | 388,845 | 10,451,801 |
| 8 | Public support. (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | 158,234,334 | |||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2016 | (b) 2017 | (c) 2018 | (d) 2019 | (e) 2020 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | 40,480,139 | 34,904,414 | 32,855,352 | 36,771,378 | 23,674,852 | 168,686,135 |
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | 99,005 | 167,188 | 224,592 | 183,034 | 59,430 | 733,249 |
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | 99,005 | 167,188 | 224,592 | 183,034 | 59,430 | 733,249 |
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included in line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) .. | 2,615,202 | 2,615,202 | ||||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | 40,579,144 | 35,071,602 | 35,695,146 | 36,954,412 | 23,734,282 | 172,034,586 |
| Section A - Adjusted Net Income | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
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| 1 | Net short-term capital gain | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Other gross income (see instructions) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Add lines 1 through 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Depreciation and depletion | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Other expenses (see instructions) | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4) | 8 | ||||
| Section B - Minimum Asset Amount | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
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| 1 | Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year): | 1 | ||||
| a | Average monthly value of securities | 1a | ||||
| b | Average monthly cash balances | 1b | ||||
| c | Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets | 1c | ||||
| d | Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c) | 1d | ||||
| e |
Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI): |
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| 2 | Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Subtract line 2 from line 1d | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 0.015 of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions). | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3) | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Multiply line 5 by 0.035 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6) | 8 | ||||
| Section C - Distributable Amount | Current Year | |||||
| 1 | Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A) | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Enter 85% of line 1 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Enter greater of line 2 or line 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Income tax imposed in prior year | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| Section D - Distributions | Current Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes | 1 | |
|
2
Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity |
2 | |
| 3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations | 3 | |
| 4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets | 4 | |
| 5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required - provide details in Part VI) | 5 | |
| 6 Other distributions (describe in Part VI). See instructions | 6 | |
| 7Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 6. | 7 | |
|
8
Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions |
8 | |
| 9 Distributable amount for 2020 from Section C, line 6 | 9 | |
| 10 Line 8 amount divided by Line 9 amount | 10 | |
| Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions) |
(i) Excess Distributions |
(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2020 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2020 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Distributable amount for 2020 from Section C, line 6 | ||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2019 (reasonable cause required-- explain in Part VI). See instructions. |
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| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2020: | ||||
| a From 2015....... | ||||
| b From 2016....... | ||||
| c From 2017....... | ||||
| d From 2018....... | ||||
| e From 2019....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2020 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2015 not applied (see instructions) |
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| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from line 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2020 from Section D, line 7: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2020 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from line 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2020, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
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|
6
Remaining underdistributions for 2020. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
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7 Excess distributions carryover to 2021. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
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| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a Excess from 2016..... | ||||
| b Excess from 2017..... | ||||
| c Excess from 2018..... | ||||
| d Excess from 2019..... | ||||
| e Excess from 2020..... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
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| Return Reference | Explanation |
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| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| FORM 990, PART I, LINE 1, DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION MISSION: | Audubon Nature Institute operates a family of museums and parks dedicated to nature on behalf of the City of New Orleans. Facilities include Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Giant Screen Theater, Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Park, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Audubon Wilderness Park and Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. There are eight basic tenets of Audubon Nature Institute's mission statement that guide decisions at all facilities. The tenets are as follows: Provide a guest experience of outstanding quality, exhibit diversity of wildlife, preserve native Louisiana habitats, educate our diverse audience about the natural world, enhance the care and survival of wildlife through research and conservation, provide opportunities for recreation in natural settings, operate a financially self-sufficient collection of museums and parks, and weave quality entertainment through the guest experience. