2015 Annual Report for Alaska Conservation Foundation

OUR MISSION

Alaska Conservation Foundation protects Alaska’s

natural environment and the diverse cultures and ways of life it sustains. We do this by promoting conservation philanthropy and by strategically directing resources

to conservation leaders, organizations and initiatives.

THANK YOU PHOTOGRAPHERS The stunning photographs featured in this 35th Anniversary edition of our annual report were donated by recipients of the Daniel Housberg Wilderness Image Award for Excellence in Still Photography—an award bestowed annually by Alaska Conservation Foundation to exceptional photographers whose work brings awareness to Alaska conservation issues.

Thank you Carl Battreall, Amy Gulick, Kim Heacox, Mark Kelley, Michael Melford and Tom Walker for sharing your photographs with us and for your continued advocacy on behalf of Alaska.

Cover: Pg. 1: Pg. 2: Pg. 3: Pg. 5: Pg. 9: Pg. 14: Pg. 14:

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Mendenhall Glacier © Michael Melford/michaelmelford.com Sunset Kayaks, Beardslee Islands, Glacier Bay National Park © Kim Heacox/kimheacox.com Amphitheater Mountains, The Alaska Range © Carl Battreall/photographalaska.com Commercial Fishermen © Amy Gulick/amygulick.com Black Bear, Tongass National Forest © Mark Kelley/markkelley.com Spawning Sockeye Salmon, Bristol Bay © Amy Gulick/amygulick.com Caribou ©Tom Walker/tomwalkerphotography.com The Alaska Range © Carl Battreall/photographalaska.com

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends, On behalf of our trustees and staff, I am pleased to present you with our FY2015 annual report. In honor of our 35th year, this report celebrates ACF’s rich past and communicates the exciting future we foresee across the next era of conserving Alaska’s wild places. We celebrated this milestone last June in Anchorage among 200 of our friends and colleagues, with our founders Denny Wilcher and Celia Hunter there in spirit. It was an inspiring Who’s Who of Alaska conservation representing both our history and our future.

In this report, we highlight a few of our grantees’ successes from the past fiscal year as well as update you on the latest efforts to build resilience in the Tongass, in the context of ACF’s 35 years of supporting protection efforts. We pause to honor our Lifetime Achievement Award recipients— you’ll notice a new name was added to this distinguished list this year. And in contrast, highlight two Ted Smith Conservation Internship alumnae—newer leaders to the movement.

We also spotlight some of our amazing donors and trustees. A few have been with us for many years and while others are newer to the organization, all are equally committed to the mission.

And we again thank our past Housberg Award recipients, whose images grace the pages of this special report, for helping us tell the story of why Alaska is worth protecting. We could not fulfill our mission without our grantees, partners and many supporters around the country. We dedicate this report to all of you. Thank you for helping us fight every day for Alaska’s wild lands, waters, wildlife and the diverse cultures and ways of life they sustain.

Sincerely,

P.S. We hope you’ll take a moment to visit www.alaskaconservation.org/foundation/history to read Denny Wilcher’s article “A Foundation is Born”, which provides a brief history of ACF’s early years.

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GRANTMAKING FOR RESULTS Alaska Conservation Foundation is the single largest funder of Alaska conservation efforts. Since 1980, we have awarded more than $49 million in grants to support some of Alaska’s most pressing conservation and environmental justice issues in pursuit of a healthy environment, healthy communities and sustainable economies.

In fiscal year 2015, ACF awarded 92 grants totaling over $2,543,000 to support the efforts of our partners working to protect our wild lands, waters and wildlife and the diverse cultures and ways of life they sustain from the impacts of climate change and unsustainable development.

Our grantmaking continues to be focused on supporting efforts that serve to strengthen Alaska’s conservation movement to achieve greater impact, and ultimately protect the magnificence of Alaska for today and the future.

