FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS
Thats My Park
FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS
EIN: 51-0183410
as of November 2023
as of November 13, 2023
Mission
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks (Friends) is a vital partner with California State Parks, creatively working to ensure our cherished local parks and beaches are thriving and available to all. Friends’ innovative and collaborative community partnership provides support and investment for education, equity and inclusion, conservation, facilities improvements, historic preservation and cultural events.
Ruling year
1976
Executive Director
Ms. Bonny Hawley
Main address
1543 Pacific Ave., Suite 206
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
Formerly known as
Monterey Bay Natural History Association
EIN
51-0183410
Arts and culture
Environment
Sports and recreation
Parks
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Ethnic and racial groups
NTEE code
Single Organization Support (N11)
Single Organization Support (C11)
Single Organization Support (A11)
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
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Educational, Visitor and Park Developmental Services
In 2019, thanks to our wonderful supporters and community partners, working with California State Parks, we:
-Supported projects and programs in 35 state parks and beaches in Santa Cruz County and coastal San Mateo County.
-Provided project management, marketing, event planning, community outreach, fundraising and administrative support to our local California State Parks.
- Continued to grow Kids2Parks (K2P), an innovative park-equity program to bring students on field trips to the parks including Wilder Ranch, Henry Cowell, Castle Rock, Seacliff, Rancho del Oso, Castro Adobe, Natural Bridges and The Forest of Nisene Marks. This school year, K2P will serve 4,230 students. (Partners: Kitayama Brothers Flowers, Santa Cruz Elks Lodge #824, The Sempervirens Fund, Portola and Castle Rock Foundation, and other generous donors).
-Funded State Parks interpretive staff who led thousands of school field trips at 17 state parks and beaches.
-Employed 88 Friends Visitor Service Aides and 12 Senior Visitor Service Aides at our local parks and beaches.
All Parks
-Launched Commemorative Picnic Table Program.
Año Nuevo
-Funded replacement of the Kiosk planter and restored vegetation with native plants.
Big Basin
-Funded replacement of trail guide kiosks, water treatment facilities and emergency fuel needed during this year’s harsh winter.
Big Basin & Castle Rock
-Funded repair and realignment of the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail (Partner: The Nathan Foley-Mendelssohn Family)
Castle Rock
-Opened the new Robert C. Kirkwood Entrance Station in partnership with State Parks and The Sempervirens Fund, and contracted with State Parks to take full financial responsibility for management of the new park.
Castro Adobe
-Project-managed and funded construction of partition walls, electrical and alarm systems, and planning for fire suppression, lighting, paint and final finishes.
-Launched double-match campaign to raise funds for restoration. (Partners: Friends Board and Staff Matching Fund, James and Carol Toney Matching Fund)
-Funded interpretive planning including research, exhibit design, interpretive content and furnishings selection.
-Furnished the cocina (historic kitchen).
-Designed, built and installed barn owl boxes.
-Launched habitat restoration project in an environmentally sensitive watershed.
Forest of Nisene Marks
-Funded road repairs and improvements and trail signs installation project. (Partner: Advocates for the Forest of Nisene Marks)
Half Moon Bay
-Funded installation of traffic control barriers at various area beaches.
Henry Cowell
-Funded installation of an interpretive mural and taxidermy exhibit of a mountain lion. (Mural artist: Ann Elizabeth Thiermann)
Natural Bridges
-Funded new entrance kiosk, which kicked-off a program to replace deteriorated kiosks at various parks.
Pigeon Point
-Funded restoration of the Lighthouse Fog Signal Building. (Partner: Coastside State Parks Association)
Portola Redwoods
-Supported upgrade of the campground.
(Partner: Portola and Caste Rock Foundation)
Santa Cruz Mission
-Purchased artifacts to replace items lost in a break-in, fortified the door and upgraded the alarm system to prevent future losses. (Partners: California Missions Foundation
and a generous donor)
-Through Friends’ new ThatsMyPark Press brand, launched The Mission Santa Cruz Mystery: Seven Clues to Find the Site of the First Mission by Melanie J Mayer, with artwork by Ann Elizabeth Thiermann, to benefit the park.
Seabright and Twin Lakes
-Funded removal of driftwood and debris from the past winter storms, eliminating a fire hazard, and clearing the way for rescue operations.
Seacliff
-Upgraded the Visitor Center with new carpeting and a revamped ParkStore.
Wilder Ranch
-Funded the Farm Animal Program, materials for the Cow Barn restoration and repairs to livestock fencing for pastures and corrals.
FRIENDS SUPPORTERS CAME TOGETHER
for our beloved parks and beaches through an impressive array of local events and partnerships.
