Orange Audubon Society Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS, FOCUSING ON BIRDS AND THEIR HABITATS, FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANITY AND THE EARTH'S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY.
- Income
- $305,221
- Spending
- $69,834
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- Over 10 years of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 55%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 315
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover more than ten years of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 77% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 81 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $38,834 spent. CITIZEN SCIENCE, CONSERVATION AND NATURE EDUCATION PROGRAMS: IN FISCAL YEAR 2024-25, ORANGE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC. (ORANGE AUDUBON) CONTINUED TO SERVE ITS MEMBERSHIP OF 2,000 HOUSEHOLDS AND APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BY OFFERING EDUCATIONAL CLASSES, FIELD TRIPS, BIRD SURVEYS, A BIRDING FESTIVAL AND GUEST SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS INCLUDING ONLINE WEEKLY 'BIRD CHATS WITH ORANGE AUDUBON.' CENTRAL TO COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS A MONTHLY 8-PAGE, ILLUSTRATED ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER ANNOUNCING UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, PROVIDING CONSERVATION INFORMATION AND INTERESTING BIRDING ARTICLES, AND THAT IS OPENED BY OVER 65% OF RECIPIENTS. ORANGE AUDUBON ALSO HAD AN OUTREACH PRESENCE AT SIX LOCAL EVENTS. HIRING A HALF-TIME EDUCATION COORDINATOR IN JANUARY 2022 ENABLED ORANGE AUDUBON TO EXPAND ITS REACH, ESPECIALLY TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS, THIS YEAR ENGAGING AND ENTHRALLING APPROXIMATELY 5,000 CHILDREN AND 1,000 ADULTS (IN-PERSON) WITH BIRD-ORIENTED PROGRAMS. AT TITLE I SCHOOLS WITH UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, ORANGE AUDUBON'S EDUCATION COORDINATOR HAS STARTED THREE AFTER SCHOOL BIRDING CLUBS, THE FIRST IN 2022. WITH THE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE RESTORATION AREA BEING A PRIMARY CONSERVATION FOCUS, THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR IS DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDING STEM CURRICULA ALIGNED WITH SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS SUITABLE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. TO BRING IN COLLEGE-AGE PARTICIPANTS, ORANGE AUDUBON HAS PARTICIPATED IN AUDUBON FLORIDA'S CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE PROGRAM (CHAPTER LEADERS PAIRED WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS AS CO-MENTORS) SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION. ORANGE AUDUBON'S YOUNG BIRDERS CLUB (FOR YOUTH AGES 8-17) HAS GROWN SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2021 AND NOW HAS BIMONTHLY FIELD TRIPS. SEVERAL FORMER YOUNG BIRDERS WHO HAVE AGED OUT ARE NOW PURSUING DEGREES IN CONSERVATION AND LEAD FIELD TRIPS. THE FOLLOWING ARE ADDITIONAL MISSION-DRIVEN PROGRAMS: 1) WILDLIFE SURVEYS AND CITIZEN SCIENCE EFFORTS: ORANGE AUDUBON AND ABOUT 100 ORANGE AUDUBON VOLUNTEERS CONDUCTED WILDLIFE SURVEYS ON CITY, COUNTY AND STATE PUBLIC LANDS. SOME OF THESE SURVEYS SUPPORTED EFFORTS BY NATIONAL AUDUBON AND THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY AND OTHERS WERE SPECIFIC TO LOCAL PARKS AND PRESERVES, SET UP TO PROVIDE BIRD POPULATION DATA TO LAND MANAGERS. THESE INCLUDED CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS; THE 4TH OF JULY BUTTERFLY