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SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND JUSTICE:

SUPPORTING A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE: ACF supported Alaska’s

community off the northwest coast of Alaska to travel to the

education programs to more schools around the state. One of the top

United Nations in Switzerland. Their goal: persuade the 179

conservation goals of Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) is

ACF funded a delegation of women from a traditional Yup’ik

nations party to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent

clean energy future by funding the expansion of renewable energy

to educate students to be energy literate citizens who influence how

Organic Pollutants to ban the pesticide pentachlorophenol

we use energy in the future. REAP had been providing such effec-

(PCP) and two other industrial chemicals. These chemicals

tive programs that the demand started to exceed the organization’s

bioaccumulate in the Arctic, poisoning the animals that many

capacity. An ACF Organizational Capacity grant helped REAP leverage

rely on for their subsistence way of life. Thanks in part to the

other funding and hire a full-time Energy Education Director to expand

compelling testimony provided by Alaska Native Fund grantee

dissemination of both the AK EnergySmart efficiency curriculum and

Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) and residents

the Wind for Schools math and science curriculum. In 2014, REAP con-

of St. Lawrence Island, the UN voted to ban these chemicals.

ducted 111 classroom visits and in 2015, expanded that to more than

Vi Waghiyi of ACAT writes, “I believe that we served as the

170 visits. Chris Rose of REAP notes, “Thanks in large part to the sup-

conscience of the Convention and our testimony was significant in convincing the nations of the

world to make this historic decision. ACF support made it possible for us to go to Geneva and

fully participate as representatives of our Yup’ik

port we received from ACF, the organization’s energy education efforts are continuing to expand.”

To learn more about REAP, visit www.alaskarenewableenergy.org.

communities.” To learn more about ACAT, visit www.akaction.org.

SUPPORTING RESILIENCE IN THE TONGASS:

ACF made close to $600,000 in grants to support projects to build resilience in Southeast Alaska as SUPPORTING LOCAL VOICES: ACF supported a successful outreach

well as to advocate for a more sustainable forest

Bay were assured access to participation in last year’s EPA Proposed Deter-

page to read more.

effort to ensure members of the indigenous communities throughout Bristol

management system for the Tongass. Turn the

mination on restrictions of the Pebble deposit public comment period. While the majority of residents are opposed to mining in Bristol Bay, there were many barriers to participation in the process, including high costs to travel to hearings for residents of these remote communities. Rapid Response grantee United Tribes of Bristol Bay (UTBB) worked tirelessly during the comment period to ensure residents’ voices were heard—attendance at the hearings

set records and the number of comments received was unprecedented.

To see the full list of grants awarded in FY2015, visit www.alaskaconservation.org/strategic-funding/fy15-grants-awarded.

According to Alannah Hurley of UTBB, “The support provided by ACF was

critical to ensuring many more Bristol Bay residents were enabled to engage in the hearings, it helped our voices be heard in the important process to pro-

tect our fishery, communities and cultures.” To learn more about UTBB, visit www.utbb.org.

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THE TONGASS GLOBAL TREASURE AT A TURNING POINT

As long as Alaska Conservation Foundation has been in existence, we have been funding efforts to protect the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. Millions of dollars in grants, support for conservation internships and ACF staff support have been deployed. This might leave one to ask: Why would ACF devote so many resources to protect the Tongass, and what has been accomplished?

The Tongass is our nation’s largest National Forest—the Crown Jewel. An increasingly rare global treasure, it contains the largest intact stands of coastal temperate rainforest left on the planet. It is a land where the forest meets the sea and as such, it supports some of the largest wild salmon populations left anywhere in the world. These salmon have provided for the Native people of the region for thousands of years. They support healthy populations of brown bears, wolves and bald eagles as well as a vibrant local fishing tradition. Not to mention…keeping the Tongass intact is critically important to helping mitigate climate change.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the Tongass each summer in the hopes of experiencing its magnificence: twohundred-foot-tall spruce and 500-year-old cedar trees soaring overhead. Amid the lush ferns and mossy remnants of fallen trees, one might see a brown bear ambling its way to a salmon stream, in search of its next meal. There is simply no place else like it.

