| Part VI, Section A, Question 11b |
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. 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. |
| Part VI, Section B, Question 12c |
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, indicates any potential conflicts of interest, and returns 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. |
| Part VI, Section B, Question 15a |
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. |
| PART VI, SECTION B, QUESTION 15B |
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. |
| Part VI, Section C, Question 19 |
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, document retention 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. |
| Form 990, Part III, Question 4a |
Exhibitions and films: In 2016, Fernbank Museum presented three special exhibitions - Wild Music, Creatures of Light: Natures Bioluminescence and The Worlds Largest Dinosaurs. Additionally, the Museum hosted several films in the IMAX Theatre, including A Beautiful Planet, Dinosaurs Alive, National Parks Adventure, Wild Africa, The Search for Life in Space and Wonders of the Arctic. In 2016, Fernbank also presented its seventh annual Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions from Around the World, a festive holiday exhibit which serves as a unique presentation of cultural celebrations and traditions bolstered by vibrant enrichment programs on the weekends. Through these interactive exhibits and thought-provoking films, Fernbank continued to introduce visitors to cultures around the globe and highlight important environmental issues facing the world today to encourage a deeper understanding of our planet and the human discourse. |
| Form 990, Part III, Question 4b |
Educational Programs: The Museum is committed to offering the highest-quality educational programming designed to complement the visitors experience at the museum as well as through in-school learning. Programs are designed for a variety of audiences at all stages of life, including adults, families, and school children. In 2016, Fernbank offered more than 500 exploratory science classes and delivered enhanced, on-site laboratory and classroom programs to roughly 14,000 of the 48,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students who visited as part of a field trip. All museum programs, exhibits and films are designed to meet or exceed state and national standards, enhancing the classroom experience and bringing science to life through hands-on experiences. One of Fernbanks most innovative on-site programs is Urban Watch Atlanta, a 4-hour hands-on environmental science program for middle and high school students that provides a guided ecological hike, hands-on activities and restoration work in the 65-acre old-growth Fernbank Forest. Fernbanks educators served 593 students in 2016 alone. Additionally, the Museum presented its signature after-school program, City Scientists, serving schools with a focus on students from underserved, low income populations. City Scientists served 250 3rd, 4th and 5th graders attending Atlantas Title 1 schools in 2016. This highly interactive program introduces students to ecology, geology, archaeology and a variety of other natural history themes, providing them with meaningful experiences in education and providing them with a foundation to perform well in science. Fernbank also reached 400 underserved preschool and pre-K students through the Grow Up Great program that provides integrated art and science programming, including customized field trip opportunities, in-classroom experiences and science resource kits for families and teachers. For families and children, the Museum offered Excellent Experiments, Tadpole Tales, live animal encounters, family exploration days, guided Forest walks and more. These programs provided visitors with new experiences with each visit, allowing them to delve deeper into themes presented throughout the museum at age-appropriate levels. |
| Form 990, Part III, Question 4c |
Strategic Initiatives: Fernbanks strategic plan called for the Museum to fulfill its unique environmental legacy in its preservation and stewardship of Fernbank Forest--the largest old-growth Piedmont forest in a major metropolitan area--by leveraging the entire campus to foster a deeper connection to the natural world. In 2016, the Museum debuted WildWoods, a 10-acre outdoor nature experience featuring paths, elevated walkway, tree pods, exhibitions and an education pavilion that serve as the museums new interpretive entrance into Fernbank Forest. This successful vision to unite the indoor and outdoor museum experiences marked a transformational year for Fernbank, providing guests a seamless and robust exploration of natural history. |
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.