Fernbank Inc.

“As stated in the Finance & Audit Committee Charter adopted on August 3, 2006, the Form 990 is reviewed by the Finance & Audit Committee, a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees prior to filing with the IRS. The review was conducted by the Finance Committee. A complete copy of the Form 990 was made available on the Museum's web site and a link was provided to each Board Trustee.”

“A full copy of the Conflict of Interest Statement is provided to each Trustee at the first board meeting of the year. Each Trustee is required to sign an acknowledgement of receipt and return it to the Museum. A control list is maintained to ensure all acknowledgements are returned. The Museum recognizes a conflict of interest as occurring when an interested person defined as any trustee, principal officer or member of a committee with board-delegated powers has a direct or indirect financial interest or compensation arrangement through business, investment or family. Compensation includes direct and indirect remuneration as well as gifts or favors that are substantial in nature. All potential conflicts are reviewed by a committee of the board to determine whether the transaction or arrangement is in the Museum's best interest and for its own benefit and whether the transaction is fair and reasonable to the Museum and shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement in conformity with such determination. If the board committee determines a conflict of interest does exist, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.”

“Compensation for the President/CEO is determined by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. Compensation and benefit information is gathered from human resource consultants pertaining to both museums of comparable size and nature and other regional cultural institutions. The information is reviewed by the Executive Committee and a compensation package is developed and approved. The minutes of the Executive Committee reflect the process observed in determining the compensation arrangement under signed contract through December 31, 2017.”

“All other officers' compensation is determined in a similar process as to that of the President/CEO; however, the process is performed by Human Resources Staff and all other officers are not under contract.”

“The Museum's governing documents including Fernbank's Charter and Articles of Incorporation, its mission statement and strategic plan, ethics policy, collections policy, privacy policy, gift policy, investment policy, endowment policy, conflict of interest policy, whistle blower policy, and finance committee charter are available upon request through the Finance Department at 767 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30307 for a nominal fee. The Museum's audited financial statements and current Form 990 are available on-line through the Museum's web site.”

“Exhibitions and Films: In 2014, Fernbank Museum presented two special exhibitions, Whales: Giants of the Deep and Goose Bumps: The Science of Fear. Additionally, the Museum hosted nearly a dozen films in its IMAX Theatre, including the new films Island of Lemurs, Great White Shark, Pandas: The Journey Home, along with Jerusalem, Galapagos and more. In 2014, Fernbank presented the fifth annual Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World, a festive holiday exhibition which serves as a unique presentation of cross-cultural symbolism bolstered by vibrant enrichment programs on the weekends. Through these interactive exhibits and thought-provoking films, Fernbank introduces visitors to cultures around the globe and highlights important environmental issues facing the world today to encourage a deeper understanding of our planet and the human discourse.”

“Educational Programs: The Museum is committed to offering the highest quality educational programming designed to complement the visitor's experience at the Museum as well as in-school learning. Programs are designed for a variety of audiences including families, children and school children. In 2014, Fernbank Museum offered more than 500 exploratory science classes and delivered enhanced, on-site laboratory and classroom programs to roughly 15,000 of the 60,000 students who visited as part of a field trip. All Museum programs, exhibitions and films are designed to meet or exceed state and national standards, enhancing the curriculum and partnering with teachers to bring science to life through hands-on experiences. Additionally, the Museum presented two signature environmental programs, UrbanWatch Atlanta and City Scientists, serving schools with a focus on students from underserved populations. Fernbank's UrbanWatch program connects middle and high school students with nature and biodiversity through an immersive ecology experience in Fernbank Forest and across the Museum campus. The program focuses on the importance of native plant species, biodiversity and healthy ecosystems providing Title 1 students the opportunity to actively participate in a restoration project on the Museum campus. City Scientists, an after-school program, serves 300 3rd, 4th and 5th graders attending Atlanta's Title I schools. This highly interactive program introduces underserved students to regional ecology, geology and natural history themes, providing them with meaningful challenges in education and the enhanced foundation to perform well in science. For families and children, the Museum offers Excellent Experiments, Tadpole Tales, Live Animal Encounters, Family Exploration Days, Fernbank Forest guided tours and more. These programs provide visitors with new experiences every time they visit, allowing them to delve deeper into themes presented throughout the Museum at age-appropriate levels.”

“Strategic Initiatives: Fernbank's strategic plan calls for the Museum to fulfill on its unique environmental legacy in its preservation and stewardship of Fernbank Forest, as well as how to leverage the entire campus in Fernbank's mission to foster a deeper connection to the natural world. In 2014, the Museum began work to bring the plans identified through its Campus and Forest Stewardship Plans to fruition with necessary preparations for future design and implementation phases. Fundraising efforts continued for support of the restoration of Fernbank Forest and to introduce new guest experiences elsewhere on the campus. These plans will inform longer term initiatives at the Museum.”