What most visitors don’t realize is that nearly 60 years of unsustainable logging in the Tongass has left many of the oldgrowth forests, salmon streams and communities in need of restoration. And while ACF’s support of grassroots conservation organizations over the years has been instrumental in ending much of the industrial-scale logging, destructive logging practices continue today and massive mines upstream in Canada pose an enormous threat to the region’s clean water, wild salmon and the ways of life they sustain.

What most visitors also don’t realize is that thanks to the diligent efforts of our conservation partners over the years, the Tongass still contains an incredible wealth of intact watersheds and thriving fish and wildlife populations. But ACF believes it will only remain this way if we continue to support both the advocacy efforts of our partners who are vigilant to immediate threats, alongside long-term, big picture, proactive approaches where communities and a healthy environment co-exist.

In ACF’s history of supporting Tongass protection efforts we have seen a profound shift in recent years. Now more than ever, a wide diversity of people throughout Southeast Alaska are realizing they need to work together in new ways with everyone engaged in charting a different future for the region—one that supports sustainable economies and local communities. This is why ACF is proud to be the primary funder of an innovative new network that started a few years ago—the Sustainable Southeast Partnership.

The SSP is building trust and finding common ground among unlikely allies to achieve cultural, ecological and economic prosperity for the region. ACF’s long-time partners Sitka Conservation Society (SCS), Renewable Energy Alaska Project and The Nature Conservancy are now working together in meaningful ways with Alaska Native corporations, regional economic development organizations and local municipalities that have historically been focused more heavily on resource extraction.

This unique partnership is moving innovative projects forward to advance sustainable resource development, re-localize the economy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase local food production. And they are seeing results—proving collaboration rather than tired old stances are helping people transcend the “timber war” mentality of the last several decades.

Andrew Thoms of SCS writes, “We are genuinely trying to move away from the old role of conservationists as ‘watchdogs’ to helping lead the way to Alaska’s future by figuring out how

ACF wholeheartedly supports this balanced approach because we believe it is critical to the longterm health of the Tongass and its

abundant

populations

fish

and

and will

wildlife

ultimately

provide enduring opportunities for economic and cultural vitality in Southeast Alaska. conserving and protecting the natural environment happens alongside community development and healthy local economies.”

ACF wholeheartedly supports this balanced approach because we believe it is critical to the long-term health of the Tongass and its abundant fish and wildlife populations and will ultimately provide enduring opportunities for economic and cultural vitality in Southeast Alaska. We also believe these innovative projects represent the next phase of the environmental movement and may eventually be replicated across the globe in communities facing similar challenges.

To learn more about the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, visit www.sustainablesoutheast.net.

In FY2015, ACF made close to $600,000 in grants to support projects to build resilience in Southeast Alaska as well as to advocate for a more sustainable forest management system for the Tongass.

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ALASKA CONSERVATION HALL OF FAME ACF established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 as part of the Conservation Achievement Awards program, to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of Alaska’s great conservation leaders. On our 35th Anniversary, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight these distinguished individuals who continue to serve as inspiration to many of us throughout Alaska and the country. Through their tireless advocacy, they have helped protect Alaska’s unparalleled wild lands, waters and wildlife to the benefit of us all.

To learn more about their remarkable contributions to protecting Alaska, visit www.alaskaconservation.org/achievement-awards/alaska-conservation-hall-fame.

2015 Helen Nienhueser

2014 Bob Childers

2012 Jack Lentfer

2008 Tom Meacham

2006 Richard Nelson

2004 Peg Tileston

2004 Jim & Mary Lou King

2004 Lowell Thomas, Jr.

2002 Walter Parker*

2002 Mark Ganopole Hickok*

2002 Jay Hammond*

2001 Celia Hunter* & Ginny Wood*

*The Alaska conservation community has since lost these leaders.

We are grateful to them for their remarkable contributions.

CONSERVATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The TED SMITH CONSERVATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (CIP) started in 2000 with a goal of introducing young people to conservation careers around the state to inspire a long-term commitment to protecting Alaska. More than 300 talented individuals from Alaska and around the country have participated in this life-changing opportunity, and as envisioned, many are making their mark on the conservation movement. In FY2015, another outstanding group of 10 college students participated in the program and we have high expectations they will continue this tradition. We are thrilled to share just a couple of stories about how the program has impacted former interns and benefited Alaska.

BEN JONES arrived at Cook Inletkeeper in Homer from Ohio in the summer of 2005 where he assisted with water quality monitoring. Ben credits the CIP with not only setting him on his career path, but his life path. Immediately following his placement, he started working at the Alaska Science Center—U.S. Geological Survey in Anchorage where he still works today conducting research on how the Arctic is responding over time to climate change related events like permafrost thaw, fire and erosion. Ben also went on to get his PhD from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and to marry Kelly Harrell—who participated in the program the same year! Kelly is another leader in the movement, she serves as Executive Director of long-time grantee Alaska Marine Conservation Council.

HANNAH BAIRD attends Bard College in New York. She was among the group of 2015 conservation interns and worked on wild salmon and climate change related issues for Cook Inletkeeper in her hometown of Homer, Alaska. Now back at college, Hannah has decided to declare a major in environmental studies. She attributes her internship at Cook Inletkeeper as solidifying this decision. “Being a part of the Inletkeeper staff helped teach me exactly what aspects of conservation I can see myself focusing on as a career. I came away from this experience with a new list of skills, from public speaking to data collection. Through the program, I was able to give back to the landscape I have grown up loving and caring about in a meaningful way.”

IN HONOR OF TED SMITH In 2012, the Conservation Internship Program was named in memory of ACF’s beloved long-time trustee Theodore “Ted” Smith. Ted created the program and we are proud to say, his legacy continues to inspire new cohorts of interns today. ACF established the Ted Smith Young Leaders Fund to ensure a long-term source of support for this effective program. We welcome special gifts to the Fund, which can be sent to ACF or made at www.alaskaconservation. org/donate. Please note your donation is for the “Ted Smith Young Leaders Fund”.

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THANK DONORS YOU DONORS Alaska Conservation Foundation is grateful to the many individuals, foundations and businesses from around the country who supported our efforts in FY2015 (July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015).

While we cannot acknowledge everyone individually in this report, please know we are indebted to you all for your generosity, which enables our work and that of our partners around the state.

Thank you for being our valued partners in Alaska conservation.

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE ($100,000 & ABOVE)

Anonymous (1) Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Estate of Alan Cobham

CHAMPION’S CIRCLE ($50,000-$99,999) Anonymous (2) Argosy Foundation The Chorus Foundation The Endurance Fund Kalliopeia Foundation Estate of John Kauffmann Oak Foundation True North Foundation

BENEFACTOR’S CIRCLE ($25,000-$49,999)

Anonymous (2) Common Stream Eaglemere Foundation, Inc. Energy Foundation AJ Grant The George Gund Foundation Harder Foundation Moore Family Foundation National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Estate of Ruth Schmidt Estate of Donald Turner

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DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($10,000-$24,999)

Anonymous (2) The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Michael J. Ashworth Fund of The New York Community Trust Peter & Michalina Bickford Agnes Gund Estate of Larry Mayo The New-Land Foundation, Inc. Patagonia, Inc. In Honor of Kenelm Winslow Philip from his brother Peter Van Ness Philip Alan & Jane Ritchie David & Janet Robertson David & Susan Rockefeller Philippa Strahm The Volgenau Foundation The William B. Wiener, Jr. Foundation

GUARDIAN CIRCLE ($5,000-$9,999)

Anonymous (5) Norman Anderson Rhonda Bennon & Martin Brown Butler Conservation Fund on behalf of Graham Harrison CGMK Foundation David Davis Catharine Hawkins Foundation Michael & Mary Ann Hasenstab

Dick Lefebvre Paul & Antje Newhagen Foundation, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Estate of Randall A. Sanger Jean Schiro-Zavela & Vance Zavela Sockeye Cycle Co.

