2015
ANNUAL REPORT EDUCATION & RETREAT CENTER
EXECUTIVE LETTER Dearest Friends, Thank you for all of your support and love of Ghost Ranch! While we saw more than our usual share of challenges in 2015 including losses of friends and Ghost Ranch family members and a major flood that devastated property (but thankfully no loss of life), we also experienced the very generous hearts of so many, including over 400 new donors to the Ranch. • Our scholarship support and community outreach is far-reaching and extensive, including the addition of Holding Courage retreats for regional women with cancer. • Our staff, at all levels, have highly professional experience in their fields. • We experienced for the first time in 2015, very high Trip Advisor ratings. • We served more guests in our programs, group retreats, day education and overnight stays. • We are improving the grounds, facilities and infrastructure in all areas of the Ranch. • We are gearing up for the long-overdue implementation of a new software system for guest registration and property management.
• We are setting up temporary structures and space for the buildings lost in the flood, and have completed a soil study and are in the midst of planning for the flood rebuild and new guest lodging. • We are reviewing new ways forward in governance to operate as efficiently as possible and to balance the budget to eradicate annual deficits. This is a very exciting time to be involved in the legacy of Ghost Ranch. Transitions, growth, generosity and enthusiasm abound and we THANK YOU for being such an integral part of this legacy!
In service and gratitude,
Debra Hepler
Executive Director
Bill Ireland Tom Arenberg Chair, Governing Board Chair, National Ghost Ranch Foundation
ACCOMPLISHMENTS After the Flood On July 7, 2015, a sudden storm raged through Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center resulting in a flash flood that caused over $500,000 in damages. There were no injuries or fatalities. Losses included the Box Canyon aqueduct, the arts and craft buildings of Pot Hollow, Short House, the Pole Barn, the equipment shed, the Low Ropes Course, and the brand new Fiber Arts Studio. Executive Director, Debra Hepler stated that even with the losses, she is grateful beyond words. “While the devastation and loss were extensive, we are blessed with wonderful guests, donors, friends and staff. We’ve received an outpouring of generous offers of financial assistance and help in our recovery from the destruction,” she stated. About the future, Hepler said, “It may seem obvious, but it needs to be said—we will not rebuild in the same area. But we will rebuild and plans are underway.”
Pottery Equipment Donation Thanks to the New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists Association, ceramics and pottery programs will return to Ghost Ranch stronger than ever in 2016 after Pot Hollow was destroyed by last July’s flash flood. So far, the 250-plus-member NMPCA has raised $3,500 of its $10,000 goal for construction after an article about the disaster appeared in Sliptrail, the NMPCA magazine. In addition, NMPCA member Katy Sheridan donated nearly her entire
pottery studio to Ghost Ranch, and NMPCA member Cricket Appel gave the Ranch a gently used electric kiln.
Additionally... 8,000 lbs. of stained glass as well as equipment, work-tables and
other supplies were donated to replace the equipment and supplies lost in the flood.
Infrastructure Improvements • • • • •
New mattresses and bedding for all lodging New roofs on Aspen and Poplar Casa del Sol stabilized and bathrooms renovated Bathrooms renovations in Lower Pavilion, Dining Hall, Cottages and Staff House New vans for guest transportation, new trucks for maintenance, new vans for housekeeping, new bus for tours, new van for food service equipped for catering
• • • • • • •
Lower level Cottage renovations Additional golf carts IT Network Components Additional Heaters New commercial stove and other culinary equipment in Dining Hall Swimming Pool renovation and equipment Convocation Hall foundation reinforced
2015 Program Participant Testimonials “I’ve definitely seen improvements in most all aspects of operations of the Ranch over the last 4-5 years in particular, which improves the guest’s experience.” “Continued inprovements to the infrastructure makes for an improved value.”
ENRICHING LIVES Enrichment through the renewal of faith and relationship with God, from the beauty and expansiveness of the landscape as well as from rich and diverse course offerings; courses designed to expand minds, hearts, creativity and awareness of how to live life more fully and authentically.
Holding Courage Retreat for Women with Recent Cancer Last fall, Ghost Ranch introduced Holding Courage, the first-of-its-kind retreat for women who have recently been diagnosed with cancer. Seven attendees gathered for six rewarding days of sharing, discussion, guided meditation, massage, body and breath work, yoga, and art and music therapy. The program was created and led by Ranch volunteers Deena Talbot and Maureen Fitzgibbon, R.N., who aimed to provide attendees a respite from stress and anxiety and help them maintain self-esteem, stamina and balance during their cancer treatment. Focusing on the 51,000 women with cancer in northern New Mexico, they sought grants, created posters and contacted clinics, hospitals and cancer support groups. Attendees paid on a sliding scale.
