State of the Society 2009: Report to the Membership

By John Harrison, President

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MISSION STATEMENT: To foster community values that result in the protection and restoration of native ecosystems and conservation of natural resources through education, science and advocacy in Hawai`i and the Pacific.

The Hawaii Audubon Society (HAS) was founded in 1939 as an independent, nonprofit membership association dedicated to the protection of Hawai`i's native wildlife and habitats through education, science and advocacy. Current membership consists of approximately 1721 individuals and institutions and operates in accordance with a constitution and by-laws under the supervision of a Board of Directors elected by the members. In 1978 HAS was named a certified chapter of the National Audubon Society, while continuing to function independently in all fiscal, policy and programmatic matters. An office manager, an aquatics programs director, and several independent contractors provide administrative and professional services for HAS, but many necessary tasks and responsibilities are accomplished through the efforts of dedicated volunteers statewide. HAS publishes the `Elepaio, a peer-reviewed journal, and operates two websites: www.hawaiiaudubon.com and www.pacfish.org. It is my privilege, as the current President of the Society, to offer the following review of the past year's activities and our principal goals for the coming year.

Officers, Directors, Managers and Volunteers:: The 2009 HAS Board of Directors consisted of President John Harrison, First Vice President Wendy Johnson, Second Vice President Ron Walker, Recording Secretary Liz Kumabe, and Directors Carol Bebb, Phil Bruner, Arlene Buchholz, and Tom Jacobs. I am grateful to all Directors who have given so much of their time voluntarily to further the mission of the Society. I also gratefully acknowledge the constant advice and support of our in-house counsel, Linda Paul, who works tirelessly to keep us in compliance with Federal and State regulatory provisions. Also, I deeply thank Casey Primacio, our Office Manager, without whose cheerful efforts and diligent attention to daily queries from members and directors alike HAS would quickly descend into confusion! Lydi Morgan and Ron Walker have done a terrific job assembling and editing the `Elepaio this year, for which we all are immensely grateful. Finally and especially, I extend heartfelt appreciation and thanks to the many members and volunteers for all of their time and dedicated efforts on behalf of furthering the HAS mission during the past year.

Membership:: Prevailing economic conditions in 2009 presented major challenges to all of us, and, not surprisingly, membership numbers showed some decline over past years. At the time of this writing, final renewal figures are not yet complete, but the decline seems to be in the range of 15%, which is comparable to membership declines I've informally sampled among other Hawai`i environmental membership organizations. Because a portion of the HAS operating revenue derives from membership dues, any drop in membership creates a financial challenge that must be addressed, and we have taken a number of steps to mitigate the revenue impact, as described in the next section. However, in the longer term, the vitality and effectiveness of HAS in meeting our mission goals depends on a strong and committed membership, and we are making a concerted effort to bolster membership levels once again.

Operations: The Society primarily derives operating and programmatic funding from four key sources including membership dues, generous gifts, product sales, and grants. During 2009, grant-funded operations were mostly concentrated on continuing work from grants received in the previous year, and as a consequence, new grant receipts dropped significantly. However, income from legacy and other gifts during 2009 increased almost six-fold over 2008, and dividend income from investments increased by about 35%. In addition, as a result of changes to rates and categories of membership enacted at the start of last year, dues income during 2009 actually increased by about 17%, even though actual membership numbers declined. There was a roughly 19% drop in product sales, again commensurate with broader economic trends. Overall, gross profit from all operations decreased about 25%, while total expenses declined by 13% from the prior year. Although the annual balance sheet shows a substantial annual accounting deficit, most of that deficit is attributable to contract costs encumbered during 2009 that were covered by grant receipts that accrued during 2008. The actual annual operating balance for 2009 amounted to a net deficit of only $2,018, less than 1.5% of the total operating budget for the year.

Committees: HAS oversees the operation of committees on Conservation, Education, `Elepaio, Field Trips, Fundraising, Grants & Scholarships, Membership, Programs, Publications, and Website. In 2009, the Board of Directors established an ad hoc Committee on Marketing, for the purpose of expanding the outreach of the Society to the Honolulu Business community. HAS members are welcome to participate as members or chairs of any of these committees.