Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center
Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center
Want to make a donation using Daffy?
Lower your income taxes with a charitable deduction this year when you donate to this non-profit via Daffy.
Do you work for Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center? Learn more here.
About this organization
Mission
Land Preservation & Education
About
Westcave Preserve School Education Programs - Our primary educational goal for field trip programs is to enhance elementary school science education by offering an extraordinary nature experience while supporting state-mandated learning requirements. Approximately 10,000 schoolchildren each year are provided an exceptional nature experience which allows them to observe, firsthand, the science concepts taught in the classroom. This firsthand experience has a tremendous impact on their ability to understand and to remember lessons taught in the classroom. Schools select field trip topics including The Westcave Story, Animals and Botanical Marvels, and Water: Lifeblood of the Earth. All school field trips are led by dedicated staff and designed for the specific grade level of the visiting class. The education staff is also able to tailor field trips to coincide with science concepts currently being taught in the classroom. Title 1 schools receive a 50% price reduction in program fees for field trips to Westcave Preserve. Public Tours - Westcave has offered weekend public tours since its founding more than 40 years ago. Our expert-guided tours take visitors from an arid savanna through a limestone crevice into a sheltered canyon of lush plant life. At the head of the canyon stands Westcave, with a stunning 40-foot waterfall replenishing the emerald pool below. Guides also provide information on the flora and fauna at the Preserve as well as the hydrology and geology of the preserve and surrounding Hill Country. Blair Woods - Westcave's Blair Woods afterschool program is a key component of a partnership between Westcave, Texas Audubon Society (TAS), the Center for Place- Based Initiatives (CPBI), at the University of Texas' Dell Medical School and Austin ISD to revitalize Blair Woods, a 10-acre nature sanctuary in East Austin owned by TAS. By reviving Blair Woods, this partnership is increasing accessible green space in the heart of East Austin, offering weekly afterschool programs to nearby Sims and Ortega Elementary Schools (Westcave), and providing a resource for the surrounding community (TAS). Both Westcave's afterschool programs, and TAS's community programs launched in October 2017. Sims and Ortega are Title 1 schools with ~90% of students receiving free or reduced rate lunches. Westcave provides 24 weeks of programming each year which focuses on fun and active opportunities for students to connect to the natural world. The program features a rotating theme to give students new topics to explore each week. Our Roadrunner Bus provides all transportation between Blair Woods and the two elementary schools. El Ranchito - El Ranchito provides an extraordinarily fun camping experience for children to learn and begin a lifelong engagement with the natural world. El Ranchito is a program of the Shield Ranch Foundation offered in collaboration with Westcave Outdoor Discovery and El Buen Samaritano. The Shield Ranch Foundation provides the spectacularly beautiful and ecologically diverse private working ranch where the camp takes place; El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission recruits the campers, and Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center has directed programming efforts for El Ranchito since its launch in 2007. El Ranchito serves approximately 100 children and youth from low-income families each summer through two camp programs: Nature Discovery Camp for rising 4th through 9th graders; and Conservation Corps for rising 10th through 12th graders. Each week-long residential Nature Discovery Camp is filled with fun explorations and educational experiences such as horseback riding, swimming in natural swimming holes, stargazing and environmental education including field trips to Westcave Preserve. The 12-day Conservation Corps is centered on helping campers gain life and work skills through participation in conservation projects for which they are paid a modest stipend as well as nature exploration through recreation, environmental education and adventure trips.
Interesting data from their 2020 990 filing
The purpose of the non-profit, as set forth in the filing, is “Land preservation & education”.
When discussing its purpose, they were characterized as: “Land preservation & education”.
- The state in which the non-profit is legally authorized to operate is TX, as reported.
- The filing confirms that the non-profit's address in 2020 was 24814 Hamilton Pool Road, Round Mountain, TX, 78663.
- The form of the non-profit reports 14 employees as of 2020.
- Does not operate a hospital.
- Does not operate a school.
- Does not collect art.
- Does not provide credit counseling.
- Does not have foreign activities.
- Is not a donor advised fund.
- Is not a private foundation.
- Expenses are between $500,000 and $1,000,000+.
- Revenue is between $500,000 and $1,000,000+.
- Revenue less expenses is $29,755.
- The CEO salary plan within the organization is not subject to review and approval by an impartial entity.
- The organization has 21 independent voting members.
- The organization was formed in 1976.
- The organization has a written policy that addresses conflicts of interest.
- The organization is required to file Schedule B.
- The organization is required to file Schedule O.
- The organization pays $600,609 in salary, compensation, and benefits to its employees.
- The organization pays $58,950 in fundraising expenses.
- The organization provides Form 990 to its governing body.
- The organization has minutes of its meetings.
- The organization has a written whistleblower policy.
- The organization has fundraising events.
- The organization's financial statements were reviewed by an accountant.
Additional Non-Profits in the area
By donating on this page you are making an irrevocable contribution to Daffy Charitable Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and a subsequent donation recommendation to the charity listed above, subject to our Member Agreement. Contributions are generally eligible for a charitable tax-deduction and a yearly consolidated receipt will be provided by Daffy. Processing fees may be applied and will reduce the value available to send to the end charity. The recipient organizations have not provided permission for this listing and have not reviewed the content.
Donations to organizations are distributed as soon as the donation is approved and the funds are available. In the rare event that Daffy is unable to fulfill the donation request to this charity, you will be notified and given the opportunity to choose another charity. This may occur if the charity is unresponsive or if the charity is no longer in good standing with regulatory authorities.