Abstract
This year marks the thirty second (32nd) year of formal operation of the American Federation of Aviculture and like all of the previous years, it takes Dollars and Sense to run the organization.
I remember the beginnings of the American Federation of Aviculture, even though they are quite vague (I was only a baby at the time) and have had the privilege to serve as the Chief Financial Officer for almost half of its existence. I have seen a lot of dollars and cents come and go over those years, to be exact four million three hundred twenty one thousand and forty dollars.
A lot of people and even some of our members have asked at times what the business of AFA is that provides the dollars for the operation of AFA. The answer is -AFA is NOT a business, it is a Non-Profit educational organization and as such is involved with conservation, disaster relief, educational conventions, providing a world class magazine to the members, traceable leg bands and various other benefits to the member clubs and individuals (Please refer to pie charts). All of the aforementioned functions of AFA generates out-flow of dollars. The in-flow of dollars comes from the generosity of our membership in the form of donations, various levels of sponsorships, convention attendees, band orders, AFA store patrons, membership dues and faithful magazine advertisers. Most years AFA anticipates breaking even or showing small excess revenue over expenses, although in the bar chart and the annual summary you can see some years have turned negative.
Unlike some very large Non-Profit charities of the past that took ninety percent (90%) of the generous donations received and paid large management expenses leaving only ten percent (10%) to go to the actual charity, AFA has practiced utilizing a 20% sweep of donation dollars to general and administrative expenses leaving eighty percent (80%) to be directly spent on the specified donation. The exception to this has been this last year's donations (2005) received for conservation and disaster relief, where one hundred percent (100%) of the donations have been used or are being held to be used toward the specified donation. The Board of Directors of AFA have decided that starting with this disclosure, in 2006 all donations will use eighty percent (80%) going to the actual donation specified and twenty percent (20%) swept to general and administrative expenses to aid in the overall operation of AFA (Please refer to pie charts). AFA does not receive any government grants or subsidies; in fact AFA gives grants for worthy conservation projects, currently the Red-browned Amazon joint grant project with Laro Parque. AFA is very dependent on the continued generosity of all the membership, clubs and individuals which will enable future funding of worthwhile projects while simultaneously assisting with the overall operation of AFA.
The American Federation of Aviculture has been around and functioning for...