STEWARD CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999)

Anonymous (3) Bear Gulch Foundation Brenden Mann Foundation in honor of Jonathan Blattmachr Robert Bundy & Bonnie Lembo David Bonderman Nancy & Jim DeWitt Cliff Eames Carl Haefling The Lazar Foundation The Leighty Foundation Catherine & Nathaniel Peimann Dan Purnell Michael & Lenore Roberts Stacy Studebaker & Michael Sirofchuck

ADVOCATE CIRCLE ($1,000-$2,499)

Anonymous (7) Kris Abshire Alaska Wildland Adventures American Fly Fishing Trade Association

ADVOCATE CIRCLE CONT’D The Armand G. Erpf Fund Ranjit & Ariane Arpels-Josiah Aspen Business Center Foundation The Charles & Charlotte Bird Fund at The San Diego Foundation Mrs. Walter Brissenden Allan & Marilyn Brown Fund, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation Maynard P. & Katherine Z. Buehler Foundation Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation Camp Denali & North Face Lodge Marta Chase & Kicab Castaneda-Mendez Michael & Catherine Coscia Costa del Mar Mike Coumbe The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation Fishpond, Inc. The Fly Shop Franklin Philanthropic Foundation Amy & Christopher Gulick Thomas Hall & Elizabeth McLoughlin David & Susan Hardenbergh William H. Hazen Foundation Eric Hedstrand John Hirschi Krisztina & Kenneth Inskeep Robert Keith, Jr. & Margot Keith Carl Kohls Shirley Langlois Kenneth Leghorn Dianne & James Mahaffey Roslyn Mandel Gail Mayo Greg McCarthy & Wendy Chase Richard Monkman & Tina Kobayashi Mary Sue & William Morrill Diane & Michael Moxness Myra Munson Eric Myers Susan & Sheldon Nash Emily Newmann Helen & Gayle Nienhueser Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc. Susan Olsen The Orvis Company, Inc. Lisa Parker Elizabeth & Tod Peyton

DONOR SPOTLIGHT CAMP DENALI

Camp Denali and ACF will forever share a strong connection in our mutual founder, Celia Hunter. Wally and Jerryne Cole assumed the reins of the wilderness lodge in 1975 and they have since passed on the operations to their daughter and son-in-law, Jenna and Simon Hamm (pictured right).

Camp Denali has worked diligently to carry on the conservation legacy that was left to us because we wholeheartedly believe Alaska’s wild lands and wildlife sustain us and protecting them is the bedrock of our ecotourism business. People don’t come to Alaska to see an artifice of nature; they come to experience the real thing. We continue to support ACF because they are the primary funder of grassroots conservation organizations around the state, the groups paying closest attention to the day-to-day issues that have a broader impact on Alaska’s wild lands and wildlife. If protecting Alaska is important for the present, it is just as important for the future.

SHIRLEY LANGLOIS

In 1899, my grandfather went to seek adventure and fortune in the Alaska Klondike. He went back to California the following year but returned in 1916 to do the original surveying for the Alaska Railroad. As a child, I remember being mesmerized by his tales.

I first came to Alaska in 1992 and somehow, it felt like “home”. I have returned many times to hike, sea kayak and even dogsled.

I have been to the Arctic Refuge and think it is the most magical place on earth. While Alaska can appear rugged, its ecosystems are so fragile; the smallest disruption can destroy things for years. I have been a proud ACF donor for years. While my heart is in Alaska, I live in California and it’s hard to keep on top of which issues most need my attention. That is why I like ACF…I trust they will fund the groups that will have the greatest impact on saving this great land.

