Mission
Providing lifelong sanctuary to non-releasable Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem wildlife while sharing a message of education and conservation.
Ruling year
1986
Executive Director
Gary D Robson
Main address
PO Box 675
Red Lodge, MT 59068 USA
Formerly known as
Beartooth Nature Center
EIN
81-0422009
NTEE code
Wildlife Sanctuary/Refuge (D34)
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs (C60)
Wildlife Preservation/Protection (D30)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Each year, the habitats of humans and animals in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem overlap more deeply as our local population grows and recreation in the area becomes more popular. Encounters between humans and animals in these liminal spaces are often beautiful, inspirational, and harmless, but occasionally, they can be devastating. Animals who are injured by human activity such that rehabilitators determine they are no longer able to return to the wild should be provided with a safe and comfortable place to spend the rest of their days. That is what we do.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Providing sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife
Currently we provide sanctuary to a biodiverse set of over 30 animals representative of the Greater Yellowstone Region. These are animals that could not be rehabilitated or released into the wild and would be euthanized without the devoted staff and supporters of YWS. For the animals that end up in our care, we provide habitats and enrichment programs that lead to fulfilling lives outside of the wild.
Environmental Education
We provide wildlife tours and animal encounters at the sanctuary to children at all grade levels, as well as college students and adults. We also go to classrooms for outreach programs to teach students about native greater Yellowstone ecosystem wildlife and environmental stewardship.
Where we work
Accreditations
American Sanctuary Association (ASA) 2019
Affiliations & memberships
American Sanctuary Association (ASA) 2019
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of animals with freedom to express normal behavior
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Providing sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2018, several non-native turtle species were rehomed with more appropriate organizations so that we could better focus on serving wildlife native to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Number of paid participants of guided tours
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of facilities improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Providing sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Represents new or significantly renovated habitats for each year.
Average daily attendance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Attendance is very seasonal, with summer months seeing an average closer to 100 visitors per day, and in the winter sometimes less than 100 during a whole month.
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We continue to expand our presence on Facebook and use it to notify people of events as well as needs we may have.
Hours of programing delivered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of animals provided with long term care
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Providing sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2018, several non-native turtle species were rehomed with more appropriate organizations so that we could better focus on serving wildlife native to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Number of species in collection
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Providing sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of avoidable deaths determined through the animal welfare reporting procedure
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Providing sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary's main goal is to provide safe, appropriate, and enriching life-long sanctuary to non-releasable wildlife native to the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
The animals in our care also enable us to conduct outreach and education with the goal of nurturing environmental literacy in locals and visitors alike, which will ultimately lead to more responsible use of our wilderness and reduced conflict between humans and wildlife.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We are accredited by the American Sanctuary Association and are constantly working to improve the quality of animal care we can provide.
Our education program reaches thousands of people each year to address conservation issues such as human-wildlife conflict through exposure, conversation, and school programming that is age-appropriate, hands-on and supports teachers in meeting curriculum standards.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We employ highly educated professional staff that ensures our animal care and educational programs are executed in accordance with industry standards and best practices. In 2019, we brought on a dedicated grant writer to support the sustainable expansion of our programs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2019, we achieved accreditation by the American Sanctuary Association.
In 2017 and 2018, the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary has constructed brand-new habitats for raccoons and marmots, and substantially upgraded the coyote habitat. New enclosures for wolves, cranes, and vultures were completed in 2019. We are currently raising funds for new felid habitats, which will replace our current bobcat, lynx, and mountain lion enclosures.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
Board of directorsas of 10/27/2020
Ms. Kim Eder
Kim Eder
Samantha Thomas
Linda Norman
Diane Cassanova
Victoria Porter
Jeremy Battles
Kathy Kenyon
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
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