irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $445KSEE SCHEDULE OOUR DOMESTIC ANIMAL SANCTUARY IS HOME TO 225-250 ANIMALS, THE NUMBER FLUCTUATING DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES. THESE CURRENTLY INCLUDE CATS, RABBITS, GUINEA PIGS, VARIOUS EXOTIC BIRDS, TURTLES, HORSES, DONKEYS, GOATS, SHEEP, PIGS, AND VARIOUS KINDS OF POULTRY. MANY OF OUR ANIMALS HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS OR ARE OF ADVANCED AGE, AND SO ARE UNADOPTABLE. WE PROVIDE A LIFETIME HOME FOR THEM ALL, AND THEY THEN SHARE THEIR HEARTS, WISDOM, AND HEALING COMPANIONSHIP WITH THOSE WHO VISIT THEM IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A RESOURCE CENTER TO AID THOSE WITH ANIMAL PROBLEMS. WE FIELD MORE THAN 10,000 PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, REGULAR MAIL, WEB, AND IN-PERSON PLEAS FOR HELP AND GUIDANCE EACH YEAR, ASSISTING AT LEAST 10,000 ANIMALS IN THE PROCESS.
- #2 $0SEE SCHEDULE OTO OUR 250-ACRE NATURE SANCTUARY WITH ITS FEW OLD-GROWTH STANDS, WE HAVE INTRODUCED MANY THOUSANDS OF TREES, SHRUBS, FLOWERS AND PLANTS THAT WERE FORMERLY INDIGENOUS BUT WERE FARMED-OUT OVER THE LAST TWO CENTURIES. THIS HAS RE-ESTABLISHED HABITAT FOR AND ATTRACTED BACK AN AMAZING VARIETY OF LIVING THINGS THAT WERE ALSO ONCE NATIVE TO THIS PLACE. WE CURRENTLY DOCUMENT OVER 45 SPECIES OF MAMMALS, 190 SPECIES OF BIRDS, 60 SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES, THOUSANDS OF SPECIES OF INSECTS, AND 10 SPECIES OF FISH AND AMPHIBIANS. MANY ARE RARE SPECIES. THE HEART OF THE SANCTUARY, AND AN ATTRACTION TO AN AMAZING NUMBER OF SURPRISE NEW SPECIES, IS THE EVER-GROWING WETLAND CREATED AND MAINTAINED BY OUR ENDLESSLY INDUSTRIOUS BEAVERS, WHO LABOR AND STAY WITH US FOR HANDOUTS OF APPLES AND SWEET POTATOES. ABOUT 500 PEOPLE VISIT EACH YEAR FOR EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS, AND FOR GUIDED TOURS ON OUR 5 MILES OF TRAILS. OUR DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION ALSO REGULARLY GIVES EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS TO CLUBS, SCHOOLS, AND VARIED AUDIENCES THROUGHOUT A WIDE AREA, REACHING OVER 1,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE NATURE SANCTUARY SHARES OUR WEBSITE AND HAS A SEPARATE FACEBOOK PAGE. VIDEO PRESENTATIONS OF THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE SANCTUARY ARE PRESENTED ON THAT SITE, AND SPREAD VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, WITH OVER 30,000 VISITS PER YEAR.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Animal Resource Center
Provides guidance and assistance to the public through phone, email, mail, and website; responds to over 10,000 annual inquiries related to animal care and welfare
Conservation Education Program
Offers guided trail tours, on-site educational presentations for ~500 annual visitors, community outreach by Conservation Director reaching 1,000+ people yearly, and digital content with 30,000+ annual online visits
Domestic Animal Sanctuary
Provides lifetime shelter to 225–250 unadoptable domestic and farm animals with special needs or advanced age; offers healing companionship and educational visits both in-person and virtually
Nature Sanctuary & Habitat Restoration
250-acre restored native habitat featuring re-introduced indigenous trees, shrubs, and plants; supports biodiversity including 190 bird species and rare wildlife; maintained in part by resident beavers
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Delivers educational programming and public outreachProvides on-site guided tours and off-site presentations reaching approximately 500 visitors annually on-site and over 1,000 people annually through outreach, supplemented by educational video content receiving over 30,000 annual website and social media visits.
