Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, the Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (FLANWR) participated in outreach and education, land conservation, and habitat restoration. OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONIn 2025, FLANWR hosted 70 events for approximately 14,000 individuals. Programs and events in 2025 included: Ocelot Conservation Day, the Wild Friends Storytime, the Friends Science Series, Bike the Bahia, the Naturally Native Garden Team, the CORE (Consumable Outdoor Recreation) Program, National Public Lands Day, the Rio Grande Birding Festival, the Christmas Bird Count, and participation at community events. Ocelot Conservation DayOcelot Conservation Day is an annual event held in March that is co-hosted by FLANWR and the USFWS that promotes ocelot conservation. This awareness-raising event highlights the ocelot, a small endangered wild cat native to South Texas. Activities included craft stations and information tables where guests may speak with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and other local partners to learn about ocelot biology, research, and conservation.On March 9, 2025, the 21st annual Ocelot Conservation Day was held at the Gladys Porter Zoo. This event, coupled with the Ocelot Run, reached an estimated 3,300 people. This event included booths from partnering organizations, ocelot themed activities, and presentations by ocelot biologists. Partners include the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, American Forests, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Cara Cara Trails, South Texas Astronomy Society, the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, the South Texas Ecotourism Center, Defenders of Wildlife, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Wardens Operation Game Thief Trailer, and the East Foundation. Activities included: pin the tail on the ocelot, ocelot bean bag toss, how far can an ocelot jump, an ocelot dress up station and selfie station, ocelot puzzles, ocelot masks, ocelot face painting, and ocelot button and magnet making. Presentations provided information about ocelots in Texas, ocelot monitoring at Laguna Atascosa NWR and south Texas, thornscrub restoration for ocelots, and ocelots at the Gladys Porter Zoo.Wild Friends StorytimeIn 2025, FLANWR continued the Wild Friends Storytime program. This program features a nature-themed book about wildlife or animals found at Laguna Atascosa NWR followed by a craft and/or nature hike. Events were held monthly at the Laguna Atascosa Visitor Center and the Laguna Vista Public Library. Through grant funding, we were also able to have a book giveaway at each event so participants could have a copy of the book read at the event. In 2025, we hosted 21 events for 107 youth.CORE (Consumable Outdoor Recreation) ProgramThe CORE (Consumable Outdoor Recreation) Program is an outreach program for youth that focuses on the National Wildlife Refuge Systems Big Six areas of outreach, which include: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation. We hosted events throughout the year that focused on these topics, including a hunter education class, a class on how to gut, skin, and quarter an animal, Family Fish Camps that included how to filet and cook fish, and guided hikes.Guided Bike RidesIn 2025, FLANWR hosted 18 guided wildlife bike rides for 119 participants. Guided bike rides are performed at the Steve Thompson Wildlife Drive and the Bahia Grande Unit. The Bahia Grande Unit contains coastal prairie, thornscrub, rare lomas, and the Bahia Grande, one of the largest wetland restoration sites in the United States. This Unit is currently closed to the general public but is accessible by guided tours. This wildlife bike ride provides a great public service by allowing participants to access this Unit of the refuge.Naturally Native Garden TeamIn 2025, FLANWR continued the Naturally Native Garden Team with 5 events that included 34 volunteers. This program is helping revitalize th

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 95.4%; rating input score 95
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -71.7%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.95; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.21; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 24.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings