DING DARLING WILDLIFE SOCIETY INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

DING DARLING WILDLIFE SOCIETY INC

EIN 59-2240895 · Animal-Related (D113)

What they do

"FOUNDED IN 1945, THE J.N. "DING" DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CONSISTS of NEARLY 8,000 ACRES of SOME of THE MOST UNIQUE and ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS IN THE WORLD. BUDGETS CONTINUE to DECREASE, and FEDERAL FUNDING DOES NOT COVER ALL THE NEEDS of THIS VERY POPULATED REFUGE. AS A RESULT, THE "DING" DARLING WILDLIFE SOCIETY - FRIENDS of THE REFUGE (DDWS) PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT WHERE FEDERAL FUNDING FALLS SHORT. EVERY YEAR, THE VISITATION to THE REFUGE INCREASES and NEARLY ONE MILLION VISITORS EXPLORE THESE PUBLIC LANDS. for NEARLY 40 YEARS, THE DDWS HAS SUPPORTED THE REFUGE IN AREAS of EDUCATION, LAND ACQUISITION, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE and EXHIBITS, HABITAT MANAGEMENT, BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, WATER RESEARCH, and MUCH MORE.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $83.60 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 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

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

They name their leaders14 people are listed in the latest report.

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

Money made simple

50.24%of revenue went to mission work83.6% of expenses · Program services

5.99%of revenue went to fundraising10.0% of expenses

$60.09spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

3.86%of revenue went to management and office costs6.4% of expenses

$14.36in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

81.0%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 $171,136 for ANN MARIE E WILDMAN (EXECUTIVE DI). 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 2024

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$3,502,148

Mission workProgram services$1,759,60250.24% of revenue83.6% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$135,0653.86% of revenue6.4% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$209,8665.99% of revenue10.0% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$1,397,61539.91% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$2,104,53360.09% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

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

2024CurrentExpense mix: 83.6% mission · 6.4% management · 10.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 60.09% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 68.2% mission · 23.0% management · 8.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 47.60% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 76.5% mission · 16.2% management · 7.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 33.28% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 64.9% mission · 22.2% management · 12.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 31.90% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 53.5% mission · 33.5% management · 13.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 28.09% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 59.3% mission · 25.6% management · 15.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 53.52% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 86.8% mission · 8.2% management · 5.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 58.14% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 58.3% mission · 29.9% management · 11.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 65.27% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$3,502,148

Expenses$2,104,533

Annual surplus $1,397,615 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)$1,759,602 · 83.6% of expenses

Management and office costs$135,065 · 6.4% of expenses

Fundraising$209,866 · 10.0% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$3,502,148

Expenses$2,104,533

Assets$30,213,047

Income$4,011,454

Contributions$2,836,028

Mission work (program services)$1,759,602

Fundraising$209,866

Grants given$207,000

Average grant$23,000

Management and general$135,065

Executive compensation (total)$163,850

Stocks and bonds$14,450,711

Investing fees$75,264

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

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

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

ANN MARIE E WILDMANEXECUTIVE DI · 40 hrs/week $171,136Base $156,941 · Other $14,195

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 (14)

ANN MARIE E WILDMANEXECUTIVE DI

BARBARA BLUEDORNSECRETARY

BILL MILLARVICE PRESIDE

BILL VALERIANTREASURER

HANK SPIREBOARD MEMBER

JIM BIRMINGHAMBOARD MEMBER

MARK HEIMANSECRETARY TO

MARVELL BRADLEYBOARD MEMBER

NANCY FELKERBOARD MEMBER

RICHARD LEVINSONBOARD MEMBER

ROBIN COOKBOARD MEMBER

STUART SERGEANTBOARD MEMBER

WENDY KINDIGPAST PRES

WILLIAM HARKEYPRESIDENT

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1983
Location: 1 WILDLIFE DR, SANIBEL, FL 33957-3032
County: Lee
In care of: ANN MARIE E WILDMAN
Primary officer: ANN MARIE E WILDMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailmaher@dingdarlingsociety.org Phone(239) 472-1100 Officer phone(239) 470-1100

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: October 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: STROEMER & COMPANY
NTEE classification: Animal-Related (D113)
IRS tax category: Other Grantmaking and Giving Services
Grant-giving organization: Yes