Project Apis m.
Enhancing the Health of Honey Bees
Project Apis m.
EIN: 20-8345956
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?
Grants supporting Research in Honey Bee Health
Project Apis m. is the go-to organization at the interface of honey bees and pollinated crops. Since 2006, we have infused over $10 million into honey bee research to provide healthier bees, resulting in better pollination and increased crop yields for growers and farmers, and lower losses and better honey production for beekeepers. We work closely with commercial beekeepers, growers, and bee scientists in the USA and Canada to direct strategic research efforts focused on practical solutions. We fund research studies, purchase equipment for research labs, and support graduate students through scholarships to encourage careers in pursuit of science-based solutions to honey bee challenges.
Seeds for Bees
The Seeds for Bees program encourages the use of cover crops to increase the density, diversity, and duration of bee forage in California orchards, farms, and vineyards while improving soil health. We designed our seed mixes to bloom at critical times of the year when natural forage is scarce but managed and native bees are active. Seeds for Bees serves the needs of bees, beekeepers, and growers, increasing the sustainability of pollination and agriculture. Over 90% of participating growers tell us they will include cover crops in future management plans because of their participation in Seeds for Bees.
Developing Varroa Resistant Bees
Varroa mites occur in all U.S. honey bee colonies and typically kill or damage bees if not controlled. The mites are managed with in-hive chemical treatments, but there are problems associated with this approach. A desirable alternative is to work with bees that have genetically based mite resistance. Our project, managed by a public-private partnership, is breeding and improving a population of Hilo Bees that has significant resistance to varroa. As the population has proven to be stable, we have begun distributing Hilo Queens to commercial bee keepers on a limited basis for testing and observation.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of research studies funded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Researchers
Related Program
Grants supporting Research in Honey Bee Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
29 Grants were funded in 2023 21 Grants were approved in FY 23 for a total of $1,588,028
Number of acres of cover crops planted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Farmers
Related Program
Seeds for Bees
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
14,500 acres of cover crops were planted in California's central valley. Since 2013 we have invested over $3 million into our forage program and planted 76,000 acres.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Farmers
Related Program
Seeds for Bees
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
266 grower planted over 14,500 acres of cover crop
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Project Apis m. funds research and other efforts to improve honey bee health and vitality. We aim to find solutions for issues challenging the North American honey bee industry.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Project Apis m. funds and directs research that provides value to beekeepers, growers, and the scientific community. We share the results of this research widely so they can be applied by beekeepers and other stakeholders.
We develop tools and resources to demonstrate best practices that can improve health and productivity for honey bees.
Through our Seeds for Bees forage program, we provide in-kind grants of cover crop seed to help farmers and growers establish cover crops that provide many benefits for the plants and orchards and provide forage for bees and other pollinators. This program supports pollinator health tangibly and immediately.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a deeply engaged board of directors all of whom are knowledgable about beekeeping and farming and who are passionate about our mission.
We have skilled staff, led by a passionate and visionary executive director.
We have built collaborative relationships with industry and stakeholder organizations, that share our passion, interests, and goals, and who work with us to accomplish them.
We have resilient relationships with our funders.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Planted 78,000 acres of pollinator friendly cover crops.
Invested over $11,000,000 in honey bee research priorities in the areas of pests, pesticides, pathogens, poor nutrition and effects climate change has in each of these areas.
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 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 look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
-
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 2023 info
11.82
Months of cash in 2023 info
10.5
Fringe rate in 2023 info
14%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Project Apis m.
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 Project Apis m.’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 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$1,471 | -$94,842 | -$3,891 | -$62,448 | $43,809 |
As % of expenses | -0.1% | -6.8% | -0.2% | -3.4% | 1.7% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$2,056 | -$95,227 | -$3,912 | -$62,448 | $43,809 |
As % of expenses | -0.1% | -6.9% | -0.2% | -3.4% | 1.7% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,844,394 | $1,725,227 | $3,245,987 | $1,972,180 | $1,640,575 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | 7.4% | -6.5% | 88.1% | -39.2% | -16.8% |
Program services revenue | 10.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% | 15.2% | 10.3% |
Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Investment income | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
Government grants | 16.5% | 6.9% | 1.3% | 3.6% | 12.2% |
All other grants and contributions | 73.3% | 81.4% | 87.0% | 81.1% | 76.7% |
Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Expense composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses before depreciation | $1,653,273 | $1,389,637 | $2,059,094 | $1,831,632 | $2,522,637 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | -2.9% | -15.9% | 48.2% | -11.0% | 37.7% |
Personnel | 19.5% | 24.7% | 17.9% | 22.0% | 18.4% |
Professional fees | 11.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 10.8% | 4.3% |
Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 56.9% | 52.9% | 62.3% | 54.3% | 72.9% |
All other expenses | 12.3% | 12.7% | 9.5% | 12.9% | 4.4% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,653,858 | $1,390,022 | $2,059,115 | $1,831,632 | $2,522,637 |
One month of savings | $137,773 | $115,803 | $171,591 | $152,636 | $210,220 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $1,791,631 | $1,505,825 | $2,230,706 | $1,984,268 | $2,732,857 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Months of cash | 13.3 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 20.0 | 10.5 |
Months of cash and investments | 13.3 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 20.0 | 10.5 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cash | $1,825,635 | $1,911,927 | $2,836,264 | $3,053,682 | $2,216,716 |
Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Receivables | $14,484 | $140,187 | $239,957 | $135,870 | $151,427 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $2,926 | $924 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 66.6% | 97.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 23.8% | 15.3% | 4.9% | 3.9% | 7.9% |
Unrestricted net assets | $491,952 | $396,725 | $392,813 | $330,365 | $374,174 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $910,540 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $910,540 | $1,340,972 | $2,531,756 | $2,734,752 | $1,806,441 |
Total net assets | $1,402,492 | $1,737,697 | $2,924,569 | $3,065,117 | $2,180,615 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Principal Officer
Danielle Downey
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Project Apis m.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Project Apis m.
Board of directorsas of 01/29/2024
Board of directors data
Zac Browning
George Hansen
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data