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Rescue and Adoption of Cats 1 activity
- Facilitates adoption and sponsorship of special needs animalsOffers adoption opportunities for special needs cats and provides sponsorship programs for goats, sheep, cats, and other sanctuary animals, enabling public participation in animal care.
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Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
- Manages a 250-acre nature sanctuary to support biodiversityMaintains a 250-acre nature sanctuary that supports over 45 mammal species, 190 bird species, 60 butterfly species, thousands of insect species, and 10 fish and amphibian species, many of which are rare, through habitat restoration and invasive species management.
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Equine Rescue and Retirement Care 1 activity
- Provides lifetime sanctuary care for domestic animalsOffers permanent refuge and care for 225–250 domestic animals, including cats, rabbits, exotic birds, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry, many of whom have special needs or are of advanced age.
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Animal Welfare and Rescue Support 1 activity
- Responds to animal welfare inquiries and provides remote assistanceProvides guidance and support for animal care through over 10,000 annual inquiries via phone, email, mail, web, and in-person visits, assisting at least 10,000 animals each year.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$3.59M
Contributions & grants$793K22%
Program service revenue$45K1%
Investment income$2.71M76%
Other revenue$35K
expenses
Total expenses$2.26M
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$1.30M
Grants paid out$5K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$38.14M
Cash$788K
Investments$34.30M
Liabilities$221K
Net assets$37.91M
Liquid reserves186.1 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +16.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAWN E HAYMAN | VICE PRESIDENT | 65 | $36K |
| BONNIE JONES REYNOLDS | PRESIDENT | 65 | $27K |
| MARGARET G BROWN | SECRETARY | 36 | $12K |
| BRIAN BUCHANAN | BOARD MEMBER | 4 | $3K |
board members · 4
- DENNIS HAYMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- LEIGH LAIN-DENTON — BOARD MEMBER
- MARGOT B UNKEL — TREASURER
- PATRICIA O'CONNOR — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 6
Who they work with
- Beavers Partner — Collaborates with resident beavers to create and maintain wetlands through food incentives.
- Brockett Creative Group, Inc. Partner — Developed the organization's website.
- City of Utica Partner — Collaborates on the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project, including nestbox placement and monitoring.
- Facebook Partner — Uses Facebook to share news and updates from the Nature Sanctuary.
- Spring Farm CARES Network — Refers to itself as a sanctuary and network for animal-centered healing and education.
- local wildlife rehabilitators Partner — Partners with local wildlife rehabilitators to support the release of rehabilitated animals into the sanctuary.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Animal as Spiritual Teachermethodology: animal-as-teacherBy centering animals as spiritual teachers and guides, the organization fosters transformative human healing through lessons in forgiveness, non-judgment, and unconditional love, creating a reciprocal relationship of mutual growth and heart-centered connection.
- Ecological Co-Management with Wildlifemethodology: ecological co-managementBy integrating beaver activity into wetland restoration and supporting resident beavers with food, the organization leverages natural ecosystem engineering to enhance habitat diversity and resilience, demonstrating a model of collaborative land stewardship.
- Interconnected Oneness Philosophymethodology: interconnected-onenessBy operating from a belief in the shared spirituality and interconnectedness of all beings, the organization cultivates mutual healing between humans and animals, using heart-centered connection as a foundation for sanctuary and education practices.
- Needs-Based, Non-Transactional Animal Caremethodology: needs-based-animal-careBy making animal care decisions based on individual medical and emotional needs rather than financial constraints, the organization prioritizes dignity and quality of life, reinforcing a sanctuary model that resists commodification of animal lives.
- Self-Sustaining Sanctuary Modelmethodology: self-sustaining programmingBy funding sanctuary operations through workshop participation fees rather than tax-deductible donations, the organization ensures financial sustainability while aligning economic practices with its ethical principles of non-exploitation and independence.