2025-11-17T10:14:33-06:00 2024-12-31 721088864 LaPorte APAC 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd 600 Metairie LA 700054958 990 2024-01-01 510157624 Audubon Nature Institute Inc AUDU 5048612537 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 Laurie Conkerton Executive VP/CAO 5048612537 2025-11-14 1 1 John S Wiles CPA P01222673 5048355522 2025-11-14 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z L Ronald Forman 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 61947504 0 X www.audubonnatureinstitute.org X 1975 LA Operation of museums and parks dedicated to nature on behalf of the City of New Orleans. 32 32 745 264 1333622 0 15484596 24344968 22628284 32222003 75708 45660 6667864 4680890 44856452 61293521 1424125 2549210 0 0 26283861 26066295 0 0 1323044 24203205 25536727 51911191 54152232 -7054739 7141289 9986561 21999453 12128021 16999624 -2141460 4999829 X See Schedule O 0 0 36789670 2549210 32222003 See Schedule O 36789670 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 6 1 1 745 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 32 32 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 X X Caroline Tierney 5048612537 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 Willard L Dumas Chairman 1.00 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Dennis P Lauscha First Vice Chair 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Leslie P Gottsegen Second Vice Chair 1.00 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Peter E Moss Corresponding Secretary 1.00 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Chris Bardell Treasurer 1.00 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Linda G Baum Parliamentarian 1.00 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Lynes R Sloss Immediate Past Chair 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Bernard Van der Linden Part Year Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Anne E Long Part Year Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kenneth B Farris Part Year Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 John Davies Part Year Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Joseph A Jaeger Part Year Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Leah Brown Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kay Kerrigan Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Timothy J Cutt Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Margaret Eustis Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Thomas D Westfeldt Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Vincent J Palumbo Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Walt Leger Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Douglas B Wood Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Ileana Feoli Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 James P Favrot Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Krystle Duplessis Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Richard Buchsbaum Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Samir Mowad Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 St Denis J Villere Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Jonathan H Cazes Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 William H Langenstein Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 John Payne Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Caryn Rodgers-Battiste Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Beth V Lambert Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 James Ewers Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Beau J Box Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Edgar L Chase Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Caroline Z Calhoun Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Angus R Cooper Board Member 1.00 1.00 X 0 0 0 Susan Stall Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 L Ronald Forman President & CEO 40.00 1.00 X 1927181 0 161675 Kyle Burks Exec VP/COO 40.00 X 240639 0 18803 Laurie Conkerton Exec VP/CAO 40.00 3.00 X 230714 0 16086 Toni Mobley Exc. VP/Chief Service Offi 40.00 X 206187 0 14825 Daine Appleberry Senior Vice President 40.00 X 164800 0 11112 Richard D Toth Jr Senior Vice President 40.00 X 156044 0 20257 Stephen Davis Senior Vice President Business Development 40.00 X 209636 0 15219 Thomas Bagwill Senior Vice President of Philanthropy 40.00 X 157141 0 12656 Alicia Bunnell Vice President of Marketin 40.00 X 161032 0 10032 3453374 0 280665 21 0 1 0 SEARCH INFLUENCE 1423 PINE STREET NEW ORLEANS LA 70118 DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES 2557974 UNIVERSAL PROTECTION SERVICE LP PO BOX 31001-2374 PASADENA CA 911102374 SECURITY SERVICES 1207364 SIRIUSWARE INC 1025 GREENWOOD BLVD SUITE 500 LAKE MARY FL 32746 ONLINE FEES AND MAINTENANCE 413568 SELA AQUATICS LLC 5559 GOVERNMENT STREET BATON ROUGE LA 70806 CONTRACT PERSONNEL FOR ATTRACTIONS 246101 SCHULTZ & WILLIAMS INC 1617 JFK BLVD SUITE 1700 PHILADELPHIA PA 19103 FUNDRAISING CONSULTING SERVICES 184074 14 756195 6482996 676609 16429168 131923 24344968 FACILITIES ADMISSIONS 713110 24680350 