This is the second in a series of blogs that will look at the finances of the various environmental activist groups that are involved in lawsuits that have had and will have a profound effect on our islands.
We will look at Form 990, the form that non-profit, tax-exempt organizations must file with the Internal Revenue Service.
In these blogs, we will be all about the numbers only, such as income, expenses, salaries, and program expenses.
We will present the numbers without comment, though I?m sure many of you will find, as I have, that some of those numbers are attention getting. Others are just?.well, interesting.
The numbers is this blog don?t reflect everything on the tax return, but there will be a link to the entire Form 990 for each group if you are interested in digging further.
Last week, we looked at the Southern Environmental Law Center, which is the tie that binds the others. SELC is based in Charlottesville, Va., with an office in Chapel Hill, N.C., and is representing the other environmental groups in three major lawsuits in the federal courts that have or will affect our life and lifestyle and economy.
All three are in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. They are:
- A lawsuit Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society filed in 2011 against the National Park Service for its lack of an ORV management plan, which the groups claimed resulted in inadequate protections for nesting shorebirds and turtles. It was settled by a 2008 consent decree but is still being ?overseen? by federal Judge Terrence Boyle.
- A lawsuit that Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge Association filed against the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and others to stop the plan to replace the aging Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet. A federal judge ruled in favor of DOT on Monday. The plaintiffs have 60 days to appeal the decision. In addition, SELC, on behalf of its clients, is challenging a state-issued Major CAMA Permit in state judicial system.
- A lawsuit in which Defenders of Wildlife and the National Parks Conservation Association are defendant-intervenors on the side of the federal government. In this case, filed in February 2012, the Cape Hatteras Preservation Alliance sued the Department of Interior, the National Park Service, and others to overturn the Park Service?s ORV plan and final rule. This case is currently also before federal Judge Terrence Boyle.
In the coming weeks, we?ll examine the IRS returns of the Defenders of Wildlife, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, and the National Parks Conservation Association.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FORM 990
The National Audubon Society is definitely the wealthiest of the environmental groups that have been involved in litigation on the Outer Banks.
Its latest available Form 990 from 2011 covers the period from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.
Here are some of the numbers:
Total income for the tax year was $96.2 million down from $103.2 million the previous year.
Total expenses were $89.1 million, up from $86 million the previous year.
Income minus expenses (profit) was $7 million, down from $17 million the previous year.
National Audubon reported net assets and fund balances of $433 million, about the same as the previous year.
The group claims membership of 400,000.
There are 28 voting members on the board of directors who are not paid.
The group also reports that it has 1,059 employees and 10,000 volunteers.
Total salaries, benefits, and other compensation was $46.5 million, up from $45.9 million the previous year.
Audubon reports that 58 employees make more than $100,000.
In addition, more than 38 independent contractors received payments of more than $100,000.
In the From 990, the group lists 42 vice presidents.
Total compensation of officers and key employees: $8.1 million
Other salaries and wages: $29.5 million.
Other employee benefits: $4.1 million.
Pension plan contributions: $1.6 million
Payroll taxes: $4.1 million
Some of the highest individual salaries include:
David Yarnold, President and CEO: $508,576.
Judy Braus, vice president centers and education, $316,766.
Grant Chisholm, vice president and executive director, $250,413.
Les Corey, vice president, $262,254.
Joseph DeMarco, vice president for human resources, $206,374.
Patricia Douglas, vice president and assistant secretary, $185,518.
Phil Lambert, chief information officer, $301,813.
Margaret Olsen, vice president and chief conservation officer, $230,307.
Glenn Olson, vice president, $274,204.
Monique M. Quinn, vice president and assistant secretary, 236,768.
Gregory Licciardi, publisher, $217,613
John Flicker, former president and CEO, $229,585.
You can see salaries of other highly paid employees on Pages 25 through 27 of the Form 990.
Total of gifts, grants, and membership fees for the tax year: $67.4 million.
Total of gifts, grants, and membership fees for 2007-2011: $336 million.
Endowments funds: $161 million down from $162.6 million the previous year.
Some other expenses:
Grants and assistance to governments and organizations in the U.S.: $5.1 million.
Office expenses: $11.5 million.
Occupancy: $4.3 million.
Travel: $2.1 million.
Depreciation, amortization, depletion: $3 million.
Conferences, conventions, and meetings: $731,264.
Professional fundraising: $879,000 up from $461,000 the previous year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Click here to see all 133 pages of the National Audubon Society?s most recent 990.