Youth Service Corp Some 101 students from seventh through 12th grades learned the meaning of service work and team building by participating in Youth Service Corps at Ghost Ranch in 2015.
”We provided a safe, nurturing environment with love and care to women facing the ultimate challenge – the choice for life,” Talbot, who has led similar programs in her native North Carolina, said. Fitzgibbon has worked with cancer patients at hospitals in the Midwest. Massage therapist Terry Martin donated her services to the women, adding another level of therapy to the experience. Afterward, one attendee wrote, “I now feel that cancer is not the end of the road for me, but a springboard to a more meaningful life.” Ghost Ranch will repeat the program in August 2016.
Teens and pre-teens from six states built a fence, repaired trails and constructed native bee habitats at Ghost Ranch. They also worked at 12 off-ranch sites, including the Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center, the El Rito Library, the Owl Peak Farm in La Madera and the Wildlife Center at Arroyo Seco. They capped off their week with hiking, kayaking, campfires and more. In tallying 1,717 collective hours of community service, they made lengthy leaps in personal growth. “I have learned to value the resources around me and notice the Spirit working around me,” one participant wrote. Said another, “I went further outside my comfort zone than I ever had before.”
6%
8%
37%
6%
11%
12% 23%
20%
2014
GROUPS & MEETINGS
11%
43%
12%
PROGRAM REVENUE
10%
ANNUAL FUND DONATIONS
2015 RETAIL OPERATIONS
TOURS & WRANGLERS
OVERNIGHT STAYS
REVENUE BREAKDOWN EDUCATIONAL TOURS REVENUE: 7,965 PARTICIPANTS 392.2K
301.8K 203K 151.4K
19,521 VOLUNTEER HOURS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR SUCCESS
415 NEW DONORS TO GHOST RANCH
118.1K 52.6K
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
TOURS 44.4K WRANGLER 8.1K
TOURS 97.6K WRANGLER 20.5K
TOURS 132.9K WRANGLER 18.5K
TOURS 147.1K WRANGLER 55.9K
TOURS 170.3K WRANGLER 131.5K
TOURS 175.5K WRANGLER 216.7K
72 JAN TERM STUDENTS 63% INCREASE FROM 2014
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP: Rocky Mountain Youth Corp When the flash flood washed out Ghost Ranch trails to Box Canyon and the Hayden Quarry last July, a crew from the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps quickly rebuilt them, cementing the four-year partnership between the RMYC, Ghost Ranch and the Army Corps of Engineers at Abiquiu Lake. The crew, made up of eight young men aged 17-25, had just built the Hayden Quarry trail earlier in the summer, but they were undaunted. “For many, it is their first employment. The chance to work in and around Ghost Ranch is special,” Leon Natker, RMYC crew coordinator, said. The Ghost Ranch partnership with RMYC was envisioned in 2010. Fund-raising began in 2011, when the College Staff raised funds for trail maintenance to honor Willie Picaro, then ranch’s retiring safety director. In 2012, Ghost Ranch, ACE and RMYC won a grant for trail work from the Youth Conservation Corps. Since then, a joint Ghost Ranch/ACE crew has re-built the lower section of the popular Chimney Rock Trail. RMYC crews have renovated Matrimonial Mesa Trail and reopened access to the Hayden Quarry via Canjilon Creek. This coming summer, RMYC crews will create a 6.3-mile trail from Box Canyon east to the Continental Divide Trail and build a kiosk near the trailhead. Brandon Wert, the grant writer and former College Staff coordinator, said, “Ghost Ranch hiking trails are a primary way guests reconnect with the land, their Creator and one another.”
60 local organizations, schools, clinics, churches, pueblos, associations, and agencies received monetary or in-kind donations from Ghost Ranch in 2015. •
Abiquiu Boys and Girls Club
•
Abiquiu Elementary School
•
Abiquiu Fire Department
•
Abiquiu and Tierra Amarilla Health Clinics
•
Abiquiu and El Rito Libraries
•
Abiquiu and El Rito Studio Tours
•
Abiquiu Northern Youth Project
•
Alcoholics Anonymous
•
Aldo Leopold Foundation
•
Amigos Bravos
•
Archeology Scholarships for Pueblo graduate school students
•
Arroyo Seco Wildlife Center
•
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico
•
Bosque School
•
Catholic Church Confirmation Class Retreats
•
Center for Restorative Programs
•
Community Youth Day Camp at Ghost Ranch
•
Community Youth Swim Lessons at Ghost Ranch
•
Concerts (Bluegrass, Chorale, Mens’ Ensemble, Gospel), 4th of July
•
Fireworks and Lectures at Ghost Ranch, all free to the community
Rio Arriba County Planning and Zoning/New Mexico League of Zoning Officials
•
Dar al Islam
•
Rio Grande Restoration
•
El Mogote Co-op in Canones
•
Rising Stars of the Southwest
•
Escalante High School
•
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps Partnership
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Espanola High School
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San Ildefonso Pueblo
•
Espanola Farmer’s Market
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Santa Clara Pueblo
•
Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center
•
Scholarships for those in financial need and discounts for all Rio
•
4-H of Rio Arriba
•
Food Banks in Northern NM
•
Grazing Program for local ranchers, Espanola to Chama
•
La Madera Owl Peak Farm
•
La Mesa Presbyterian Church
•
Silver Bullet Productions (educational film projects)
•
Luciente-Abiquiu Studio Tour
•
Teens on the Mend and the Little Free Library
•
Luciente-El Rito Studio Tour
•
Tewa Women United
•
MATCH New Mexico (Mentoring and Tutoring Creates Hope)
•
Tierra Amarilla American Cancer Relay for Life
•
Mercado at Ghost Ranch (with local artisans) and Consignment
•
Tierra Amarilla Elementary School
works in Trading Post
•
Walnut Acres Elementary School
•
Monastery of Christ in the Desert
•
Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert
•
Moving Arts Espanola
•
New Mexico Conference of Churches
•
New Mexico Hospitality Association
•
New Mexico Natural Helpers (Student Leadership Program)
•
New Mexico Tourism Department Reading Challenge
•
Ohkay Owinge
•
Pajarito Environmental Education Center
•
Rio Arriba County Fair
•
Rio Arriba County Holiday Party
Arriba County residents for Ghost Ranch workshops •
Science Education Programs for 1,400+ Rio Arriba County children at Ghost Ranch museums, and curriculum for off -site school program
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
1,429 STUDENTS
VISITED THE MUSEUMS
135 LOCAL KIDS
JOINED COMMUNITY DAY CAMP
260 SCHOLARSHIPS
WAYS TO SUPPORT: Each person who visits has a ripple effect around the world. Person by person, Ghost Ranch is making a difference as people take their experiences and build upon them in their own lives and communities. We know you will find Ghost Ranch worthy of your annual support, as we strive to be good stewards of the gifts we receive. Any amount is appreciated. •
To those who have already given, thank you! Please consider an increase in your annual contribution or begin a recurring gift program where the amount you designate will be billed to your credit card monthly.
•
Bequests - Include Ghost Ranch in your estate plans
•
Income Producing Plans - Charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts.
•
Give a gift of appreciated stock or mutual fund.
•
Life Insurance - Name Ghost Ranch as the beneficiary in your life insurance.
•
Employer Matching Gifts - Many employers will match a charitable gifts to qualified organizations.
•
Go online and view our Special Project Donations.