24680350 MEMBERSHIP 713110 4762177 4762177 GUEST SERVICES & ATTRA 713110 2052212 2052212 LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT 611710 367725 367725 OTHER PROGRAM RELATED 713110 359539 359539 32222003 1166 1166 34392 0 34392 34392 34392 44494 0 44494 44494 44494 561837 756195 646482 -84645 -84645 125000 7501 117499 117499 Gift/food/Oth Comm. 900099 3280022 3280022 GOLF & TENNIS 713910 1333622 1333622 4613644 61293521 32222003 1333622 3392928 2549210 2549210 2816110 2816110 20464224 17825579 2011048 627597 267682 267682 2518279 92436 2425230 613 210632 210632 181434 181434 302833 302833 4333300 3128527 938154 266619 2689381 2687843 583 955 103329 64048 38693 588 329485 89561 239924 4098631 4044965 53666 143439 125489 16442 1508 50161 40753 8047 1361 227138 227138 249359 119056 130303 5795349 5795349 INCOME TAX PROVISIONS 194708 194708 OPERATING SUPPLIES 4723500 4354125 346659 22716 SECURITY SERVICES 1375249 1375249 DUES & LICENSES 173515 59726 108014 5775 355284 233103 29702 92479 54152232 36789670 16039518 1323044 5104693 16772679 869168 2092561 1506461 893872 33841 39958 369730 558564 4605926 3815037 926433 790889 1176235 850930 9986561 21999453 5241800 5345335 3209986 3008709 2900000 2500000 4900000 1176235 845580 12128021 16999624 X -7145269 -11105281 5003809 16105110 -2141460 4999829 9986561 21999453 7141289 0 X X 0 1 X 1 1 1 X 4506989 13744380 12748494 15484596 24344968 70829427 19014421 18719785 19401044 22628284 32222003 111985537 153442 253105 229877 595432 686837 1918693 23674852 32717270 32379415 38708312 57253808 184733657 388845 146561 307154 40225 13334868 14217653 0 388845 146561 307154 40225 13334868 14217653 170516004 59430 46743 18247 94291 83072 301783 59430 46743 18247 94291 83072 301783 1191932 2235934 3280022 6707888 23734282 32764013 33589594 41038537 60616902 191743328 0.88930 0.95610 0.00160 0.00240 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 411751 411751 53458442 53870193 1000000 250000 0 0 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 4000000 6000000 355168 800253 307830 411751 1875002 250000 250000 250000 250000 1000000 1500000 29111569 4463232 -1072073 1675551 173144 30654033 30911414 889418 3282311 5778098 193476 29111569 40505587 68340 -7664096 1780599 217818 30911414 33927750 202020 8292136 1682136 234183 40505587 37298595 37093 819705 4016574 211069 33927750 0.00970 0.99030 0.00000 0 1 1 4605926 3815037 790889 790889 Deferred COMPENSATION 845580 845580 X 62227397 135502 798374 933876 61293521 0 61293521 55086108 933876 933876 54152232 0 54152232 Part V, Line 4: The endowment funds listed in Part V are held by Audubon Nature Institute Foundation ("ANIF"), a related organization of Audubon Nature Institute ("ANI"). ANIF's endowment funds are intended to provide funding for the facilities, programs and other activities managed by ANI. Part X, Line 2: The Institute is exempt from income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. In addition, the Institute qualifies for the charitable contribution deductions under Section 170(b)(1)(a)(vi) and has been classified as an organization other than a private foundation under Section 509(a)(2). Any unrelated business income may be subject to taxation. The Institute's significant sources of business income include sales of certain items from the gift shops, golf course income and certain rental of facilities and services provided for rentals. Income taxes for unrealted business income were approximately $43,000 and $124,695 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America provide accounting and disclosure guidance about positions taken by an entity in its tax returns that might be uncertain. The Institute believes that it has taken appropriate support for any tax positions taken, and management has determined that there are no uncertain tax positions that are material to the financial statements. Penalties and interest assessed by income taxing authorities, if any, would be included in income tax expense. Part XI, Line 2d - Other Adjustments: DIRECT FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 653,983. COST OF GOODS SOLD 144,391. Part XII, Line 2d - Other Adjustments: DIRECT FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 653,983. COST OF GOODS SOLD 144,391. unrealized loss 457(f) 135,502. Zoo To Do 1173877 646030 527847 546676 SCALES & ALES 144155 110165 33990 99806 1318032 756195 561837 646482 646482 -84645 125000 7501 0 125000 7501 7501 117499 LA 1 0 1 0 1.00000 Caroline Tierney 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 0 Laurie Conkerton 1152 Overall management and supervision of fundraising and gaming. X 0 1 Audubon Commission-Audubon ZooPark 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 726000962 Aububon Commission 1221193 0 Supports Programs, Capital Projects, and Operations of Facilities. Audubon Commission-Aquarium of the Americas 6500 Magazine Street new Orleans LA 70118 726000962 aububon Commission 1303117 0 Supports Programs, Capital Projects, and Operations of Facilities. Audubon Commission-Louisiana Nature Center 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 726000962 Aububon Commission 24900 0 Supports Programs, Capital Projects, and Operations of Facilities. 