Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc
"founded in 1945, the j.n. "ding" darling national wildlife refuge consists of nearly 8,000 acres of some of the most unique and ecologically important ecosystems in the world. Budgets continue to decrease, and federal funding does not cover all the needs of this very populated refuge. As a result, the "ding" darling wildlife society - friends of the refuge (DDWS) provides financial support where federal funding falls short. Every year, the visitation to the refuge increases and nearly one million visitors explore these public lands. For nearly 40 years, the DDWS has supported the refuge in areas of education, land acquisition, interpretive signage and exhibits, habitat management, biological studies, water research, and much more.
Key facts about Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc
In short: Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc gave $77K across 4 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 59-2240895
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $77,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 4
- Average grant
- $19,250
- Median grant
- $10,750
- Total assets
- $30,213,047
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (65% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$30.2M
+10.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$77K
+156.7% YoY
Grant Count
4
+300.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-35.8% YoY
How Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc gives
- Giving grew 208% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
About Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc
Based on IRS filings
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Sanibel, FL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $30.2M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 4 grants totaling $77K. Net investment income was $649K.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 4 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2021) to $77K (2025). In 2025 it made 4 grants totaling $77K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was NWRA-National Wildlife Refuge ($50K). Together the top 3 received $71K.
Grant Size Distribution
8 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 7 grants of 8 (88%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NWRA-National Wildlife Refuge Washington, DC | Conserve Wildlife | $50,000 |
| Bailey-Matthews National Shell Sanibel, FL | Donation | $15,000 |
| Misc Organizations | — | $6,500 |
| Everglades Coalition Stuart, FL | Event Sponsorship | $5,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $30,213,047 | $27,398,829 | $22,809,826 |
| Revenue | $3,502,148 | $5,102,598 | $5,613,650 |
| Expenses | $2,104,533 | $2,429,023 | $1,868,474 |
| Net Investment Income | $648,593 | $638,847 | $426,150 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 11, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 31, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 15, 2025)
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc is led by William Harkey, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 14 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William Harkey
President
Board Member → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Marie E. Wildman
Executive Di
Board Member → Executive Di, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$98K (2024) → $157K (2025)
Barbara Bluedorn
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Valerian
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Levinson
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Kindig
Past President
Secretary → President, 2022
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Heiman
Secretary to
Secretary → Secretary to, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Felker
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robin Cook
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stuart Sergeant
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Millar
Vice President
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Birmingham
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marvell Bradley
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hank Spire
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: David Jeffrey (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Phyllis Gresham (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Sarah Ashton (2019–2024) — Past President
- Former: Birgit P. Miller (2019–2023) — Executive Di
- Former: William Millar (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Mike Baldwin (2019–2021) — President
- Former: Richard Yanke (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Robin Kirk (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Brett Gooch (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jen McSoreley (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Mark Banks (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Doris Hardy (2020) — Past President
- Former: Jim Hall (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $157K, to Ann Marie E Wildman (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc
How much does Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc give each year?
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc gave $77K across 4 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $30K across 1 grant.
What is Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc's typical grant size?
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,750, and its average grant was $19,250, across 4 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc give grants?
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc gives mostly in District of Columbia: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (27%).
Does Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 3 grants with a stated purpose on Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
How large is Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc?
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc reported $30.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.5M.
What is Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc?
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc is a public charity focused on Environment & Animals, based in Sanibel, FL. It holds $30.2M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc's EIN?
Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-2240895. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Here's the math on researching Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc by hand.
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