Western Flyer Foundation
#StirCuriosity
Western Flyer Foundation
EIN: 47-4184235
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
Our mission is to stir curiosity by connecting art and science in the spirit of John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, and their journey on the Western Flyer.
Notes from the nonprofit
It is a pivotal time for the Western Flyer Foundation. After seven years restoring the historic Western Flyer vessel, the boat is returning to Monterey, California, where it will embark on its next exciting chapter as a platform for research and education. In preparation for its return, we have been building and strengthening the operational infrastructure needed to successfully implement this next chapter. We have hired a team of leaders, scientists, and educators to develop and implement our programs, shipwrights and engineers to maintain the vessel, and a seasoned captain to oversee the crew and safely run the boat. We have established strong partnerships and community support from Baja California to Southeast Alaska, and received funding from state, federal, and private foundations. With your support, we can continue the legacy of Steinbeck, Ricketts, and their 1940 journey on the Western Flyer, inspiring future marine scientists, conservationists, artists, and writers.
Ruling year
2017
Principal Officer
Sherry Flumerfelt
Main address
10928 Clam Way
Moss Landing, CA 95039 USA
EIN
47-4184235
Education services
Population served
Adolescents
Young adults
Economically disadvantaged people
Academics
NTEE code
Educational Services and Schools - Other (B90)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
SEACOAST (STEAM Experiential Approach to Critical Ocean and Atmospheric Topics)
SEACOST engages high school and post-secondary students in marine science and research onboard the historic Western Flyer. The program aims to increase awareness of ocean health and how it's studied, provide students with technical research skills and knowledge, and inspire career choices in the maritime field.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
0.27
Months of cash in 2022 info
12.9
Fringe rate in 2022 info
0%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Western Flyer Foundation
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
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 survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also 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.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
This snapshot of Western Flyer Foundation’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $183,351 | $1,326,508 | $1,212,486 | $644,697 | $1,364,121 |
| As % of expenses | 847.8% | 311.0% | -1640.5% | 1110.7% | 1212.6% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $183,351 | $1,316,289 | $1,153,006 | $550,816 | $1,364,121 |
| As % of expenses | 847.8% | 301.4% | -7991.4% | 362.6% | 1212.6% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $204,978 | $1,752,103 | $1,138,578 | $702,741 | $1,527,825 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 0.0% | 754.8% | -35.0% | -38.3% | 117.4% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $21,627 | $426,567 | -$73,908 | $58,044 | $112,493 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 0.0% | 1872.4% | -117.3% | -178.5% | 93.8% |
| Personnel | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 53.8% | 52.0% |
| Professional fees | 30.1% | 18.1% | -8.1% | 21.2% | 25.1% |
| Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 11.1% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 69.9% | 81.9% | 108.1% | 25.1% | 11.8% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $21,627 | $436,786 | -$14,428 | $151,925 | $112,493 |
| One month of savings | $1,802 | $35,547 | -$6,159 | $4,837 | $9,374 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $228,285 | $1,335,014 | $1,177,339 | $657,131 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $251,714 | $1,807,347 | $1,156,752 | $813,893 | $121,867 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 6.6 | 0.1 | -6.2 | 5.4 | 12.9 |
| Months of cash and investments | 6.6 | 0.1 | -6.2 | 5.4 | 13.4 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 6.6 | 0.1 | -6.2 | 5.4 | 493.3 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $11,842 | $3,336 | $38,483 | $26,049 | $121,023 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,494 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $63,294 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $228,285 | $1,563,299 | $2,740,638 | $3,397,770 | $0 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 0.0% | 0.7% | 2.5% | 4.8% | 0.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.2% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,624,359 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $240,127 | $1,556,416 | $2,709,422 | $3,260,238 | $4,624,359 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Principal Officer
Sherry Flumerfelt
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Western Flyer Foundation
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Western Flyer Foundation
Board of directorsas of 06/07/2023
Board of directors data
Tom Keffer
John Gregg
Gregg Drilling
William Gilly
Stanford University
Susan Shillinglaw
San Jose State University
Linda Powell-McMillan
AVID
Jack Barth
Oregon State University
Enrique Hambleton
Pronatura Noroeste
Bob Lesko
Tom Keffer
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
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
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/25/2023GuideStar 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
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
GuideStar Pro Reports
Report successfully added to your cart!
Want more data?
A GuideStar Pro report containing the following information is available for this organization:
- Email contact information
- Financial trends metrics for five most recent years 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018*
- Financial statements for 2021
- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2022, 2021, 2020
- Board of Directors data for 2023
- *with the ability to download the data for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
Download it now for $125.
Need the ability to download nonprofit data and more advanced search options?Consider a Pro Search subscription.