Mission: South Florida Wildlife Center is one of the nation's highest-volume wildlife trauma hospitals. A national leader and teaching facility in wildlife veterinary medicin ... (More)
South Florida Wildlife Center is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1970, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Contact Information
https://www.southfloridawildlifecenter.org/
3200 SW 4th Avenue
Fort Lauderdale FL 33315
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for South Florida Wildlife Center is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
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Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Needs Improvement
This charity's score is 71.08, earning it a 2-Star rating. Charity Navigator believes donors can "Give with Confidence" to charities with 3- and 4-Star ratings.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 59.11 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
64.4%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
34.8%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
0.6%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
49.0%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.00
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
0.03 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
-1.52%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
| |
| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Peggy Calhoun, Senior Director, Development
$127,473 (1.65% of Total Expenses)
Debra Parsons-Drake, Executive Director
$108,612 (1.41% of Total Expenses)
Plus $27,153 of Compensation from Affliates
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Testing products for public safety (BMF activity code: 905)
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
South Florida Wildlife Center reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
Balance Sheet
Facility closed to the public.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
The pandemic affected our overall operation financially as we had to close our resource/intake center to the public and adapt our services to 100% contact free outdoors. As a result, we saw fewer clients venturing out in a public space despite precautions taken to provide service contact free, therefore less wildlife animals were brought to us for care. We had significant loss of funding due to our inability to accept cash donations from clients who visited our center. Greater financial impact was attributed to SFWC cancelling all in-person activities including fundraising events, outreach/education programs, and donor cultivation meetings. Staff attrition was also a contributing factor to the financial health of the organization.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Overall, we saw a 25% drop in service volume from 2019 to 2020, having to curtail/limit wildlife care to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. The South Florida Wildlife Center provides service to between 10,000 – 12,000 wildlife patients per year. This impact means that we were unable to serve between 2,500 – 3,057 patients during 2020. Additionally, all of our key Outreach wildlife/conservation education activities in the community and in the schools were cancelled.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
The South Florida Wildlife Center adapted by repurposing our resource/intake center to deliver services 100% contact free outdoors. We transitioned our fundraising and community outreach events for the year to virtual or online programs.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
South Florida Wildlife Center created electronic newsletters sent to donors, volunteers, and supporters monthly and quarterly through Constant Contact. These have proven to be well received by the audience. Response rates for the newsletter indicate that our audience is engaged with the publications. We will continue to provide innovative ways to reach our audience through the new virtual environment. Our virtual wildlife classes and lectures were also well received and will be part of our permanent Outreach Virtual Programs.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 6/1/2022 | 2019 | 71.08 | |
| 4/1/2021 | 2019 | 64.13 |  |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 11/1/2019 | 2018 | 80.58 |  |
| 12/1/2018 | 2017 | 78.77 | |
| 2/1/2018 | 2016 | 77.01 | |
| 2/1/2017 | 2015 | 78.99 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 77.62 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 2/1/2016 | 2014 | 79.47 | |
| 10/1/2015 | 2013 | 74.19 | |
| 7/1/2015 | 2013 | 72.32 | |
| 5/1/2014 | 2012 | 78.72 | |
| 6/1/2013 | 2011 | 76.45 | |
| 4/1/2012 | 2010 | 81.09 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2009 | 69.34 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 7/1/2011 | 2009 | 94.52 |  |
| 6/1/2010 | 2008 | 78.79 | |
| 3/1/2009 | 2007 | 80.94 | |
| 11/1/2005 | 2003 | 76.71 | |
| 2/1/2004 | 2002 | 89.01 | |
| 10/15/2002 | 2001 | 92.04 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
South Florida Wildlife Center cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at South Florida Wildlife Center? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
South Florida Wildlife Center reported its two largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$2,624,129
Spent in most recent FY
80%
Percent of program expenses
Wildlife Trauma Hospital
$615,537
Spent in most recent FY
19%
Percent of program expenses
Veterinarian Training
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by South Florida Wildlife Center is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
The South Florida Wildlife Center is focused on the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured/sick, orphaned or abandoned wildlife animals in South Florida. We provide education to our Community to peacefully co-exist with wildlife.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