COUNT; AUDUBON FLORIDA'S EAGLEWATCH AND JAY WATCH PROGRAMS; CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY'S BACKYARD BIRD COUNT, FEEDERWATCH AND NESTWATCH PROGRAMS. ORANGE AUDUBON PROMOTED PARTICIPATION IN A NOW INTERNATIONAL BIOBLITZ USING THE INATURALIST PHONE APP, CALLED THE CITY NATURE CHALLENGE. BIRD SURVEYS HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT BY ORANGE AUDUBON VOLUNTEERS FOR MANY YEARS, BUT A NEW SERIES WAS STARTED IN 2019 WITH MONTHLY SURVEYS AT WEKIWA SPRINGS STATE PARK TO DOCUMENT THE INCREASE IN BIRDS AS A RESULT OF THE PARK'S PRESCRIBED BURNING PROGRAM. SURVEYS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE QUARTERLY SURVEYS AT OAKLAND NATURE PRESERVE AND ROCK SPRINGS RUN STATE RESERVE, AND IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, ORANGE AUDUBON INITIATED MONTHLY SURVEYS AT THE APOPKA BIRDING PARK AND ON THE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE. DATA ON WILDLIFE POPULATIONS PROVIDES CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT ENABLES LAND MANAGERS TO MAKE BETTER-INFORMED DECISIONS, THEREBY ENHANCING THE ABILITY OF BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE. ORANGE AUDUBON'S BIRD SURVEYS WELCOME PARTICIPATION BY ALL, CREATE ENGAGEMENT AND HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT 100 VOLUNTEERS INTO THE ORANGE AUDUBON FOLD. ORANGE AUDUBON PARTICIPATED IN THE IDEAL (INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESS, AND LEADERSHIP) PROGRAM, SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL AUDUBON, WHICH SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO DRAW PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES AND ETHNICITIES, REPRESENTATIVE OF LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS, INTO COMMUNITY SCIENCE ACTIVITIES. BINOCULAR GRANTS: THE IDEAL PROGRAM, AN EARLIER DIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAM FROM NATIONAL AUDUBON AND COLLABORATIVE GRANTS FROM NATIONAL AUDUBON ALLOWED PURCHASE OF EXCELLENT CHILD-SIZED BINOCULARS, WHICH ALLOWED OUR EDUCATION COORDINATOR TO IMPLEMENT SCHOOLYARD BIRD SURVEYS WITH THE AFTER SCHOOL BIRDING CLUBS. SCHOOLYARD BIRD SURVEYS ARE AN ACTIVE LEARNING STEM ACTIVITY AND AN UNIQUE PROGRAM MADE POSSIBLE BY THE BINOCULARS, SKILL AND INTEREST OF THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR, AVAILABILITY OF SKILLED VOLUNTEERS, AND GROUNDWORK LAID IN THE AFTER SCHOOL BIRDING CLUBS. WITH EXPERIENCE GAINED THROUGH THE SMALL AFTER SCHOOL BIRDING CLUBS, THE COORDINATOR AND VOLUNTEERS FACILITATED A CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT FOR ALL GRADES AT THE FIRST SCHOOL SHE HAD WORKED WITH, ZELLWOOD ELEMENTARY, AND WITH THE AGRICULTURAL CLASSES OF WOLF LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL. AN EXTENSION OF THE SCHOOLYARD BIRD SURVEYS IS AN EMPHASIS ON IMPROVING SCHOOLYARD HABITATS THROUGH NATIVE PLANT GARDENING. THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR WORKED WITH THREE SCHOOLS ON HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.2) WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION CLASSES: ORANGE AUDUBON OFFERED TWO BEGINNERS' BIRD WATCHING CLASSES, TEACHING BASIC IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUES AND ETHICAL FIELD PRACTICES; AN INTERMEDIATE BIRD IDENTIFICATION CLASS ENABLING PARTICIPANTS TO BUILD ON AND SHARPEN SKILLS LEARNED IN BEGINNERS' CLASSES; AND TWO BIRDS OF PREY IDENTIFICATION CLASSES ENABLING PARTICIPANTS TO IDENTIFY RAPTORS USING A HOLISTIC APPROACH. IN A DRAGONFLY IDENTIFICATION FIELD TRIP, PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ABOUT