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a | 2020 was a year that will stand as unique in Audubon Nature Institute's history. The global catastrophe of the COVID-19 pandemic forever changed the way we all live, work, and move through the world. Public safety measures to slow the spread of the virus forced Audubon to close all public facilities for several months during spring and early summer-usually the peak of our busy season-when we make the majority of the revenue that sustains our operations through the year. The devastating financial impact and the absence of governmental financial aid for zoos and aquariums left Audubon no choice but to drastically scale down operations, including laying off close to 75% of our staff. Through it all, we continued providing exceptional care for the animals and parks in our charge. Fortunately, however, Audubon was already beginning to make incredible strides toward recovery as the Zoo and Aquarium were able to reopen to the public under new safety protocols and the arrival of a COVID vaccine at the end of the year brought new hope for a return to normalcy. This historic year of seemingly insurmountable challenges highlighted the remarkable strength and resilience of the Audubon team and their dedication to our mission as employees went above and beyond the call of duty to get the organization on the road to recovery. Despite 2020 being a year characterized by losses, the Audubon Team consistently provided the community we serve with things to celebrate and reasons to hope. Below are some highlights of Audubon's perseverance and hope in the face of disaster. We look to the future with optimism, ready to embark on new adventures and new ways to educate and inspire our community. Across Audubon, teams found new ways to stay with connected with our community during lockdown and adapt guest-favorite events to new COVID safety protocols. The Education team offered virtual outreach programs for children across the state. These virtual programs allow students to discover amazing animals with Audubon educators as they explore nature and science together. Each 45-minute session combines science topics aligned with Louisiana state science standards and live animal presentations. Students can interact in real time with educators and live animals through streaming video conferencing as they discover new things about the world around them. Thanks to the support of Shell, Chevron, and the New Orleans Pelicans, Audubon was able to offer virtual programming to Title 1 schools in Louisiana free of charge. Despite facility closures, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Audubon Zoo were once again among the top winners of the USA TODAY 10 Best Readers' Choice travel award contest. The Aquarium ranked 3rd and the Zoo secured 9th place among 20 nominees, all accredited by the AZA, that were "hand-picked by a panel of zoo and family travel experts." Throughout the year, Audubon facilities remained sources of community support, providing public parks as places for much-needed outdoor recreation and relaxation during the months when many indoor activities were unsafe and serving as sites for community aid events like a City of New Orleans Flu Vaccine drive, a Second Harvest Food Bank food distribution day, and Temple Sinai's drive-thru Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony. Once our facilities reopened, we were able to continue our Community Connect access initiative in 2020. The program involves three components: Orleans Parish Appreciation Days, which offer free admission to an Audubon attraction for Orleans Parish residents on Wednesdays (attractions available on a rotating schedule); the Audubon SNAP Program, which provides free admission to Audubon attractions every day for SNAP benefit recipients and their families; and the Audubon Museum Culture Pass, which allows Orleans Parish Public Library cardholders to check out passes that can be used at any Audubon attraction any day the attractions are open to the public. Despite months-long closures of the Zoo and Aquarium, Community Connect made it possible for more than 30,000 community members to visit Audubon facilities (as compared to just under 40,000 in 2019). In addition, thanks to the Taylor/Audubon Students and Scholars Program, more than 196,000 high-achieving students in grades 7 through 12 statewide received free Audubon Memberships as part of the ongoing initiative established by the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation to reward Louisiana students' hard work. Audubon celebrated Mother's Day and Party for the Planet presented by Entergy with curated web pages filled with educational resources and activity ideas for families to enjoy the wonders of nature together safely from home and fun social media programming. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas reopened in time to celebrate its 30th "Aquaversary" over Labor Day weekend. Since opening its doors to the public September 1, 1990, the Aquarium has welcomed nearly 30 million visitors, expanded its habitats to include the 4,200-square-foot Great Maya Reef, and opened Entergy Giant Screen Theater. Audubon and partner Children's Hospital New Orleans transformed its annual nighttime Halloween fundraiser, Boo at the Zoo, into a COVID-safe feature of the daytime Zoo experience dubbed Peek-a-Boo at the Zoo benefiting Children's Hospital New Orleans and Audubon Zoo. The wildly popular program was enjoyed by nearly 30,000 Zoo visitors over two weekends in October and raised funds to directly support patients at Children's Hospital New Orleans through the sale of "Boo in a Bag" treat bags. For the second year in a row, Audubon Nature Institute's Marketing team took home an Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Excellence in Marketing Award, which recognizes excellence in marketing campaigns developed and executed by AZA-accredited facilities. This year's award honored the "Audubon Zoo Lions: The Roar Returns" campaign, which promoted the opening of the Zoo's new lion habitat in 2019. Powerful, engaging messaging is critical to advancing public understanding of the role AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums play in animal welfare and conservation. The award celebrated the creativity and expertise of Audubon's Marketing team in developing engaging, imaginative ways to share its mission and stories. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Audubon's work to save species never took a break. Audubon Zoo kicked off 2020 with the birth of two male endangered African lion cubs in January to mom Kali and dad Arnold in the new habitat opened in 2019 through a generous $5 million donation from philanthropists Joy and Boysie Bollinger. The cubs were later named "Haji and "Asani" by an online vote. New births continued to arrive throughout the year as a reminder of the perseverance of life in the face of tragedy, and the first baby born after quarantine-a female reticulated giraffe calf born at Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife-was named Hope in a fitting tribute to the inherent optimism of the wildlife conservation field. Throughout the year, Hope was followed by Batata the ocelot kitten, Kofola the mandrill, Leo and Perseus the Mississippi sandhill cranes, and more. At the Aquarium, the endangered African penguin chick hatched in March was named Zion in honor of New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, who made headlines with a truly remarkable act of generosity when he committed to covering the salaries of the Smoothie King Center workers for 30 days after the NBA season halted due to the pandemic. Staff from Audubon's Coastal Wildlife Network, which serves as Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' primary response partner, worked with partners to rescue six bottlenose dolphins from strandings resulting from the coast's historic hurricane season. CWN assisted with satellite tagging three of the rescued dolphins with tags provided by the Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. The tags collected valuable data on dolphin movements in an area where little information has been previously collected and confirmed all of the animals continued to remain in their environment beyond six weeks-the benchmark for a successful release. On June 4, 2020, representatives from Audubon Zoo, Memphis Zoo, and the U.S. Forestry Service released 41 zoo-hatched Louisiana pine snakes into the into the Kisatchie National Forest, marking the largest wild release to date of the United States' rarest snake species. |