1 Part I, Line 2: Audubon Nature Institute manages a family of museums and parks (facilities). These facilities receive all of the grant money that Audubon Nature Institute (ANI) grants in a year. Since ANI is managing the facilities that receive the money, ANI has the information readily available to monitor the use of grant funds. Through reporting and accounting records and through communications with managers of the grant funds, ANI can verify that the monies are being spent in the correct manner. X X X X 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 L Ronald Forman President & CEO 665183 0 611260 0 650738 0 147206 0 14469 0 2088856 0 521238 0 Kyle Burks Exec VP/COO 240639 0 0 0 0 0 7301 0 11502 0 259442 0 0 0 Laurie Conkerton Exec VP/CAO 230714 0 0 0 0 0 4604 0 11482 0 246800 0 0 0 Toni Mobley Exc. VP/Chief Service Offi 206187 0 0 0 0 0 3975 0 10850 0 221012 0 0 0 Daine Appleberry Senior Vice President 164800 0 0 0 0 0 4950 0 6162 0 175912 0 0 0 Richard D Toth Jr Senior Vice President 156044 0 0 0 0 0 4950 0 15307 0 176301 0 0 0 Stephen Davis Senior Vice President Business Devel 209636 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15219 0 224855 0 0 0 Thomas Bagwill Senior Vice President of Philanthrop 157141 0 0 0 0 0 4241 0 8415 0 169797 0 0 0 Alicia Bunnell Vice President of Marketin 161032 0 0 0 0 0 4950 0 5082 0 171064 0 0 0 Part I, Line 4b Audubon Nature Institute, Inc. has a discretionary 457 Executive Retirement Plan for one of its officers, President and CEO L. Ronald Forman. The plan provides additional compensation based on years of service and estimated pay at retirement. The assets of this plan are owned by Audubon Nature Institute. The plan was developed in 2004 as a best-practices strategy to retain seasoned professionals in senior leadership positions. During 2024, Ron Forman received a contribution of $138,581 to his 457f retirement plan. WIth the approval of the Audubon Nature Institute Board Compensation Committee, Mr. Forman received $627,738 in distributions from the 457 plan which was properly reported on his 2024 W-2. Additionally, Audubon Nature Institute paid a bonus of $611,260 (reported on the 2024 W-2) which was for a full year in base salary for the completion of the five years of his personal services agreement and for fifty years of service. Forty-eight of the years were in a leadership role for the Audubon Park Commission and Audubon Nature Institute and two years with the City of New Orleans assigned to Audubon. The bonus was based on the base salary as of December 31, 2022. C Dumas See Part V 43394 Employment 0 Sch l, Part IV, Business Transactions Involving Interested Persons: (a) Name of Person: C. Dumas(b) Relationship Between Interested Person and Organization: Family Member of Board Member. (d) The process involving the interested person included documentation of the decision by an independent party, as well as services being rendered at Fair Market Value. X 1 50000 estimated resale value X 1 73623 trading value X Exhibit Animals 1 8300 estimated purchase v 0 0 0 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 Aquarium welcomes two endangered African penguin chicks. Chicks Calypso and Gouda joined the rest of the Aquarium's colony and added to the population of these critically endangered birds. Native to the southern coast of Africa, they are the most endangered penguin species, threatened by oil spills, overfishing, and habitat loss. Audubon was busy in 2024 preparing for initial construction on Riverfront for All, a visioinary 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. Audubon Zoo received a Certificate of Accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Zoo was examined by the nation's leading experts and determined to meet the world's most exacting standards for animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, safety, staffing, conservation, education, and more. The Zoo has been accredited by the AZA for 48 consecutive years. Audubon Louisiana Nature Center was the kickoff location for the annual Party for the Planet presented by Entergy series of events desgined to connect people with nature. Guests took advantage of the spring weather to stroll boardwalks and experience the newly reopened Planetarium with its variety of programming. The newly formed Conservation Committee is coordinating conservation grants and encouraging participation across Audubon. In 2024, Audubon funded 16 new staff conservation projects across four continents, including work with native prairie seeds, Jamaican iguana, and coral surveying. Audubon also participates in a variety of AZA SAFE (Savings Animals from Extinction) programs for species in our collection, including African penguin, Asian elephant, ocelot, orangutan, North American songbird, Perdido Key beach mouse, sea turtle, and whooping crane. USA Today readers voted for their favorite North American AZA-accredited zoos 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 #2 and the Zoo ranked #7 among 