FLORIDA'S NATIVE DRAGONFLY SPECIES.AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM BY FLIGHT PATTERNS AND HABITAT 3) FIELD TRIPS: DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ORANGE AUDUBON LED 31 LOCAL AND 3 OVERNIGHT FIELD TRIPS THAT INTRODUCED PARTICIPANTS TO THE DIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STATE PARKS, PRESERVES AND RESERVES. OVERNIGHT TRIPS WERE A WINTER TRIP TO GAINESVILLE BIRDING HOTSPOTS AND SPRING MIGRATION TRIPS TO FORT DE SOTO PARK IN ST. PETERSBURG AND THE RED HILLS REGION OF TALLAHASSEE AND ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.-THE LATTER TRIP INCLUDED TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH STATION WHERE PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ABOUT LAND STEWARDSHIP AND FIRE ECOLOGY NECESSARY F
- $14,542 spent. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ECOTOURISM ON THE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE: ORANGE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC. (ORANGE AUDUBON) PROMOTES THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIRDING ECOTOURISM AS A MEANS OF HELPING TO CONSERVE THE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE (NORTH SHORE) RESTORATION AREA, A GLOBALLY IMPORTANT BIRD AREA. NATURE CENTER ON LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE: ORANGE AUDUBON IS STRIVING TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF PROGRAM SERVICES PROVIDED TO FURTHER ITS CONSERVATION AND NATURE EDUCATION MISSION WITH ITS OWN NATURE CENTER, AN EFFORT STARTED AS EARLY AS THE 1970S. A LOCATION ON THE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE WAS ENVISIONED AS EARLY AS 2001, AND THE CURRENT SITE, SURPLUSED BY THE ST.JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO THE CITY OF APOPKA IN 2018, HAS BEEN ORANGE AUDUBON'S FOCUS SINCE 2016. IN MARCH 2024, ORANGE AUDUBON SECURED A LONG-TERM GROUND LEASE ON THE 69.5-ACRE FORMER GREENHOUSE NURSERY SITE . ON THE PROPERTY, ORANGE AUDUBON WILL CONVERT AN ABANDONED CEMENT-BLOCK BUILDING INTO A LOW-CARBON, SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL VISITOR'S CENTER WITH SURROUNDING HABITAT OF NATIVE PLANTS, BIRDWATCHING OBSERVATION SITES, AND WALKING TRAILS. BRINGING THE NATURE CENTER PROJECT TO FRUITION WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT BIRDS, OTHER WILDLIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WILL ALSO ENRICH THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY AND VISITORS FROM AROUND THE NATION AND THE WORLD. THREE VOLUNTEER WORKDAYS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR ATTRACTED 82 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING 40 FROM THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY DEMONSTRATING STRONG, DIVERSE ENGAGEMENT. THESE EFFORTS ARE TRANSFORMING A FORMER NURSERY INTO A BIODIVERSE LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SPACE, UNITING CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY. SINCE TO DATE ALL ORANGE AUDUBON PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN RUN BY VOLUNTEERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS RUN BY A PART-TIME EDUCATION COORDINATOR SINCE 2022, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATURE CENTER WILL NECESSITATE A PAID CENTER DIRECTOR AND POSSIBLY OTHER STAFF, AND PART OF ORANGE AUDUBON'S CURRENT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE NATURE CENTER INVOLVES A PROGRAMS/OPERATIONS BUDGET. TO SHOWCASE THE 20,000-ACRE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE'S RICH BIRDLIFE AND NATURAL HABITATS, AND TO DEMONSTRATE