South Florida Wildlife Center, is the highest-volume wildlife hospital in Florida, admits 10,000+ animals each year. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured and orphan wildlife in South Florida, and to share information about wildlife issues with the public at large. For 52 years, SFWC has served a vital role in South Florida. More than 75% of the animals who come to us suffer from injuries due to negative interactions with humans. We work to educate the public about the important role wildlife plays in the balance of our ecosystem, and how to facilitate peaceful cohabitation as urbanization continues to encroach wild animals’ natural habitat. Our education programs for animal control officials, police, and firefighters build the capacity of the wildlife care field in our community; we offer training for interns, externs, students, and citizen scientists that includes hands-on experience, working side-by-side with our veterinary staff and wildlife rehabilitators.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: SFWC is committed to our core mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release wildlife into their natural habitat. We provide critical care for more than 10,000 patients each year.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Two: The need for our services continues to grow in South Florida as the natural habitat for wildlife is shrinking due to development. Our focus is to expand our ability to serve based upon the need.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: SFWC if focused to meet the ever increasing need for service in our community. To do so, we must invest in capacity across the organization - financial, technical, operations and capital investment.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
SFWC encourages leadership development throughout the organization. At this time, there are opportunities to grow through technical and hands-on training. This includes leadership mentorship through our veterinary training programs, and technical ‘hands on’ experience for interns/externs. Various leadership growth opportunities lie in the areas of Education Outreach, Veterinary Animal Care, Development/Marketing and Executive Management where staff is encouraged to enhance proficiencies through training programs offered externally. The Leadership team continues to research opportunities to offer additional training, development and education for staff and interns/externs.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
The SFWC has been part of the South Florida community for more than five decades. We are a trusted and relied upon essential resource in the Tri-County region that provides critical care for injured and orphaned wildlife. We are the largest volume wildlife hospital in the state of Florida, open 365 days per year to serve more than 10,000 patients needing care each year. The SFWC provides ongoing Outreach and Education to our community on topics related to wildlife, environment and conservation. Additionally, SFWC has a robust volunteer program with approximately 300 participants each year. The volunteers are an essential part of our day-to-day operations and also serve as brand ambassadors in our community as representatives of our SFWC mission and values.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
SFWC has adapted to external changes in the past year. Several of the key changes relate to the impact of the pandemic on our organization. The organization did not close to the public during the pandemic. We continued to provide service to ensure seamless delivery while adapting to new regulations and protocols necessary for safety. For example, we implemented a ‘contact-free’ process to drop off an injured, orphaned animal at our facility. We adapted our Education and Outreach programs to a virtual environment to continue our community education efforts without public contact. Through social media, virtual programming (webcasts, etc.), and online marketing efforts we maintained and were able to increase engagement with our constituents. SFWC has established itself as an independent, non-profit organization, based on a mutual separation agreement with its former partner the Humane Society of the United States. We continue to serve the Tri-County area including Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade regions. The SFWC, is the highest-volume wildlife hospital in Florida, admits between 10,000-12,000 animals each year. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured and orphan wildlife in South Florida, and to share information about wildlife issues with the public at large. For 52 years, SFWC has been a vital resource in providing essential and unique services to our community. To that end, we also work to educate the public about the important role wild animals play in the balance of our ecosystem, and how to facilitate peaceful cohabitation as urbanization continues to encroach into wild animals’ natural habitat. Our education programs for animal control officials, police, and firefighters build the capacity of the wildlife care field in our community; we also offer training for interns, externs, students, and citizen scientists that includes hands-on experience, working side-by-side with our veterinary staff and wildlife rehabilitators.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Alessandra Medri
Executive Director
Jeffrey J. Arciniaco
President & Chair
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
100
out of 100
South Florida Wildlife Center has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about how it listens to constituents (Constituent Feedback) (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (100% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Not Scored
Culture & Community Report
100
of 100 points
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
100/100 points
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
