Form 990 for tax year 2025

Totals

Total revenue

$229,350

Total expenses

$252,151

Contributions and grants received

$229,350

Grants paid

$17,500

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$0

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$216,656

Total liabilities, end of year

$4,070

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$212,586

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$90,731

Management and general expenses

$76,664

Fundraising expenses

$84,756

Program service expenses (Part III)

$90,731

Program services were 36.0% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2025

• School of the Wild Our mission is to awaken an awareness of the wildlife and natural ecosystems in our area, develop an appreciation of the natural world, and encourage a balanced environmental ethic and caretaker attitude concerning the earth. This innovative program partners with local schools to develop curriculum that helps students incorporate academic skills into the natural world. Teachers and School of the Wild staff work together to enhance classroom lessons by providing students the opportunity to practice newly learned skills in a setting outside the classroom. This opportunity not only helps students master basic skills (math, language, social studies, science), taking lessons outside provides a unique opportunity to interact with peers, teachers, and parks. Providing a sense of community that nurtures learning, creativity, and self-esteem. Students use classroom skills to learn new concepts as well as learning about how they are a part of our environment. School of the Wild combines immersive multi-day outdoor experiences with interdisciplinary STEM learning. At School of the Wild, informal educators, such as county naturalists, partner with classroom teachers to provide small-group learning. This differs from traditional field trips where collaboration between informal and formal educators is limited. The program has significant community support evidenced by continued funding and engagement from school district partners. Since 2019, the program has expanded rapidly, more than tripling the number of young people reached across the state. This growth has created a programmatic need for research on ways to prepare educators well (and efficiently) to facilitate informal STEM learning. This need mirrors a critical gap in the literature: how to prepare educators to facilitate engaging and transformative STEM learning in natural spaces. School of the Wild's programmatic reach and the intentional partnering of informal educators with classroom teachers uniquely positions our team to inform research and practice on facilitating learning in natural spaces. Wildlife Programs Gray Fox Research The Gray Fox Project is a collaboration between the Iowa Wildlife Federation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources dedicated to researching, monitoring and conserving one of Iowa's most elusive native mammals. Once common across the state, gray fox populations have declined for more than 25 years, and today, fewer than ten confirmed sightings have been recorded statewide. As their numbers fall, we risk losing not only an iconic Iowa species, but also an important predator that helps balance healthy ecosystems. Across Iowa, native wildlife face increasing pressures, from habitat loss and fragmentation, to changing land use and expanding human activity. The gray fox is especially vulnerable due to its secretive behavior and unique woodland habitat needs. To protect them, we need sound science, field research, and community support. This project uses lightweight tracking collars and camera technology to study how gray foxes live, move, hunt, raise their young, and survive in modern Iowa landscapes. These gentle, minimally invasive techniques are providing the first clear picture of gray fox behavior in decades. Already, the results are extraordinary. One resilient female gray fox, known as GF2, successfully raised six kits on her own in Davis County after losing her mate. Thousands of den-site photos and video clips captured her determination and the everyday challenges these rare foxes face. Trumpeter Swan Restoration Trumpeter swans once thrived in Iowa, nesting in wetlands and waterways throughout the state. The population dwindled for many years due to unregulated hunting and wetland drainage, with the last nesting pair recorded in 1883. But thanks to extensive restoration efforts led by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, more than 5,000 trumpeter swans now winter in Iowa and more than 130 pairs nest across the state. The Trumpeter Swan Society recently released a Swan Activity Book so young wildlife enthusiasts can learn more about these majestic birds. The Iowa Wildlife Federation is proud to partner with Trumpeter Swan Society on the launch of this new book. The fun and educational activity book teaches children all about trumpeter swans and their wetland homes. The book is based on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and is designed for both individual and classroom learning. While much has been done to restore the trumpeter swan population across the United States, the education and conservation efforts of future generations is key to creating opportunities for wildlife to thrive. Certified Wildlife Habitat In a few easy steps, you can make a big difference for local wildlife! Entice pollinators, like hummingbirds and butterflies, by transforming your outdoor space into a sanctuary enjoyed by humans and animals alike. It all starts with the end in mind by creating a plan for the space that you will transform. Through the Certified Wildlife Habitat(R) program, you can work with the National Wildlife Federation and Iowa Wildlife Federation to turn yards, neighborhoods, schoolyards, work landscapes, places of worship, and roadside green spaces into havens for Iowa's wildlife.

  Expenses $90,731 · Grants $17,500 · Revenue $65,855

As filed on the 2025 return.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

• University of Iowa

  $17,500

  Education

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2025

Filed

15 June 2026

IRS schema version

2025v4.0

Source object

202621699349301757

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