ITS ECONOMIC VALUE AS A BIRDING "ECOTOURISM" DESTINATION AS DEFINED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ECOTOURISM: "RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL TO NATURAL AREAS THAT CONSERVES THE ENVIRONMENT AND IMPROVES THE WELL-BEING OF LOCAL PEOPLE," IN 2016 ORANGE AUDUBON BEGAN A BIRDING EVENT NOW KNOWN AS THE NORTH SHORE BIRDING FESTIVAL (NSBF). THE NSBF ATTRACTED APPROXIMATELY 400 PARTICIPANTS AND LEADERS FROM 18 STATES (INCLUDING 60+ FLORIDA CITIES) AND CANADA, WHO TRAVELED TO CENTRAL FLORIDA TO ENJOY THE NATURAL WONDERS OF THE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE. NSBF PARTICIPANTS BOOSTED THE LOCAL ECONOMY, LEARNED THE HISTORY OF THE NORTH SHORE'S ECOLOGICAL DECLINE THAT LED TO ITS ACQUISITION BY FLORIDA TAXPAYERS AND CURRENT RESTORATION EFFORTS, AND WERE INTRODUCED TO THE INCREASINGLY POPULAR LAKE APOPKA WILDLIFE DRIVE AND CENTRAL FLORIDA'S LESS WELL-KNOWN AREAS, THEREBY HELPING TO FULFILL ORANGE AUDUBON'S CONSERVATION AND NATURE EDUCATION MISSION. SECURING AND MAINTAINING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE NORTH SHORE: ORANGE AUDUBON HAS BEEN INTERESTED IN SECURING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE 20,000-ACRE LAKE APOPKA NORTH SHORE FOR BIRDING AND OTHER NATURE PURSUITS, SINCE 1998-99 WHEN FLORIDA TAXPAYERS ACQUIRED FORMER FARM FIELDS TO RESTORE WATER QUALITY IN LAKE APOPKA..A BIRD PESTICIDE-KILL IN WINTER 1998-99 PUT HOPES OF QUICK PUBLIC ACCESS ON HOLD, BUT AS PESTICIDE RESIDUES WERE REMEDIATED, ORANGE AUDUBON COLLABORATED WITH ORANGE COUNTY TO RAISE PUBLIC INTEREST THROUGH A FAMILY-FOCUSED BIRDING FESTIVAL FROM 2013-17. THE INCREASED INTEREST LED ORANGE AND LAKE COUNTIES TO DEVELOP A HIKING/CYCLING TRAIL ALONG THE MAIN LEVEE SEPARATING THE LAKE FROM THE FORMER FARM FIELDS.IN 2015 THE ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SJRWMD), WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE NORTH SHORE, SWITCHED TO A REDUCED, 4-DAY WORK WEEK THAT ENABLED THE 11-MILE LAKE APOPKA WILDLIFE DRIVE (LAWD) TO BE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON FRIDAYS, WEEKENDS AND SOME FEDERAL HOLIDAYS. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRDING AND OPEN SPACE TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, ORANGE AUDUBON STEPPED UP ITS EFFORTS TO SHOWCASE LAWD THROUGH A DEDICATED FACEBOOK PAGE AND OTHER PUBLICITY, LAUNCHED THE NORTH SHORE BIRDING FESTIVAL USING THE 2013-17 FAMILY-ORIENTED FESTIVAL AS A SPRINGBOARD, AND SPONSORED A MYRIAD OF OTHER PURSUITS ON THE NORTH SHORE AND LAWD. BY MARCH 2020, VISITATION TO LAWD HAD GROWN TO ABOUT 150,000 PER YEAR AND DEMANDS FROM THE INCREASED POPULARITY AND LIMITS OF SJRWMD STAFFING LED TO ORANGE AUDUBON TAKING CHARGE OF A PROPOSED LAKE APOPKA AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS GIVING UP ABOUT FOUR HOURS ONE WEEKEND PER MONTH TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO VISITORS . SINCE THE JULY 2020 ROLLOUT OF THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, ORANGE AUDUBON VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN GREETING VISITORS TO LAWD, AN EFFORT THAT GREATLY RELIEVES THE BURDEN OF SJRWMD AND ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE OF VISITORS. AMBASSADORS VOLUNTEERED COLLECTIVELY OVER 500 HOURS AND COLLECTED DONATIONS THAT ARE THEN USED FOR AMENITIES ON LAWD. VISITORS REPRESENT AN INCREASING ETHNIC DIVERSITY FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY PLUS OUT-OF-STATE AND FOREIGN VISITORS THAT BRING ECOTOURISM INCOME TO THE LOCAL AREA.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.