ZooMontana reports first annual profit since 2009 – Billings Gazette

In what officials hope is a sign of things to come, ZooMontana expects to report a profit for the first time in years on Monday when its 2012-13 fiscal year ends.

“It has really been an unbelievable summer,” said Jeff Ewelt, the zoo’s executive director. “It’s really been all good.”

As of Sept. 26, the zoo reported an income of about $889,000, up about $25,000 from last year. Through increased income and cutting expenses, the zoo expects to turn a profit of about $86,000.

Last year at the same time, the zoo reported a shortfall of $155,000. Until this year, the zoo hadn’t finished in the black since the 2008-09 fiscal year.

Ewelt said numerous factors played into the year’s strong finish — increased attendance, more donations, a bump in special events — but that it really all comes down to public trust and showing real, tangible and visible improvement.

“People are believing in the zoo again,” he said. “They’re trusting in the zoo because, I hope, they can see where their money goes.”

In spring 2011 the zoo faced closure and embarked on a furious three-week fundraising campaign in the community, which raised $500,000 just to keep it open.

Soon after, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums pulled ZooMontana’s accreditation due in large part to a lack of financial stability. Due to the lack of accreditation, it lost three grizzly bear cubs and the Philadelphia Zoo took back two of three Siberian tigers over similar concerns.

Since, the zoo has embarked on a whirlwind of work that included bringing Ewelt in, expanding the board of directors, new exhibits and significant improvements to its grounds, all while working to shore up stable, long-term funding.

Ewelt pointed to this year’s numbers as proof that the zoo is on the right track. For the 2012-13 year, it brought in about $230,000 in unrestricted contributions, up $109,00 from last year.

During that same time, admission numbers are up in all categories, bringing in $8,000 more than in 2012. Memberships, an area where Ewelt would like to see improvement, were up about $4,000.

Grants increased by $50,000 for the year while special-events revenue — from weddings, rentals and other large events — saw an $85,000 bump from last year.

Expenses also were up a bit from last year, with a $15,000 increase. That includes $50,000 more in salaries, due mostly to new hires over the last year. Signage expenses also increased, as the zoo is in the process of updating signs and maps across the grounds.

However, a $26,000 drop in its advertising budget and the jump in income more than balanced out those expenses and Ewelt said it all comes back to a better relationship with the public.

“Everything goes back to the zoo being in the public eye,” he said. “It’s a place to come, have a good time with the family. Every time they come out here, they see something new or something that’s been done by us.”

In late summer, the zoo unveiled the habitat for its newest bigger animal, a Canada lynx named Fierca, who went on display at the same time. The zoo has added numerous animals and exhibits to the Living Wall feature inside the main building.

Since January, volunteers have provided 4,407 hours of work at no cost — the national hourly value is about $22 per hour, meaning the work at the zoo could be valued at nearly $100,000 — and that doesn’t count time from large church, school and business groups that contributed hundreds more hours.

While numbers from past years weren’t available, zoo officials said the volunteer hours this year significantly topped previous years as well and show that the community has a renewed interest in ZooMontana.

As the fall and winter months, typically the slow time of year at the zoo, approach, the goal is now to focus on shoring up an updated master plan and continue establishing stable, long-term finances.

Gary Geddes, director of the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash., and the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, Wash., has been acting as the zoo’s AZA mentor and paid a visit over the summer.

Ewelt said the visit went well and that Geddes said the next step is to have a solid, new master plan. The zoo will reapply for AZA accreditation next year at the earliest.

Ewelt also wants to begin working more with the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Billings and Yellowstone County to make the zoo more a destination spot and a benefit and point of pride for the region.

“Imagine if we could get 1 million people to come through here each year,” he said. “That’s a lot of people, but it’s not impossible.”

Another goal is to start work to finance a planned 20-plus-acre High Plains exhibit that would display the history of the region dating back thousands of years and include animals such as bison.

The first step is developing a capital campaign to raise as much as $1 million to get started.

“We’ve asked for a lot of patience from the community,” Ewelt said. “We’ve gotten a lot accomplished in the last two years, but we’ve still got a long ways to go.”