GOLD2022

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Inc.

#alaskawildlife

aka AWCC   |   Girdwood, AK   |  www.alaskawildlife.org

Mission

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through conservation, research, education, and quality animal care.

Ruling year info

2000

Executive Director

Sarah Howard

Senior Advisor

Di Whitney

Main address

PO Box 949

Girdwood, AK 99587 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

92-0170600

NTEE code info

Wildlife Preservation/Protection (D30)

Protection of Endangered Species (D31)

Wildlife Sanctuary/Refuge (D34)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

AWCC takes in injured and orphaned wildlife that would not survive in the wild and provides them with spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Most of the animals that arrive at the AWCC become permanent residents and become education ambassadors for their species. The Center maintains over 200 acres of spacious habitats for animals to feel at home and display their natural “wild” behavior. AWCC provides eyes-on / hands-on educational programs for K-12 students as well as adults. Our educational programs include learning about biology, habitat and conservation.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

School Field Trips

The AWCC hosts hundreds of virtual field trips for students across the country, as well as in-person field trps for school children from all over the State of Alaska. Our naturalist staff members provide students with educational programming, captivating students with exciting animal science and information.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Students pursuing careers in naturalist studies, such as wildlife biology, may become summer interns in the Animal Care or Education departments.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Free to all visitors, animal programs show an in-depth interaction between animal care staff and our resident animals. Daily, year-round programs are hosted outside of the animal’s designated enclosure.

Population(s) Served
Adults

This 90-minute private tour pairs small groups (no larger than 10) with a naturalist who narrates a private tour of the sanctuary. The tour includes going inside an enclosure to feed an animal. Minimum age is 10 years old to participate.

Population(s) Served
Adults

In summer months, AWCC offers Moose Encounters and Bear Encounters where visitors may assist keepers in feeding animals. Encounters are restricted in number and requirement reservations in advance.

Population(s) Served

Since 2003 AWCC has participated in the historic wood bison reintroduction program. Wood bison were declared extinct in 1941 but a small herd was fund in Canada in 1957, kicking off a decades-long international effort to bring the species back from the brink. AWCC successfully grew a capable herd from 66 individuals to 160. In 2015, we participated in the safe transport of 130 wood bison 400 miles to interior Alaska. We continue a breeding and husbandry program for this magnificent species.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total number of fields trips

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Related Program

School Field Trips

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We will use 105 as our benchmark. We hope to increase this number by 10% in 2022 so that more students may experience eyes-on / hands-on science. We also plan to expand our distance learning programs.

Number of animals with freedom to express normal behavior

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

The total number of animals on our property is a function of age and the number of orphans or injured animals that come to live at AWCC. We are proud to provide a home for rescued wildlife.

Total number of paid admissions

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of animal adoptions

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Starting in 2019 our animal adoption program includes a digital option which is available both nationally and internationally. This is a wildly successful and growing program!

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

* Maintain our high standard of animal care
* Become an international leader in supporting STEM learning
* Provide cutting-edge curriculum through on-site educational opportunities as well as distance learning
* Partner with institutions including universities and the Alaska SeaLife Center for research projects that can be shared with the public
* Continue to provide information and updates on the wood bison herd released to Interior Alaska in 2015
* Pursue conservation projects

* Continue to build our distance learning program
* Create new curriculum for on-site learning to address science topics including biology, beluga whale, earthquakes, and watershed
* Coordinate with institutions including the University of Alaska, the Alaska SeaLife Center, and the Anchorage Museum, on mutually beneficial projects
* Receive data on the released wood bison herd from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game as they continue monthly monitoring

* In February 2019 we hired a new Director of Education whose expertise includes curriculum development.
* We are coordinating with schools and school districts to provide relevant science content
* We maintain a relationship with the Alaska Department of FIsh & Game regarding the wood bison restoration project and update our materials based on their observations of the released herd

* We have hired a new Director of Education
* We are updating new interpretive signage throughout the sanctuary
* We have created three new, spacious enclosures for three animal species and are raising funds for a fourth
* We upgraded our technology capability through a new fiber optic connection
* We completed construction of a new animal infirmary in 2018
* We completed construction of our education building, Bison Hall, in 2017
* We are working with the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program on college-level curriculum
* We are creating new curriculum on our wild neighbor the beluga whale.

Financials

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Inc.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 06/03/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mr. Jason Graham

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Term: 2022 - 2025


Board co-chair

Mrs Melissa LaRose

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Term: 2022 - 2025

Toni Walker

Logistics LLC

John Binkley

Bruce Bustamante

Anchorage Chamber of Commerce

Barbara Donatelli

Chad Schleusner

Steel N Iron

Herb Schroeder, Ph.D

Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program

Dylan Faber

Matson

Jim Barnett

Lana Johnson

Immediate Past Chair

Chris von Imhof

Honorary Nonvoting Board Memer

Laura McLaughlin

Honorary Nonvoting Board Memer

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 6/2/2022
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/27/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.