INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER
Making the world a better place for owls.
INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER
EIN: 45-5503365
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
International Festival of Owls
The International Festival of Owls is the original full-weekend, all-owl festival in North America. It features live owl programs, bus trips to see and hear owls, owl-themed children's activities, a kids owl-calling contest, pellet dissection, nest box building, a children's international owl art contest, owl-themed food, World Owl Hall of Fame awards, banquet, and much more. The Festival teaches about owls, which species are here, how humans interact with owls, and more. Attendance is normally 2,000+ people.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
How 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
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
1.38
Months of cash in 2021 info
10.1
Fringe rate in 2021 info
16%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER
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 INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER’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 |
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Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $72,763 | $115,774 | $90,220 | $80,824 | $92,508 |
As % of expenses | 42.0% | 60.4% | 41.7% | 38.1% | 40.0% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $63,689 | $109,495 | $81,604 | $69,235 | $77,714 |
As % of expenses | 34.9% | 55.3% | 36.3% | 30.9% | 31.6% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
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Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $246,052 | $307,347 | $306,505 | $293,012 | $323,884 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | 46.6% | 24.9% | -0.3% | -4.4% | 10.5% |
Program services revenue | 17.5% | 27.2% | 33.1% | 21.8% | 17.9% |
Membership dues | 14.8% | 12.5% | 13.1% | 12.4% | 13.1% |
Investment income | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10.6% | 7.8% |
All other grants and contributions | 55.8% | 47.1% | 40.7% | 40.1% | 43.0% |
Other revenue | 11.6% | 12.6% | 12.8% | 15.0% | 18.0% |
Expense composition info | |||||
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Total expenses before depreciation | $173,289 | $191,573 | $216,331 | $212,188 | $231,376 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | 11.4% | 10.6% | 12.9% | -1.9% | 9.0% |
Personnel | 69.2% | 64.3% | 59.9% | 61.4% | 60.4% |
Professional fees | 3.1% | 4.8% | 6.9% | 1.5% | 7.4% |
Occupancy | 10.7% | 10.1% | 9.0% | 8.9% | 9.0% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
All other expenses | 17.1% | 20.7% | 23.7% | 27.8% | 23.0% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Total expenses (after depreciation) | $182,363 | $197,852 | $224,947 | $223,777 | $246,170 |
One month of savings | $14,441 | $15,964 | $18,028 | $17,682 | $19,281 |
Debt principal payment | $1,710 | $56,685 | $0 | $0 | $56,043 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $220,231 | $172,484 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $198,514 | $270,501 | $463,206 | $413,943 | $321,494 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Months of cash | 9.2 | 11.9 | 7.7 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
Months of cash and investments | 9.2 | 11.9 | 7.7 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 4.7 | 11.5 | 3.0 | 8.4 | 9.6 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Cash | $132,700 | $189,732 | $139,648 | $155,484 | $194,605 |
Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Receivables | -$72 | -$120 | -$120 | $0 | -$245 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $93,295 | $93,295 | $313,526 | $486,007 | $486,007 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 24.2% | 30.9% | 11.9% | 10.1% | 13.1% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 32.4% | 3.1% | 21.0% | 32.8% | 22.9% |
Unrestricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
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 | $138,375 | $247,870 | $329,474 | $398,709 | $476,423 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Karla Bloem
Karla Bloem is the founder and Executive Director of the International Owl Center. She acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004. Karla is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in The Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal and South Africa. Alice’s popularity led Karla to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal and India. Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for Great Horned Owls in 2005. Karla received the Brother Theodore Voelker Award in 2001, a Bush Leadership Fellowship in 2008, and a Special Achievement Award from the World Owl Hall of Fame in 2021. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
INTERNATIONAL OWL CENTER
Board of directorsas of 09/02/2023
Board of directors data
Peter Congdon
Edward Jones
Term: 2018 - 2023
Robert Carlson
Coffee House Real Estate
Kathy Solum
Retired Vice President and Trust Officer from Winona National Bank
Jim Nissen
Retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge manager
Scott Bingham
Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy
Marilyn Frauenkron Bayer
Retired Community Education Director
Colleen Tracy
Gundersen Health System
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? No -
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
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data