FRIENDS-SUPPORTED STATE PARKS EVENTS
-Natural Bridges State Beach – Welcome Back Monarchs Day and Migration Festival
-Wilder Ranch State Park – Gardening and Wool Day, Heritage Harvest Festival, Old-Fashioned Independence Day and Holidays on the Ranch
-Castro Adobe State Historic Park – Monthly Open House events and Holidays on the Rancho
-Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park – Summer Archaeology Program (Partner: Santa Clara University Cultural Resource Dept)
-Half Moon Bay State Beach – Wildflower Festival/Earth Day Celebration (Partners: Coastside State Parks Association, California State Parks Foundation)
-Seacliff State Beach – Centennial Celebration of the SS Palo Alto (aka “The Cement Ship”) (Partner: E.Clampus Vitas. Supporters: Pizza 1, Safeway, Taquitos Gabriel’s, Aces Flower, Forget Me Not Clothing, Juicy Sweet, Pacific Coffee Roasting, State Parks Junior Guards)
-Henry Cowell Redwoods – Annual State Parks Volunteer Celebration (Partners: Mountain Parks Foundation, Coastside State Parks Association, Waddell Creek Association, Portola and Castle Rock Foundation)
FRIENDS-HOSTED EVENTS
-Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
PopUp Picnics in the Park
7th Annual Mole & Mariachi Festival
Book Talk with Melanie J. Mayer and Ann Elizabeth Thiermann, author and artist of The Mission Santa Cruz Mystery: Seven Clues to Find the Site of the First Mission
-Castro Adobe State Historic Park – “Thankful for our Stewards: Creating a New State Historic Park Together,” special open house celebrating progress toward restoration.
-Seacliff State Beach – 4th of July Feed the Force event to supply refreshments throughout the day to first-responders. (Partners: Woodstock’s Pizza, Crystal Springs Water, Pacific Cookie Company, Marianne’s Ice Cream)
FRIENDS PARTNER EVENTS & PROGRAMS
-10th Annual Kitayama Brothers Gerbera Festival supporting Kids2Parks
-SS Palo Alto History Talk at the Aptos History Museum, along with concert at Cabrillo College, celebrating the centennial of the SS Palo Alto (aka “The Cement Ship”)
-Friends ParkStore wholesale partners: American Cycling, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Down Works, Epicenter Cycling, Kelly’s Books, Outdoor World, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, and the Waddell Creek Association
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT & PARK EQUITY
-Lifeguard Aquatic Safety Talks and Career Panels: Piloted program that provided more than 500 middle school and high school students with information on rip current awareness, beach safety and careers in California State Parks.
-Launched year three of TEAM Castro, high school youth leadership development program with seniors from Watsonville High School.
-Developed high school field trip model with Santa Cruz County Office of Education, serving students from alternative high schools.
-Partnered with Watsonville High School’s Environmental Science and Natural Resources Academy to provide students with additional opportunities to connect with California State Parks.
-Partnered with Community Bridges’ Nueva Vista program to offer 4th year of Summer Fun in Parks and a Spring Ocean Scholars program for youth in Santa Cruz’s Beach Flats community.
-Partnered with Your Future is Our Business and staffed 11 high school career fairs.
-Friends Community Outreach Director recognized as United Way Advocate of the Year
for his equity work in the community.
-Co-sponsored Food What?! youth empowerment dinner at Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park.
Honored the memories of Nathan Foley-Mendelssohn, Buzz Gorsky, Maria Nieto, Dale & Euni Lingenfelter, Marvin Labrie, Ev & Marge McTaggart, Clayton Robert Gross, Ann M. Frohn, John Warren and Dick & Leslie Wenzel.
Where we work
Awards
Dewitt Award for Partnership 2014
California State Parks Department
Landmark Award for Castro Adobe Restoration 2014
Santa Cruz County Historic Resources Commission
Innovation Award for California State Parks Backpacking Adventures Program 2018
California State Parks Director's Recognition Award
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Friends-hosted events in the community and at local state parks and beaches.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Educational, Visitor and Park Developmental Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Friends-hosted events are organized and implemented by Friends staff and volunteers to educate and encourage the community to visit specific parks in Santa Cruz and Coastal San Mateo Counties.
Number of Friends-supported youth engagement and park equity events and programs.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People of Latin American descent
Related Program
Educational, Visitor and Park Developmental Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2016, Friends initiated programs to encourage park use by groups who under-utilize state parks and beaches, including immigrants, people of color, seniors, people with disabilities and youth.
Number of California State Parks events financially and programmatically supported by Friends.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Educational, Visitor and Park Developmental Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
California State Parks interpreters & volunteer docents organize educational events at local state parks & beaches enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year. Friends funds all staff & expenses.
