Yellowstone Park Foundation

“The foundation works closely with the outside accounting firm to review the draft and final return prior to its submission to the irs. The finance and audit committee is responsible for reviewing the foundation's form 990 prior to filing. The final return is also provided to the board of directors for review prior to filing the return.”

“A) before the board or committee takes an action on a contract or transaction involving a conflict of interest, a director or committee member having a conflict of interest and who is in attendance at the meeting shall disclose all facts material to the conflict of interest. Such disclosure shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. B) a director or committee member who plans not to attend a meeting at which he or she has reason to believe that the board or committee will act on a matter in which the person has a conflict of interest shall disclose to the chair of the meeting all facts material to the conflict of interest. The chair shall report the disclosure at the meeting and the disclosure shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. C) a person who has a conflict of interest shall not participate in or be permitted to hear the board's or committee's discussion of the matter except to disclose material facts and to respond to questions. Such person shall not attempt to exert his or her personal influence with respect to the matter, either at or outside the meeting. D) a person who has a conflict of interest with respect to a contract or transaction that will be voted on at a meeting shall not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum for purposes of the vote. The person having a conflict of interest may not vote on the contract or transaction and shall not be present in the meeting room when the vote is taken, unless the vote is by secret ballot. Such person's ineligibility to vote shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. For purposes of this paragraph, a member of the board of directors of the foundation has a conflict of interest when he or she stands for election as an officer or for re-election as a member of the board of directors. E) responsible persons who are not members of the board of directors of the foundation, or who have a conflict of interest with respect to a contract or transaction that is not the subject of board or committee action, shall disclose to the chair or the chair's designee any conflict of interest that such responsible person has. With respect to a contract or transaction such disclosure shall be made as soon as the conflict of interest is known to the responsible person. The responsible person shall refrain from any action that may affect the foundation's participation in such contract or transaction. In the event it is not entirely clear that a conflict of interest exists, the individual with the potential conflict shall disclose the circumstances to the chair or the chair's designee, who shall determine whether there exists a conflict of interest that is subject to this policy. F) the entire board and council along with foundation staff are all covered by the yellowstone park foundation conflict of interest policy. The trustee management committee is responsible for annual conflict of interest review.”

“The yellowstone park foundation has a personnel committee, comprised solely of independent directors, none of which have a conflict of interest with respect to the compensation agreement, to be accountable for setting reasonable compensation packages for key employees. The personnel committee develops, consistent with the organization's philosophy and principles, the annual performance goals and criteria to be used in determining merit increases and variable compensation criteria for key employees. The primary criteria used in the evaluation process is budget/revenue achievement, effective leadership as demonstrated by metrics associated with financial stewardship, staff development, cost control, etc. And building and leveraging relationships with key constituencies. Appropriate comparability data is obtained and analyzed for similar job responsibilities in similar organizations, including the 2015 montana non-profit association salary study purchased during the year. The committee's records are documented in the minutes which are approved at the following meeting. This process was last undertaken for the president in 2015.”

“While federal tax laws do not mandate that the organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements be made available for public inspection, the organization makes these documents available upon request. In addition, the annual report is posted on the organization's website.”

“The yellowstone park foundation works in cooperation with the national park service to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources and the visitor experience of yellowstone national park.”

“Visitor experience : every trip made to yellowstone should be as magical as the first. But heavy annual visitation can take its toll on trails, campgrounds, and other park facilities. The yellowstone park foundation supports projects that enhance recreation, safety, and accessibility. - trail and campground rehabilitation - visitor accessibility - volunteer programs - educational wayside exhibits - informal, ranger-led interpretation - website features such as the old faithful webcam and online roving rangers videos - research or outreach to make yellowstone more relevant and accessible to diverse audiences”

“Wildlife, wonders & wilderness : yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states and is an important habitat for several endangered, threatened, and declining species. It is also home to more geysers, hot springs, and other hydrothermal features than the rest of the world combined. The yellowstone park foundation supports projects relating to wildlife, geology, science, ecosystem health, and education to preserve the precious natural resources for which yellowstone is famous. - wildlife research and monitoring projects - fisheries research and restoration - wildlife safety education programs - the greater yellowstone science learning center at greateryellowstonescience.org - geology, paleontology, and microbiology - scientific conferences and workshops - study and protection of hydrothermal features”

“Tomorrow's stewards : yellowstone is one of the world's premier outdoor classrooms, and the park has many experienced, enthusiastic ranger-teachers who conduct award-winning educational programs for children. Yellowstone park foundation support helps enhance these programs and expand their reach in order to promote the understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of yellowstone among the next generation. - young scientist and junior ranger programs for young visitors - scholarships for expedition:yellowstone! - teacher training workshops, and other formal education programs - yellowstone youth conservation corps - electronic field trips at windowsintowonderland.com”

“Other program services: cultural treasures: the yellowstone park foundation supports projects that protect, preserve, research and share information about yellowstone's human past. - curation & preservation of yellowstone's museum collections - archeological surveys & excavations - preservation of treasured landscapes & historic structures ranger heritage : yellowstone rangers have no small job. They are charged with protecting the 2.2-million-acre park's natural resources, as well as the safety of visitors. They need trustworthy equipment, modern technology, reliable transportation, and suitable facilities. The yellowstone park foundation supports projects that promote the effectiveness, safety, and efficiency of rangers, and preserve the rich tradition of rangers in yellowstone. - backcountry operations including stock management - the rehabilitation of historic patrol cabins - museum of the national park ranger - equipment and technology for safety, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations greenest park: the yellowstone park foundation supports projects that reduce yellowstone's ecological footprint, increase operational efficiency, and better preserve enviornmental resources.”