20 nominees. Woldenberg Riverfront Park was nominated in the USA Today Reader's Choice voting for the first time and came in #2 most popular riverwalk in the country. Audubon Aquarium Rescue (formerly Audubon Coastal Wildlife Network) serves as Louisiana's primary marine mammal and sea turtle stranding responder and the only permitted marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the state. AAR responded to 54 strandings and took in 16 cold-stunned sea turtles flown to New Orleans for extended rehabilitation after they were found off the coast of Massachusetts. AAR also released 1 Kemp's ridley sea turtle. AAR 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 accurate picture of strandings in Louisiana. Audubon's Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries continued to support the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry in demonstrating and improving their sustainability. GULF assisted the U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery for all five Gulf states and federal waters in achieving Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification. This is the first shrimp fishery certified to the RFM Standard which includes criteria including fisheries management, stock assessment activities, and serious impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem. Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center continued successful recovery efforts, including working with partners to add five whooping cranes to White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area as part of an ongoing effort to protect this endangered species from extinction. Six Mississippi Sandhill Crane chicks hatched at the westbank facility were successfully relocated to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge in Gauthier, Mississippi. Audubon Learning & Engagement held Audubon Aquarium's first summer camp since its 1990 opening for campers ages 7-10. Each week, campers learned about undersea and native Louisiana ecosystems and animals and participated in STEM activities and crafts. Audubon's Youth Volunteer Program had more than 75 volunteers through two programs: Counselor-in-Training (CIT) and Conservation Krewe. CITs assisted with camps and the Nature at Night series. Conservation Krewe assisted with guest interpretation across Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, and Audubon Insectarium. Several Krewe volunteers also participated in advanced placement roles, working directly with Zoo animal staff. This was the second year of Audubon's Wild Encounters, behind-the-scenes experiences at Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, and Audubon Insectarium. Nearly 2,300 guests enjoyed Wild Encounters at Audubon including Penguin Party, Maya Snorkel, Butterfly First Flight, Orangutan Family Fun, Sea Lion Splash, Jammin' with Jaguar, Aldabra Tortoise, and Black Bear Bonanza. Guests were able to meet animal staff, learn about animals and participate in animal feedings or enrichment activities. Audubon continued its Community Connect access initiative in 2024, which involves three components. Orleans Parish Appreciation Days offer 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 2024, Community Connect made it possible for more than 97,000 community members to visit Audubon attractions. Through the Taylor Scholars Awards Program, more than 240,000 high-achieving students in grades 6 through 12 statewide received free Audubon admission passes as part of the ongoing initiative established by the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation to reward Louisiana students' hard work. Scales & Ales, the evening fundraising event for Audubon Aquarium and Audubon Insectarium premiered an exciting and unique Aquarium exhibit called Deep Dive into the Gulf, an immersive exploration of life in the twilight and midnight zones of the Gulf of Mexico and the mesophotic and deep benthic coral communities that live there. The exhibit was made possible through a grant from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation with funding to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill from the DWH Open Ocean Trustees. Audubon's social media initiatives continue to grow, adding fans, friends, and followers daily. At year end, Audubon's social media network included 780,460 followers and more than 100 million impressions on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 2 Chris Bardell and Caryn Rodgers-Batiste 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 XII Line 2C The organization did not change its audit oversight process or selection process. Audubon Nature Institute Foundation 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 581958248 Provide funding for the facilities managed by Audubon Nature Institute. LA 501(c)(3) Line 12a, I 1 Audubon Commission 6500 Magazine Street New Orleans LA 70118 726000962 Governmental Unit-Owner of Parks and Museums LA 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Audubon Nature Institute Foundation C 1675551 cash amount Audubon Nature Institute Foundation D 92947 cash amount