Number of events and programs organized in partnership with community businesses and organizations.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Educational, Visitor and Park Developmental Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Exhibits, festivals, book readings, etc. collaboratively organized to educate about local state parks and beaches and also raise funds for programs and services.
Amount of funds donated by Friends to support California State Parks service, programs and projects in local state parks and beaches.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Educational, Visitor and Park Developmental Services
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Friends funds invested in local state parks and beaches in Fiscal Years 14/15, 15/16 and 16/17.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planHow we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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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
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
5.78
Months of cash in 2022 info
10.3
Fringe rate in 2022 info
18%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS
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 FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS’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 | $1,239,726 | $175,031 | -$1,428,429 | $1,802,758 | $1,221,925 |
| As % of expenses | 23.1% | 2.6% | -20.9% | 30.8% | 18.1% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $1,216,486 | $155,830 | -$1,435,184 | $1,796,111 | $1,215,351 |
| As % of expenses | 22.6% | 2.3% | -21.0% | 30.7% | 18.0% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $6,640,009 | $7,026,761 | $5,163,644 | $7,296,539 | $8,027,824 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 25.0% | 5.8% | -26.5% | 41.3% | 10.0% |
| Program services revenue | 97.0% | 93.4% | 96.1% | 84.6% | 86.8% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.9% | 8.9% |
| All other grants and contributions | 2.9% | 6.5% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 4.1% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $5,364,784 | $6,631,058 | $6,834,888 | $5,845,952 | $6,760,395 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 16.9% | 23.6% | 3.1% | -14.5% | 15.6% |
| Personnel | 48.0% | 50.3% | 56.6% | 63.2% | 60.4% |
| Professional fees | 3.5% | 1.5% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Occupancy | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Interest | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 47.1% | 47.3% | 38.6% | 32.6% | 36.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $5,388,024 | $6,650,259 | $6,841,643 | $5,852,599 | $6,766,969 |
| One month of savings | $447,065 | $552,588 | $569,574 | $487,163 | $563,366 |
| Debt principal payment | $645,609 | $0 | $0 | $9,318 | $712,820 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $6,480,698 | $7,202,847 | $7,411,217 | $6,349,080 | $8,043,155 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 8.3 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 11.5 | 10.3 |
| Months of cash and investments | 8.3 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 11.5 | 10.3 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 7.7 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 8.2 | 9.3 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $3,705,133 | $3,925,288 | $3,331,103 | $5,580,860 | $5,790,950 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $3,820 | $14,750 | $289,805 | $431,320 | $632,157 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $1,443,529 | $1,443,529 | $1,443,529 | $1,443,529 | $1,443,529 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 14.6% | 15.9% | 16.4% | 16.8% | 17.3% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 5.5% | 6.8% | 28.7% | 26.9% | 14.4% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $4,688,831 | $4,844,661 | $3,409,477 | $5,205,588 | $6,420,939 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $147,941 | $379,289 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $147,941 | $379,289 | $142,929 | $157,214 | $202,718 |
| Total net assets | $4,836,772 | $5,223,950 | $3,552,406 | $5,362,802 | $6,623,657 |
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
Executive Director
Ms. Bonny Hawley
Prior to moving to the nonprofit sector, Bonny Hawley worked with respected state and local government leaders. Her public service career included twelve years in the California State Capitol and Monterey Bay Area communities as Chief of Staff to Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird and Chief of Staff to Assembly Speaker pro Tem Fred Keeley. Bonny also served for nearly a decade in local government as senior staff to County Supervisors Fred Keeley and Joe Cucchiara.
Bonny serves on the board of directors of the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council.
Bonny's early career in political campaign work for candidates from President to Congress to City Council, took her across the United States, including stints in Maine, New Hampshire, Washington, DC, Florida, Wisconsin, and ten California communities.
Her love of the outdoors was nurtured by a childhood spent exploring the sand dunes, forests and frog ponds of Michigan and Wisconsin.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ STATE PARKS
Board of directorsas of 10/12/2023
Board of directors data
Ms. Nikolara Dunbar-Jansons
Ann Lauten Fay
Retired
Barney Levy
Retired
Charlie Kieffer
Retired
Ed Newman
Accountant
Eric Van Vliet
Senior Data Analyst
Georgann Scally
Retired
Maggie Mathias
Scientist
Mike McMenamy
State Park Superintendent
Nikolara Dunbar-Jansons
Office Administration
Stuart Kitayama
Co-Owner, KB Farms
Curt Simmons
Plaza Lane Optometry
Crissy Canalas
Hewlett Foundation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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? No -
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? No -
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? Yes
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
No data
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- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
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