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)
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(a) 2019 | (b) 2020 | (c) 2021 | (d) 2022 | (e) 2023 | (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) 2019 | (b) 2020 | (c) 2021 | (d) 2022 | (e) 2023 | (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) 2019 | (b) 2020 | (c) 2021 | (d) 2022 | (e) 2023 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | 6,993,379 | 4,506,989 | 13,744,380 | 12,748,494 | 15,484,596 | 53,477,838 |
| 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 | 29,167,299 | 19,014,421 | 18,719,785 | 19,401,044 | 22,628,284 | 108,930,833 |
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513 ..... | 610,700 | 153,442 | 253,105 | 229,877 | 595,432 | 1,842,556 |
| 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 | 36,771,378 | 23,674,852 | 32,717,270 | 32,379,415 | 38,708,312 | 164,251,227 |
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons | 2,671,250 | 388,845 | 146,561 | 307,154 | 40,225 | 3,554,035 |
| 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.. | 2,671,250 | 388,845 | 146,561 | 307,154 | 40,225 | 3,554,035 |
| 8 | Public support. (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | 160,697,192 | |||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in)
![]() |
(a) 2019 | (b) 2020 | (c) 2021 | (d) 2022 | (e) 2023 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | 36,771,378 | 23,674,852 | 32,717,270 | 32,379,415 | 38,708,312 | 164,251,227 |
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | 183,034 | 59,430 | 46,743 | 18,247 | 94,291 | 401,745 |
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | 183,034 | 59,430 | 46,743 | 18,247 | 94,291 | 401,745 |
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included on 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.) .. | 1,191,932 | 2,235,934 | 3,427,866 | |||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | 36,954,412 | 23,734,282 | 32,764,013 | 33,589,594 | 41,038,537 | 168,080,838 |
| 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 2023 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-2023 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Distributable amount for 2023 from Section C, line 6 | ||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2023 (reasonable cause required-- explain in Part VI).
See instructions. |
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| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2023: | ||||
| a From 2018....... | ||||
| b From 2019....... | ||||
| c From 2020....... | ||||
| d From 2021....... | ||||
| e From 2022....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2023 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2018 not applied (see instructions) |
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| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from line 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2023 from Section D, line 7: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2023 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from line 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2023, 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 2023. 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 2024. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
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| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a Excess from 2019..... | ||||
| b Excess from 2020..... | ||||
| c Excess from 2021..... | ||||
| d Excess from 2022..... | ||||
| e Excess from 2023..... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
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| Return Reference | Explanation |
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| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
| Return Reference | Explanation |
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| 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, Audubon 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 | Audubon completed significant renovations to its downtown campus, encompassing Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Insectarium, and Woldenberg Riverfront Park. The new complex reopened in summer 2023 and involves collaborations with local partners, including the RTA, to create a revitalized walkable downtown area and an unparalleled destination celebrating New Orleans' connection with the Mississippi River. Audubon continued planning efforts for Riverfront for All, a visionary project that will forever change the Mississippi Riverfront in downtown New Orleans, creating uninterrupted pedestrian and bicycle access across 2.25 miles of contiguous riverfront. Wings of the World took flight at Audubon Zoo when it opened in March. Wings of the World is the largest and most immersive experience of its kind regionally, with new exhibitry, a free-flight aviary, and more than 60 birds from around the world. The reimagined planetarium reopened at Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, taking guest from bayous to black holes in one afternoon. USA Today readers voted for their favorite North American AZA-accredited zooa and aquariums - facilities that excel in the fields of animal care and enrichment, while also facilitating meaningful interactions between animals and human visitors. The Aquarium ranked #5 and the Zoo ranked #7 among 20 nominees. Audubon's Coastal Wildlife Network is Louisiana's primary marine mammal and sea turtle stranding responder and the State's only permitted marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation facility. CWN responded to 59 strandings, including 4 live dolphins and 3 sea turtles. CWN also conducted stranding surveys in the stranding hotspots of Grand Isle and Southwest Louisiana. Coupled with public reporting, these surveys are important in gathering data to determine the most realistic picture of strandings in Louisiana. Audubon's Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries partnered with Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC) Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) to transition the GULF RFM Scheme and continued its Chef Council and Restaurants Partnership. In May, the Gulf shrimp fishery entered into sustainability assessments under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and CSC RFM certifications - two of the world's leading fisheries sustainability schemes. GULF also developed a partnership with Aramark, including training chefs about Louisiana and Gulf seafood species and sustainability and identifying ways to source more local seafood with their supply chain. Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Servival Center continued successful recovery efforts, including working with partners to add four whooping cranes to White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area as part of an ongoing effort to protect this endangered species from extinction. Three of the juvenile whooping cranes were hatched and reared at Audubon and the fourth crane came from Dallas Zoo. This release increased the Louisiana population to 85 cranes. More than 170 births occurred throughout the year, including black and white ruffed lemur twins, an African penguin, and a magpie shrike. Audubon Education continuted offering outreach programs for children across Louisiana. Thanks to Chevron's support, Audubon was able to offer free virtual programming to Title 1 schools in Louisiana. Audubon's Youth Volunteer Program grew to more than 90 volunteers. They earned 9,542 volunteer hours through two programs: Counselor-in-Training (CIT) and Conservation Krewe. CITs assist with camps and the Nature at Night series. Conservation Krewe assists with guest interpretation. Thanks to the Trumball Family Foundation's generosity, four CITs and three Conservation Krewe received scholarships. Any youth who qualifies for a free or reduced lunch at school and/or receives SNAP benefits is eligible to apply for a scholarship. Audubon launched Wild Encounters, a new behind-the-scenes experience at Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, and Audubon Insectarium. Wild Encounters include Penguin Party, Maya Snorkel, Butterfly First Flight, Orangutan Family Fun, and Sea Lion Splash. During these unique encounters, guests learn directly from animal staff, including insights on the animals' specific needs, enrichment activities, food preferences, conservation status, and more. Audubon completed educational video content and resources for Harry's Big Adventure in partnership with Terminix. Videos featuring Audubon Insectarium experts discussed topics like insect anatomy and spiders. Audubon continued its Community Connect access initiative in 2023, which involves three components. Orleans Parish Appreciation Days offers free admission for Orleans Parish residents on a rotating schedule; the Audubon SNAP Program provides free admission for SNAP benefit recipients and their families; and the Audubon Museum Culture Pass allows Orleans Parish Public Library cardholders to check out admission passes. In 2023, Community Connect made it possible for more than 70,000 community members to visit Audubon attractions. Through the Taylor Student Awards Program, more than 240,000 high-achieving students in grades 6 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. After a four-year hiatus, Scales & Ales returned in October as the premier fundraiser for Audubon Aquarium and Audubon Insectarium. Audubon has continued to strengthen its social media initiatives, adding fans, friends, and followers daily. At year end, Audubon's social media network included 674,848 followers and more than 20 million engagements on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok. The combined attendance at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Audubon Zoo in 2023 was 979,000 visitors, and revenue from admissions was $16.7 million. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 2 | Chris Bardell and Caryn Rodgers-Batiste have a business relationship. Walt Leger has a business relationship with ANI. |
| 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 XII Line 2C | The organization did not change its audit oversight process or selection process. |
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