BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES

EIN 16-6000178 · Arts, Culture & Humanities (A560)

What they do

INSPIRE JOYFUL EXPLORATION of SCIENCE and NATURE THROUGH ENGAGING EXPERIENCES, UNIQUE RESOURCES, and EXCEPTIONAL STAFF.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $61.60 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2023The report may be old. Ask for a newer one.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders30 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

62.55%of revenue went to mission work61.6% of expenses · Program services

13.34%of revenue went to fundraising13.1% of expenses

$79.01spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

25.72%of revenue went to management and office costs25.3% of expenses

$4.79in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

36.9%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $158,417 for KATHERYN LEACOCK (SVP, COLLECT./INT. CEO THRU 1/31/24). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2023

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$6,367,674

Mission workProgram services$3,982,71862.55% of revenue61.6% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$1,637,80225.72% of revenue25.3% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$849,72513.34% of revenue13.1% of expenses

Total expenses$6,470,245101.61% of revenue

Expenses were greater than revenue, so the colored ring fills the available $100 and the total above 100% is shown below.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2023CurrentExpense mix: 61.6% mission · 25.3% management · 13.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 101.61% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 63.0% mission · 24.5% management · 12.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 117.20% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 65.3% mission · 23.0% management · 11.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 89.94% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 63.7% mission · 25.1% management · 11.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 85.86% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 65.7% mission · 21.7% management · 12.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 118.25% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 65.4% mission · 20.4% management · 14.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 96.17% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 63.7% mission · 21.9% management · 14.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 61.00% of revenue

2016Expense mix: 61.3% mission · 25.9% management · 12.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 80.80% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$8,189,097

Expenses$6,470,245

Annual surplus $1,718,852 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$3,982,718 · 61.6% of expenses

Management and office costs$1,637,802 · 25.3% of expenses

Fundraising$849,725 · 13.1% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$8,189,097

Expenses$6,470,245

Assets$31,023,693

Income$11,483,925

Contributions$3,020,294

Mission work (program services)$3,982,718

Fundraising$849,725

Management and general$1,637,802

Stocks and bonds$22,407,308

Investing fees$67,877

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2023

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

KATHERYN LEACOCKSVP, COLLECT./INT. CEO THRU 1/31/24 · 40 hrs/week $158,417Base $139,218 · Other $19,199

MARISA WIGGLESWORTHFORMER PRESIDENT & CEO THRU 6/30/23 · 40 hrs/week $143,011Base $130,737 · Other $12,274

JEFFREY KNAPPVP, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION · 40 hrs/week $131,290Base $121,019 · Other $10,271

MELANIE JASKOLKAVP, DEVELOPMENT · 40 hrs/week $115,809Base $115,673 · Other $136

AMY BIBERVP, MARKETING & OUTREACH · 40 hrs/week $110,198Base $100,643 · Other $9,555

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (30)

KATHERYN LEACOCKSVP, COLLECT./INT. CEO THRU 1/31/24

MARISA WIGGLESWORTHFORMER PRESIDENT & CEO THRU 6/30/23

JEFFREY KNAPPVP, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

MELANIE JASKOLKAVP, DEVELOPMENT

AMY BIBERVP, MARKETING & OUTREACH

LAURIE COLLINSBOARD MEMBER

KEITH LUKASIKCHAIR

MATTHEW FRANKASSISTANT TREASURER

MUHAMMED SUMBUNDUBOARD MEMBER

OLUWOLE MCFOY PEBOARD MEMBER - EX-OFFICIO

RALPH ELBERTBOARD MEMBER

RAYMOND VAUGHAN PHDBOARD MEMBER

RICK SMITH IIIBOARD MEMBER

SARAH TANBAKUCHI-RIPABOARD MEMBER

SAURIN POPATBOARD MEMBER

SUSAN NOWICKIBOARD MEMBER

VICTORIA BELNIAKBOARD MEMBER

KELLY WOFFORDBOARD MEMBER - EX-OFFICIO

KATHY HOELSCHER GLIECOBOARD MEMBER

KATHERINE CAULEYBOARD MEMBER

JOSEPH LOMBARDOSECRETARY

JESSICA COPELANDVICE CHAIR

JENAE PITTSBOARD MEMBER

GARY SIDDALLPRESIDENT & CEO EFFECT. 2/1/24

CYNTHIA SCHWARTZBOARD MEMBER

CYNTHIA HOOVERBOARD MEMBER

CAROLYN HOYT STEVENSBOARD MEMBER

BEN PEARSONBOARD MEMBER

AUSTIN KELLYTREASURER

ANN BISANTZBOARD MEMBER

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1935
Location: 1020 HUMBOLDT PARKWAY, BUFFALO, NY 14211-1293
County: Erie
In care of: GARY SIDDALL
Primary officer: GARY SIDDALL, PRESIDENT AND CEO

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(716) 896-5200

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2023
Tax period began: October 1, 2023
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: LUMSDEN & MCCORMICK LLP
NTEE classification: Arts, Culture & Humanities (A560)