Sea Turtle, Inc.
Education, Conservation, Rehabilitation
Sea Turtle, Inc.
EIN: 74-2042030
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
From South Padre Island, Texas to the world, Sea Turtle Inc protects sea turtles through conservation, medical care, applied research and education.
Ruling year
2000
Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Knight
Main address
PO Box 3987
South Padre Island, TX 78597 USA
EIN
74-2042030
Endangered species protection
Population served
Age groups
Family relationships
Ethnic and racial groups
NTEE code
Protection of Endangered Species (D31)
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
At Sea Turtle Inc., our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles, educate the public, and assist with conservation efforts for all marine turtle species. Founded in 1977 by Former pilot Ila Fox Loetscher who saw the need for the protection of sea turtles after being declared endangered in 1970. After more than 40 years the legacy of Sea Turtle Inc continues to focus on conservation, education and rehabilitation.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Conservation
Over the last 10 years Sea Turtle Inc has protected and corralled more than 55,000 sea turtle eggs and more than 600 nesting females. From April to August, we have staff and volunteers patrol the beaches in search of nesting sea turtles. Once a nest is found, we relocate it to the safety of our corral, then when the turtles hatch, we assist them in a safe travel to the ocean.
We invite the public to these release events to spread awareness and education.
We host up to 8 interns during nesting season each year to educate and impassion the next generation of marine biologists on the importance of ocean health and the sea turtle population
Education
Sea turtles play a vital role in preserving the health of the world’s oceans. They maintain marine habitats, assist with nutrient cycling, provide habitat for other marine organisms, and help sustain balanced food webs.
Extensive changes have occurred throughout ocean ecosystems due to declining sea turtle populations. Human-caused threats are pushing sea turtles towards extinction. As their numbers continue to decline, so does their ability to fulfill their vital roles in the ecosystem.
Our goal is to educate the public about threats to sea turtles and their habitats as a step toward protecting them and ensuring healthy and resilient oceans for future generations.
Rehabilitation
Sea Turtle, Inc. rehabilitates sick and injured sea turtles and houses non-releasable education turtles, terrapins, and tortoises. Meet the turtles that currently reside in our facility!
Over the last 10 years more than 1800 sea turtles have interacted with the rehabilitation hospital at Sea Turtle Inc. Medical care, treatment, medication and rehabilitation is provided year round with the ultimate goal of releasing the back into the wild.
In Feb 2021 Sea Turtle Inc rescued more than 5,300 sea turtles in the largest cold stun event in recorded history
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of eggs corralled and protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Conservation
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This number represents the number of hatchling eggs protected in our corral during the given years nesting season
Number of nesting females protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Conservation
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This represents the number of nesting female sea turtles protected on the beach of South Padre Island during the indicated calendar year nesting season
Total Cold Stun Turtles Rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Rehabilitation
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This represents the total number of cold stun turtles Sea Turtle Inc has rescued 2022 YTD .2021 recorded 5559 cold stun turtles as we reacted to the largest coldest stun event in recorded history
Sea Turtle hospital intake numbers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Rehabilitation
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This represents the number of all sea turtles picked up or responded to for our hospital to evaluate by year
Number of programs taught
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Related Program
Education
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes the number of programs taught in all states both virtually and in person
Number of participants that have attended our education program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Related Program
Education
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
New Metric as of 2019 that records the number of students and adults that have enrolled in and participated in one of our education programs during the year
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
Conservation: Over the last 10 years Sea Turtle Inc has corralled more than 55,000 eggs and protected more than 600 nesting females on the beaches of South Padre Island. Focus on protection and advancement of the sea turtle population is a critical component of Sea Turtle Inc. mission and focus.
Education: Education of the importance of conservation, ocean health and the impact of everyday choices is the tier of our three tiered mission. We offer virtual and in person education to all ages focused on reducing litter, advancing ocean health, education of rehabilitation and summer camps to advance marine knowledge and to educate the next generation of ocean stewards.
Rehabilitation: Our third tier is rehabilitation and release of injured sea turtles. In the last 10 years more than 1800 sea turtles have interacted with our hospital and rehabilitation facility. Treatment, medication and rehabilitation efforts are provided year round with intended result of eventually releasing back into the wild.
We aim to continue to grow and expand this organization to have a world wide impact on the Sea Turtle Population
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Sea turtles play a vital role in preserving the health of the world’s oceans. They maintain marine habitats, assist with nutrient cycling, provide habitat for other marine organisms, and help sustain balanced food webs.
Extensive changes have occurred throughout ocean ecosystems due to declining sea turtle populations. Human-caused threats are pushing sea turtles towards extinction. As their numbers continue to decline, so does their ability to fulfill their vital roles in the ecosystem.