GOVERNING BOARD
Diane Arenberg - Santa Fe, NM
By Virtue of Office
David Burpee - Lincolndale, NY
Tom Arenberg - Milwaukee, WI:
Dietmar Fritsch - Denver, CO
National Ghost Ranch Foundation Chair
Jon Hall - Alexandria, MN
Glen Snider - Safford, AZ & Marci Glass - Boise, ID:
George “Skip” Herbert - Longmont, CO
Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Members
Mark Hostetter - New York, NY Bill Ireland - Venice, CA
Ex-Officio
Charles Jaynes - Albuquerque, NM
Debra Hepler - Abiquiu, NM
Bill Major - Tulsa, OK
Mike Kirk - Louisville, KY
Geoffrey Mather - Albuquerque, NM
Brian Frick - Parkville, MO
Carl Schlich - St. Simon’s Island, GA
Emily Andrews Jubelt - Pacific Palisades, CA: Board Intern
Donald Serrano - Santa Fe, NM Leah Swearingen - San Diego, CA Lawrence Willis - Newport News, VA
GHOST RANCH STATEMENT OF INCOME - Preliminary and Subject to Audit 2015 2014 Operating Revenue Programs $ 1,684,455 $ 1,816,753 Groups & Overnight Stays 1,321,960 1,093,982 All Other Operating Income 1,345,651 1,140,025 Total Operating Revenue 4,352,066 4,050,760 Operating Expenses Facilities, Operations and Guest Services 1,764,027 1,564,604 Food Service & Housekeeping 1,197,514 1,105,474 Programs & Events 954,530 917,225 Other Operating Expenses 585,819 595,265
4,182,567
Total Gross Operating Margin
(149,824)
(131,807)
1,033,963
1,010,023
Other Operating & Administrative Expenses
Net Margin (Loss) from Operations
(1,183,787)
(1,141,830)
Non-Operating Support Annual Fund Contributions 520,087 NGRF - Chimney Rock & Facilities Support 169,194
506,321 148,790
689,281
655,111
Total Non-Operating Support Total Net Margin
$ (494,505) $ (486,719)
Abiquiu Operations Santa Fe Carrying Costs
$ (463,492) $ (436,123) (31,013) (50,596)
Total Net Margin
$ (494,505)
$ (486,719)
2015 FINANCIALS
4,501,890
Total Operating Expenses
GHOST RANCH BALANCE SHEET - Preliminary and Subject to Audit December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Assets Cash Cash & Money Market Funds $154,903 $125,671 Petty Cash and Cash in Process 124, 956 150,017
Total Cash $279,860
2015 FINANCIALS
Investments Long-term Investments held by the Foundation Other Assets Accounts Receivable Inventory and other current assets
Total Other Assets
Fixed Assets
$275,689
420,068
455,470
607 271,101
64,406 222,584
271,708 6,603,873
286,990 5,833,426
$ 7,575,508
$ 6,851,575
Liabilities Amounts due to the Presbyterian Church Other accounts and notes payable Deferred Revenue
$ 3,025,717 139,078 429,359
$ 2,881,146 71,578 208,563
3,594,155
3,161,288
3,183,388 377,897 (112,582) 532,650
3,041,933 192,884 (77,180) 532,650
3,981,353
3,690,287
Total Assets
Total Liabilities
Net Assets Unrestricted Net Assets and Plant Fund Temporarily Restricted Temporarily Restricted-La Bruzza Permanently Restricted-La Bruzza
Total Net Assets
Total Liabilities & Net Assets
$ 7,575,508
$ 6,851,575
NOTES TO 2015 FINANCIALS Included in the $4.8 million annual budget at the Ranch, and the $494,000 deficit, are the following: 1) Successfully grew our operating revenues in 2015 by 7.4% over 2014 as we continue to focus on new sources of revenue and better ways to attract new guests. 2) Continued investment in new positions in Operations, Front Desk and other guest-oriented positions along with focused hospitality training for all staff. 3) Higher food costs per meal as we added new menu items to accommodate guest preferences along with increased meal counts; we served over 104,000 meals in 2015. 4) Incurred higher than expected carrying costs and maintenance of the Santa Fe property. 5) Invested in major capital improvements in 2015 including roofing, improvements to rooms, vehicles and golf carts, wetlands improvements to meet code, and other infrastructure improvements. 6) Incurred severance liability for staff layoffs made in 2015 to balance the 2016 budget.
NGRF IN 2015 NGRF 2015 - Another Year of Growth The mission of the National Ghost Ranch Foundation is to drive fundraising to support current activities, facilities and future needs of Ghost Ranch. Monetary support is a critical element for the long-term sustainability of Ghost Ranch. 2015 was a very successful year. • We exceeded our 2014 results for the Annual Fund as well as long term giving. • We supported operations of the Ranch through the Annual Fund and a portion of the Chimney Rock Fund. • We were able to support the flood relief efforts. • We continued the success of Ghost Ranch raising over $13,000 at the annual auction.
How to support NGRF • NGRF provides many ways to support the Ranch. • Join the Compadres Program with a minimum donation of $250,
• Join a NGRF committee to support our donor stewardship activities, • Donate collectibles, art or other items for the Auction.
• Make a significant contribution to the Annual Fund, a Program or Facility Fund and the Endowment Fund, If you are interested in supporting any of these activities, contact Mary Martinez at marym@ghostranch.org or at 505.685.1005.
NGRF Officers Tom Arenberg - President
Connie Burkhart - Secretary
Manley Olson - Vice President
Connie Brakebill - Member at Large
Michael Crockett - Treasurer
Y O U R T R U E N AT U R E
Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center 280 Private Drive 1708 Abiquiu, New Mexico