Spring is in the air and Evergreen Audubon is springing into action!
At the February Board of Directors meeting the Board approved a Strategic Plan for 2025 through 2029. The Plan focuses on Conservation, Education, and Outreach. It also focuses on building capacity, including Organizational Development, Fundraising, and Marketing and Communications. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility will be woven through everything we do.
Here is how we see EDIA: We will welcome everyone; reach out to new audiences; eliminate as many barriers to learning and participating as we can; and improve accessibility to the nature center and our programs as much as possible. We are currently developing a work plan to make the Strategic Plan a reality. If you would like to know more, please contact Emma Vasicek or me. The new plan will be posted on our website shortly.
At the same meeting, we approved the 2025 Budget. Operating expenses and income are projected to be approximately $215,000! As Brad Andres often said, “We are no longer a little birding club. We’re a business!” Our biggest expense is staff salary and benefits. Another big expense is rent, although rent is somewhat offset because we no longer need to pay separately for office space, meeting space, a storage locker, and twice a year moving expenses. Utilities, supplies, printing, and postage make up another big chunk. This year we will also be refreshing exhibits with updated signage and taxidermy, installing new exhibits, and improving our technology.
On the other side of the ledger, we project that about 20% of our income will come from Jefferson County’s Scientific and Cultural Facilities Fund (SCFD), sponsorships, and other grants; 12% from the BASH and Benefit; 20% from earned income, including program fees, and wreath, nestbox, native plant, and gift shop sales. The rest comes from you, our members and our many generous donors.
We offer more to our members and our community than many chapters twice our size and bigger. Members and donors make it happen and we are grateful. We hope you are as excited about Evergreen Audubon and Evergreen Nature Center as we are.
As always, please contact me if you have any questions, concerns or ideas to share.
THANK YOU!