Our goal is to educate the public about threats to sea turtles and their habitats as a step toward protecting them and ensuring healthy and resilient oceans for future generations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We provide both Virtual and In Person programs that aide to educate and impassion guests and participants in the following areas
- Sea Turtle Population and Conservation
- Field Trips
- Species
- Threats to Sea Turtles
- How you can help
- Be a Vet Programs
- In class presentations
- Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle
- Trash Free-No Debris
- Squid Dissention
Our dedicated staff of Marine Biologists and skilled educators are dedicated to providing passionate and engaging curriculum to students of all ages
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have generated all programs to be in person and virtual.
Teaching students in more than 30 states we have been able to reach thousands of classrooms with the message of the importance of conservation and rehabilitation.
We are currently working to generate bilingual opportunities in Mexico and to start getting the message of education and conservation out worldwide.
Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
0.95
Months of cash in 2021 info
25.9
Fringe rate in 2021 info
19%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Sea Turtle, Inc.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
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: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Sea Turtle, Inc.’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.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $1,606,609 | -$2,952,714 | $536,896 | $346,988 | $2,234,324 |
| As % of expenses | 201.6% | -225.8% | 37.8% | 27.0% | 131.9% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $1,533,155 | -$3,192,234 | $236,498 | $93,849 | $1,988,930 |
| As % of expenses | 176.2% | -206.3% | 13.7% | 6.1% | 102.5% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,752,394 | $1,995,531 | $1,957,659 | $1,682,471 | $4,389,011 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -3.1% | 13.9% | -1.9% | -14.1% | 160.9% |
| Program services revenue | 1.5% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 66.1% | 39.4% |
| Membership dues | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Investment income | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 7.6% | 0.5% |
| All other grants and contributions | 76.4% | 76.0% | 72.0% | 4.9% | 36.6% |
| Other revenue | 20.1% | 19.5% | 23.2% | 20.2% | 22.6% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $796,788 | $1,307,942 | $1,419,659 | $1,286,430 | $1,694,582 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 11.9% | 64.2% | 8.5% | -9.4% | 31.7% |
| Personnel | 57.7% | 44.2% | 46.6% | 50.7% | 44.0% |
| Professional fees | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| Occupancy | 9.9% | 0.0% | 13.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Interest | 3.9% | 11.3% | 13.4% | 13.5% | 10.3% |
| Pass-through | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 26.1% | 42.6% | 24.1% | 33.4% | 43.5% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $870,242 | $1,547,462 | $1,720,057 | $1,539,569 | $1,939,976 |
| One month of savings | $66,399 | $108,995 | $118,305 | $107,203 | $141,215 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $102,913 | $117,234 | $126,341 |
| Fixed asset additions | $4,320,750 | $1,035,238 | $358,221 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $5,257,391 | $2,691,695 | $2,299,496 | $1,764,006 | $2,207,532 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 28.9 | 11.5 | 13.6 | 17.1 | 25.9 |
| Months of cash and investments | 32.4 | 16.1 | 15.6 | 19.3 | 30.5 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 15.7 | -27.0 | 15.1 | 18.5 | 29.9 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $1,916,827 | $1,252,850 | $1,609,435 | $1,832,863 | $3,655,108 |
| Investments | $233,896 | $501,134 | $231,844 | $231,051 | $646,968 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $6,847,405 | $7,869,323 | $8,254,053 | $8,266,532 | $8,126,842 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 6.5% | 8.7% | 11.5% | 14.3% | 17.6% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 44.3% | 42.5% | 40.5% | 41.2% | 33.6% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $3,640,304 | $448,070 | $5,392,389 | $5,486,238 | $7,475,168 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $1,068,316 | $4,653,202 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $134,902 | $134,902 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,203,218 | $4,788,104 | $134,902 | $0 | $147,992 |
| Total net assets | $4,843,522 | $5,236,174 | $5,527,291 | $5,486,238 | $7,623,160 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Knight
Wendy joined Sea Turtle Inc. in 2020 bringing 25 years of corporate experience as an executive in the insurance and financial services market, specializing in acquisitions, sales, revenue building, marketing, and operational execution. As a former Chief Operating Officer and Vice President Wendy bring a new level of depth and structure to the organization as we prepare for the next phase of growth and advancement of the mission at Sea Turtle Inc.
Wendy received her undergraduate degree cum laude from The University of Texas at Dallas. Also, she holds insurance designations and licenses in 14 states, including a Managing General Agency license in Texas. Wendy attended the Executive Education Program at Darden University School of Business. She graduated with distinction from the University of Texas at Dallas with an MBA in Global Business and Leadership.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Sea Turtle, Inc.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Sea Turtle, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 09/20/2023
Board of directors data
Robin Farris
Jeff George
John Butler Ph.D.
Scott Boruff
Pat Burchfield Ph.D.
Gladys Porter Zoo
Heather Hunt
J.C. Whitfield
John L. Tippit
Carol DeMoss
Nikkie Saldivar - Hodgson Ph.D.
Jeff Root
J. Ralston Creswell
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? 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? 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
No data
Disability
No data
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