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THANK DONORS YOU DONORS ADVOCATE CIRCLE CONT’D Barbara Powell Wendy & Larry Rockefeller Christopher du Pont Roosevelt & Rosalind Roosevelt

Andrew Rosenthal Molly & Peter Ross Jonathan Rubini Catherine Smith The Suwinski Family Foundation, Inc. Peg & Jules Tileston Walden Asset Management Valerie Waldrop Estate of Dorothy Anna Walters Bob & Judy Weeden Nancy Weintraub Wild Woods Foundation Ruth Wood & John Strasenburgh James Young

DENALI LEGACY SOCIETY* Anonymous (7) Cynthia & John Adams Roger & Judith Anderson Michael Ashworth John & Jane Aspnes Beth Baker, MD Stephanie Barko Betty Blumenkamp Tim Bowman Jean Bradshaw Gerald & Janet Brookman Robert Bundy & Bonnie Lembo Marta Chase Mitchell & Hope Cline David & Alexis Colker Amy Crook April Crosby & Merritt Helfferich Deborah Dixon Gunther Fonken & Agnes Hughes David & Susan Hardenbergh Ruthanne Harstad *Planned Giving Society

JoAnne Heron Linda Hulbert Leslie Kerr Matthew & Patricia Kirchhoff Grace Kirchner William Lazar Kenneth Leghorn Deborah & Jay Liggett Michael & Marilyn Miller Richard Monkman & Tina Kobayashi Eric Myers Richard & Maryellen Oman Kimberley Pittman-Schulz & Terry Schulz Alyson Pytte Nathanial Reed David & Susan Rockefeller Hugh Rose William & Jan Rutherford Harold Schessler Marti Spiegelman Eleanor Stoddard Jim Stratton & Colleen Burgh John Studebaker Stacy Studebaker & Michael Sirofchuck Jean Tam Lowell Thomas, Jr. Peg & Jules Tileston Delores Van Leeuwen Nancy Wallace Anne Wieland Deborah Williams Ruth Wood & John Strasenburgh

GREAT LAND MONTHLY GIVING CLUB Anonymous (3) Kris Abshire Jane Blackwell Stephen & Carmen Blakely Nathan Borson Marsha Buck

Stephen Charles Stephanie Clark Nancy Cush Kelly Davidson Donald Greenberg Martha Hanns Scott Hed William & Arlene James Maureen Knutsen Carol Lambert Justin Landwehr R. L. Latterell Patrick Lynch Steven Lynch Jeff Mackay Drew McCalley Jesse Meyer Mary Nefedov Connie Nicklin Helen & Gayle Nienhueser Michael O’Leary Catherine & Nathaniel Peimann James & Susan Pfeiffenberger Patricia Polentz Dan Purnell Eliot & Janet Putnam Dan Rase Stella Sargent David Johnston & Cari Sayre Sharon Seim Janice Smith William & Loretta Snyder Scott Specker Jean Tam John & Janet Tangney Peg & Jules Tileston Steven Ungar Rein & Janet VanWest Anne Wilkas & Matthew Jones Danielle & Steve Williams Ruth Wood & John Strasenburgh Scott Zehner

BOARD OF TRUSTEES F i s c a l Ye a r 2 0 1 5 President Jimmy Carter Honorary Chair Jim DeWitt Chair Don May Alaska Vice Chair & Treasurer Kerry K. Anderson National Vice Chair Marilyn Sigman Secretary Rhonda Bennon, At-Large Stacy Studebaker, At-Large Cliff Eames Amy Gulick Lisa Marie Lang Dorothy M. Larson Bill Leighty Nancy Lord Anna Plager Rachael Posey Michelle Ravenmoon Alan Ritchie David Robertson Dorene Schiro Ruth Wood

STAFF Michael Barber, Executive Director Mike Coumbe, Deputy Director Anna Dalton, Grants Manager Kate Gerlek, Director of Finance & Operations Scott Hed, Program Director, Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska Brian McNitt, Tongass Rainforest Program Officer Vicky Parks, Finance & Development Assistant Loren Peterson, Alaska Native Fund Program Manager Amanda Piatt, Philanthropy Manager Anne Remick, Program Officer Lucas Veldhuis, Database Administrator Danielle Williams, Director of Communications For a list of current Trustees and Staff, please visit www.alaskaconservation.org/foundation.

TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT DAVE ROBERTSON

I fell in love with Alaska in 1965 when my wife and I drove the Alcan, unpaved, in a VW Microbus. Since then, Jan and I have made over 70 trips to the state, partly to visit our two kids, who made their homes there with their families, and partly to backpack and hike. One of my favorite trips was back in 1969 when three friends and I were the first to ski from Skagway to Juneau over the Boundary Peak glaciers.

Because Jan and I are familiar with Alaska’s extraordinary topography, we feel passionately about making sure the harvesting of Alaska’s natural resources is done intelligently. That is also why we support ACF so strongly.

In the almost nine years that I’ve been a board member, I’ve observed how, with a small, but professional staff, it raises and deploys money extremely wisely. Beyond just dealing with specific threats, ACF is supporting proactive efforts to help build a large and focused community of advocates.

MICHELLE RAVENMOON

I spent much of my life looking outward, away from my home in Bristol Bay, trying to find my happiness. I finally realized the freedoms and opportunities I have right here.

I live in a profoundly beautiful and powerful unharnessed wilderness. Wild, not just with animals and towering mountains, but also with extreme weather conditions and diverse landscapes. There is no such thing as a fenced in wild. Wild is free, unpredictable, full of wonder and is Alaska’s greatest resource.

I find great joy in living close to the land, growing, harvesting and preserving my own food and also in helping others learn about and appreciate wilderness. While many believe that Alaska should be developed for oil, gold, natural gas and lumber, we need to support those who believe in protecting the freedoms and wonder that Alaska’s natural systems afford us. I serve on the Board of Trustees because of ACF’s commitment to protecting Alaska’s greatest resource, and my greatest happiness.

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ACTIVITY SUMMARY STATEMENT OF REVENUE

FINANCIAL POSITION

Total $4,381,510

June 30, 2015 ASSETS Current assets Investments & other long-term assets Furniture and equipment

$

TOTAL ASSETS Grants to ACF (55%) $2,437,115 Public Support (25%) $1,080,594 Investment Income (10%) $437,141 Other Income (10%) $426,660

EXPENSES Total $4,544,779

1,187,773 8,388,523 9,146 9,585,442

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities Grants and accounts payable

$

219,591

TOTAL LIABILITIES Net Assets Unrestricted net assets Temporarily restricted Permanently restricted

219,591

$

1,869,462 1,896,581 5,599,808

TOTAL NET ASSETS

9,365,851

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

9,585,442

Please note, most of the FY15 loss is attributable to the spending of temporarily restricted funds received in prior years. The loss totals $163,269.

Grantmaking and Other Strategic Support (76%) $3,451,258 Fundraising (12%) $525,778 Administrative (12%) $567,743

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To review the entire FY2015 financial audit as well as prior years’ audits, 990s and annual reports, please visit www.alaskaconservation.org/foundation.

WAYS OF

GIVING

Alaska Conservation Foundation’s work is made possible by the generosity of our donors from Alaska and around the country. Each gift we receive is an investment in our mission and Alaska’s future. We offer a variety of giving vehicles through which you can help protect Alaska, including: Gifts of marketable stock Planned gifts Monthly giving Employer matching gifts EarthShare & Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) #: 12062

TO LEARN MORE Please visit our website at www.alaskaconservation.org/giving, email us at development@alaskaconservation.org or call 907-276-1917.

ACF will not share your name or personal information with other organizations.

Alaska Conservation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Your contribution to ACF may qualify for a tax deduction based on your individual circumstance. ACF’s tax identification number is 92-0061466.

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ANNUAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR

2015 JULY 1, 2014 – JUNE 30, 2015

Alaska Conservation Foundation 911 W. 8th Avenue, Suite 300 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-276-1917 www.alaskaconservation.org

Printed locally on FSC® certified and recycled content paper with soy-based ink.