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WINGS OF MERCY OF MINNESOTA
Also Known As: Wings
PO Box 1921 Maple Grove, MN 55311

GENERAL INFORMATION

Who We Are

Wings provides free air transportation to recipients who are in medical and financial need.

• This organization is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity .
• This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
• Financial information in this report is derived from the organization's December 31, 2007 Form 990.
• Additional narrative information in this report was last supplied by the organization on November 19, 2009.
• Contributions are deductible, as provided by law.

How to Help

This organization is seeking funds from contributions and grants. These funds will be used for unrestricted operating expenses.

Location(s) Served

• minnesota, wisconsin, michigan, illinois, north dakota, south dakota, iowa

NTEE Code

• E60—Health Support Services
• T50—Philanthropy / Charity / Voluntarism Promotion (General)
• P99—Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C.

Chief Executive

Wayne Horntvedt

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MISSION AND PROGRAMS

Mission

All pilots, nurses and other professionals come to Wings already trained and licensed. Wings cost is the reimbursement of aviation fuel consumed during the mission to the pilot. The pilots are now paying $5.25 per gallon of gas.. Wings pays nothing for storage of planes, maintenance costs, training costs or anything else that is associated with keeping the plane and the pilot current. Our pilots are the nucleus of our organization. Take for instance the Schmidt boys. The twin boys, from Minot ND, were born with cerebral palsy. They had previously undergone corrective hip surgery which left them in full body casts. Steve Nelson, the pilot, flew to Minot and St. Paul''s Gillette hospital twice (back and forth, back and forth) that day. His plane is equipped with one stretcher, our only stretcher. The human service aspect of our organization is the main reason why pilots enjoy flying for us. Although reimbursement of the cost of aviation fuel to the pilots is an incentive, it is nothing compared to the hug and smile Steve Nelson received from the mother of the twins after making those 2 flights.

Programs

Pilots love to fly for us. For a pilot to keep their license current, they have to fly a set number of hours. Wings missions provide documented hours and a charitable human service that is appreciated, usually with a smile or a hug from the recipient. Although Wings does not usually perform emergency air transport, recipient Melissa Robels? was an exception. Melissa?s doctor evacuated New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina because his house had been flooded and looted during the aftermath. The Doctor left behind numerous patients; Melissa, a young woman with a serious abdominal wound along with spina bifida was one of his abandoned patients. One of our pilots, Richard Labute, was contacted by the Allina Health System and he along with co-pilot Dan Totushek flew from Buffalo MN to Signature Aviation at Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans to pick up Melissa. They then flew back to the Buffalo MN airport where representatives from Abbott Northwestern took over Melissa?s care. Melissa is currently living in the Twin Cities area with her aunt and as of last conversation, is doing well. Most of the time, our recipients are not emergency patients. They are medical patients who receive follow-up treatments for cancer, cerebral palsy, breathing problems or spinal surgery. All of our recipients have medical insurance. Most of our recipients are referred to us by social workers and clergy throughout the upper midwest area. They must prove financial as well as medical need. Our recipients are not able to be transported via van, bus, or train for a number of reasons; the alignment of their bodies simply cannot make it onto the van, bus or train; their immune system needs to be protected or they or their caregiver, have already missed so much work due to the illness that any more time off for the longer trips would put them on the unemployment line, thus losing medical insurance and their standard of living. Most of our recipients fit all three of these criteria. Wings requires two FAA certified pilots on each flight plus a nurse or a family member to accompany the recipient. The 2 pilots ensure increased safety and the nurse or the family member ensure peace of mind not only for the recipient but the pilots as well. Our recipients have scheduled appointments for their treatments, sometimes months in advance. Canceling a flight on behalf of Wings would be detrimental to the recovery of our recipients. Our program would cease to exist due to the recipient not being able to trust us to get them to their destination on time.

Additional Comments from the Organization

During our 11-years in existence, we have received the 'Safety Milestone' award from Boise Cascade 3 times; the 'Spirit of Caring' award sponsored by the CentraCare Health Foundation and the 'Champions of Health' award sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota.

GOALS AND RESULTS

Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2006

1. Wings has serviced people for 11 years, beginning in January of 1995.
2. We have a strong database of individual and corporate donors.
3. Our safety record is impeccable.

Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2007

1. The increasing need securing your own medical facility when ill has driven us to obtain additional planes and pilots.
2. Increase awareness of our organization to pilots, plane owners and the general public.
3. Continue our safety record.

FINANCIAL DATA

Revenues and Expenses: Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007

Balance Sheet: Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007

Note: The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot long survive, but the types of assets and liabilities also must be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

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