San Diego Bird Alliance

“The form 990 is reviewed by the President, Executive Director, and the Treasurer, and made available for Board review and discussion prior to filing.”

“SDBA Board members review and sign the conflict of interest policy annually to maintain policy awareness, but the major control is that any expenditures, hiring, or other contractual commitments must have SDBA Board approval. One of the checklist items is whether or not this action would be a conflict of interest issue. If an action is deemed to be a conflict of interest issue, the Board does not approve of the action.”

“The President of the Board conducts a performance review of the Executive Director annually. The performance review, salary range information, current SDBA budget, the financial position of SDBA, and the general cost of living index are used to derive a proposed salary increase. The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors shall recommend to the full Board the compensation structure for the Executive Director. The Executive Director facilitates compensation analysis annually using published materials and gathering additional information and recommends compensation adjustments as part of the annual budgeting process, which is reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.”

“The form 990 is available to the public upon request.”

“Fee Based Programs - Bird Festival This program is an annual 3-4 day event with 50 plus education and conservation trips and/or classes. The Education focus includes workshops on topics such as bird identification, photography, drawing, and sounds. The Conservation focus includes field trips and workshops on a range of environmental topics that include visiting coastal National Wildlife Refuges, designated important bird areas, and native habitat restoration. Conservation workshops include seabird conservation, citizen science, and forestry issues. The event attendance is approximately 800 people. These attendees come from the local area as well as across the USA.”

“Sanctuaries - Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary 85 acres along Wildcat Canyon Road in Lakeside, CA were donated to SDBA in 1966 as a nature preserve. Currently the sanctuary has expanded to 785 acres of natural habitat for approximately 30 species of native mammals, 25 species of reptiles, and 160 bird species. Silverwood provides the native habitat that allows the community the opportunity to enjoy the nature preserve through nature hikes and educational events. Over 2000 visitors come to Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary annually. Anstine Audubon Nature Preserve is an 11 acre property located in Northern San Diego County that was donated to SDBA as a permanent Refuge for wildlife and as a resource for the local community to learn about nature, habitat restoration techniques, and wildlife friendly gardening.”

“Grants Education Program - Bring environmental instruction to students throughout San Diego County through field trips and other active hands-on nature experiences. SDBA core education programs include Outdoor Explore, Silverwood Science Discovery, Sharing our Shores, and Anstine Adventures. Collectively we serve nearly 1,442 students and provide 2,289 student visits to nature in addition to 1,021 on campus student interactions throughout San Diego County. Conservation Program Focuses on protecting endangered species and the places that they rely on. This includes habitat management including coastal dune and salt marsh restoration, supporting species recovery with community science programs, participating in conservation planning and environmental advocacy projects, and creating opportunities for the public to learn about, engage with, and actively protect wildlife. Field Trips - SDBA conducts local birding field trips in the community to increase the publics awareness of birds and their native habitat. Local field trips are conducted 3-6 times per month with 10-50 people per field trip. Workshops and Classes - Education classes are conducted in bird identification, native plant gardening and water conservation, and natural habitat. Tabling Events - Members of SDBA are present at key public events with information and guidance for the public on conservation, birding, native habitat, water conservation landscaping, etc. Publications - Sketches is published 6 time per year and distributed to SDBA members as well as provided at no charge at various locations such as local libraries, nature centers, Colleges and Universities, and retail outlets. The publication contains information on conservation issues of concern in the local communities as well as a listing of activities for members and the public to attend in support of SDBAs conservation and educational efforts.”