| Form 990, Part III, Line 4a | In 2020, Audubon Zoo transferred four tomistomas, or Sunda gharials (a freshwater crocodilian species native to Indonesia), hatched at the Zoo since 2014 to Tierpark Berlin in Berlin, Germany. These individuals, which are genetically unrelated to other tomistoma specimens in European zoos, will increase the genetic diversity of the European population for future conservation breeding efforts. After nearly two years of planning and preparations and rigorous physical health examinations by Audubon Zoo's veterinarians, the tomistomas arrived safely at their new home in Berlin, where they will serve as ambassadors for their species to more than a million visitors each year. Across the river at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, the Whooping Crane Recovery Program was awarded a large grant by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make improvements to the existing breeding and rearing facility and to hire a new keeper. This grant has the potential to be renewed every year for four more years--a big win for the program and for Audubon. The combined attendance at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Audubon Zoo in 2020 was approximately 500,000 visitors, and revenue from admissions was $6.8 million. Audubon Nature Institute's program service total for operation and management of all facilities was $22,903,622, which includes salaries incurred by Audubon Nature Institute employees. These salary costs were reimbursed by a management contract with Audubon Commission. With an eye on the future, Audubon remained committed to protecting the wonders of nature through outstanding guest experiences, educational opportunities, and developing partnerships. Audubon looks to the future with optimism, ready to embark on new adventures and new ways to educate and inspire our community in these extraordinary times. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 2 | -J. Steve Perry, Quentin Messer, Jr. and Ron Forman have a business relationship. -J. Steve Perry and Mark Romig have a business relationship. -Quentin Messer and Nolan Marshall have a business relationship. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 6 | The members of the Audubon Nature Institute consists of the following classes: individual, student, senior citizen, family, individual plus one, family plus one, bronze patron, and honorary member. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 7a | The members of the Audubon Nature Institute consist of the following classes: individual, student, senior citizen, family, individual plus one, family plus one, bronze patron, and honorary member. The members elect the governing body. Each membership, except honorary members, is entitled to one vote on any matter submitted to a vote of the membership. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11b | The 990 is reviewed by the VP of Finance and the Executive VP/Chief Administrative Officer. The return is also reviewed by the tax department of a public accounting firm. Once the return has been reviewed by the accounting firm, it is provided to the board of directors for review, with the exception of the donors' names and addresses on Schedule B, and then the return is filed with the IRS. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c | Audubon Nature Institute has a conflict of interest policy that has procedures in place to handle disclosing conflicts, determining whether a conflict exists, addressing the conflict, and violations of the policy. Annual statements are signed regarding the policy and periodic reviews are conducted to ensure the policy is being followed. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15 | The compensation of contracted Executive Staff shall be approved by the Executive and Compensation Committees. The Compensation Committee, consisting of the ANI Board Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Immediate Past Chairman and Treasurer, shall meet every three (3) years or prior to contract expiration, whichever is shorter. The Compensation Committee shall be provided with the following for their review: 1.Compensation analysis from comparable zoos, aquariums, museums, and other national attractions. 2.Independent salary and benefit studies of other similar entities including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, IRS Form 990s of similar organizations or documented phone calls with similar organizations. 3.Six (6) year history of the Personal Service Agreement, outlining raises, length of term and any notable changes. 4.Most recent Compensation Survey conducted by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) that compares the salaries of the Officers with that of similarly qualified individuals, in comparable positions at similar organizations, with a comparable number of facilities, annual visitation, staffing and operating budgets. This information shall be compiled by Staff and overseen by the Chairman, who shall act independently without undue influence from the contracted Officers. The Compensation Committee shall make and approve a resolution to set the base salary and benefits. The resolution of the Compensation Committee shall then be presented to the ANI Executive Committee for final approval. The Executive Committee is authorized by the ANI Board to enter into the Personal Services Contract with the Officers. The ANI Board, as executed by the Chairman, shall enter into a written Personal Services Agreement (or amended Agreement) with the Officers. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 18 | Audubon Nature Institute's Form 990 is available on the organization's website. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 | Audubon Nature Institute makes it governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request. |
| Form 990, Part XI, line 9: | 457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION - UNREALIZED GAIN(LOSS) -323,064. |
| Form 990 Part XII Line 2C | The organization did not change its audit oversight process or selection process. |
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