BIOSPHERE EXPEDITIONS INC: Form 990EZ, tax year 2013
View the entire original 990 at ProPublica ↗
- Organization
- BIOSPHERE EXPEDITIONS INC (EIN 72-1614948)
- Tax period
- 2013-01-01 to 2013-12-31
- Filed
- 2014-04-22
- IRS object ID
- 201421139349200302
- Schema version
- 2013v3.0
- Source
- Download XML · Original 990 at ProPublica
Every field in the e-filed return. Faint text is the IRS element name, for citing.
Return header ReturnHeader
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Return | 2014-04-22T16:52:55-07:00 | ReturnTs |
| Tax Period End | 2013-12-31 | TaxPeriodEndDt |
| Return Type | 990EZ | ReturnTypeCd |
| Tax Period Begin | 2013-01-01 | TaxPeriodBeginDt |
Filer Filer
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| EIN | 721614948 | EIN |
Business Name BusinessName
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | Biosphere Expeditions Inc | BusinessNameLine1 |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Control | BIOS | BusinessNameControlTxt |
| Phone | 4078696900 | PhoneNum |
US Address USAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | Post Office Box 917750 | AddressLine1 |
| City | Longwood | City |
| State | FL | State |
| ZIP Code | 327917750 | ZIPCode |
Business Officer BusinessOfficerGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Person | Alan Hoffberg | PersonNm |
| Person Title | Chairman/Treasurer | PersonTitleTxt |
| Phone | 4078696900 | PhoneNum |
| Signature | 2014-04-22 | SignatureDt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | 2013 | TaxYr |
| Build TS | 2015-11-30 17:44:51Z | BuildTS |
Form 990-EZ IRS990EZ
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Method Of Accounting Accrual | Yes (X) | MethodOfAccountingAccrualInd |
| Schedule B Not Required | Yes (X) | ScheduleBNotRequiredInd |
| Website Address | biosphere-expeditions.org | WebsiteAddressTxt |
| Organization501c3 | Yes (X) | Organization501c3Ind |
| Type Of Organization Corp | Yes (X) | TypeOfOrganizationCorpInd |
| Gross Receipts | $15,354 | GrossReceiptsAmt |
| Info In Schedule O Part I | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartIInd |
| Contributions Gifts Grants Etc | $15,170 | ContributionsGiftsGrantsEtcAmt |
| Program Service Revenue | $184 | ProgramServiceRevenueAmt |
| Membership Dues | $0 | MembershipDuesAmt |
| Investment Income | $0 | InvestmentIncomeAmt |
| Sale Of Assets Gross | $0 | SaleOfAssetsGrossAmt |
| Cost Or Other Basis Expense Sale | $0 | CostOrOtherBasisExpenseSaleAmt |
| Gain Or Loss From Sale Of Assets | $0 | GainOrLossFromSaleOfAssetsAmt |
| Gaming Gross Income | $0 | GamingGrossIncomeAmt |
| Fundraising Gross Income | $0 | FundraisingGrossIncomeAmt |
| Special Events Direct Expenses | $0 | SpecialEventsDirectExpensesAmt |
| Special Events Net Income Loss | $0 | SpecialEventsNetIncomeLossAmt |
| Gross Sales Of Inventory | $0 | GrossSalesOfInventoryAmt |
| Cost Of Goods Sold | $0 | CostOfGoodsSoldAmt |
| Gross Profit Loss Sls Of Invntry | $0 | GrossProfitLossSlsOfInvntryAmt |
| Other Revenue Total | $0 | OtherRevenueTotalAmt |
| Total Revenue | $15,354 | TotalRevenueAmt |
| Grants And Similar Amounts Paid | $4,035 | GrantsAndSimilarAmountsPaidAmt |
| Benefits Paid To Or For Members | $0 | BenefitsPaidToOrForMembersAmt |
| Salaries Other Comp Empl Bnft | $0 | SalariesOtherCompEmplBnftAmt |
| Fees And Other Pymt To Ind Cntrct | $0 | FeesAndOtherPymtToIndCntrctAmt |
| Occupancy Rent Utlts And Maint | $0 | OccupancyRentUtltsAndMaintAmt |
| Printing Publications Postage | $62 | PrintingPublicationsPostageAmt |
| Other Expenses Total | $1,364 | OtherExpensesTotalAmt |
| Total Expenses | $5,461 | TotalExpensesAmt |
| Excess Or Deficit For Year | $9,893 | ExcessOrDeficitForYearAmt |
| Net Assets Or Fund Balances BOY | $5,460 | NetAssetsOrFundBalancesBOYAmt |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $0 | OtherChangesInNetAssetsAmt |
| Net Assets Or Fund Balances EOY | $15,353 | NetAssetsOrFundBalancesEOYAmt |
| Info In Schedule O Part II | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartIIInd |
Cash Savings And Investments CashSavingsAndInvestmentsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $4,938 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $14,223 | EOYAmt |
Land And Buildings LandAndBuildingsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $0 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $0 | EOYAmt |
Other Assets Total Detail OtherAssetsTotalDetail
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $780 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $1,130 | EOYAmt |
Form990 Total Assets Form990TotalAssetsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $5,718 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $15,353 | EOYAmt |
Sum Of Total Liabilities SumOfTotalLiabilitiesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $258 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $0 | EOYAmt |
Net Assets Or Fund Balances NetAssetsOrFundBalancesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $5,460 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $15,353 | EOYAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Info In Schedule O Part III | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartIIIInd |
| Primary Exempt Purpose | Biosphere Expeditions is an international non-profit wildlife volunteer organization, founded in 1999, that runs conservation expeditions aka conservation holidays for environmental volunteers all across the globe. This encompassing term, we believe, is a fair reflection of our mission. We hope with our conservation expeditions to make a small but significant difference to our biosphere and at the same time bring enjoyment and fulfillment to our environment volunteer teams. We do not run tours or just wildlife/conservation holidays, but organize real conservation expeditions that have a real biological conservation content and thus come with a "feel-good" factor for our wildlife volunteers, who can be secure in the knowledge that they not only had an exciting conservation holiday with a purpose, but also a productive time in conserving part of our global natural heritage. | PrimaryExemptPurposeTxt |
Program Srvc Accomplishment ProgramSrvcAccomplishmentGrp (17 entries)
| Description Program Srvc AccomDescriptionProgramSrvcAccomTxt | Grants And AllocationsGrantsAndAllocationsAmt | Foreign GrantsForeignGrantsInd | Program Service ExpensesProgramServiceExpensesAmt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data collected by our expeditions in Namibia have helped our local and international partners make arguments that have led to the declaration of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Data collected by our expeditions in the Ukraine have helped our local partners make arguments that have led to the declaration of a national park in the Ukraine. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Data collected by our expeditions in the Altai have helped our local and international partners make arguments that have led to the declaration of a protected area in the Altai Republic, Central Asia. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| When Australia created the world's largest network of marine reserves in 2012, the Roebuck Commonwealth Marine Reserve, site of our flatback turtle study, was part of the network. Along with our local partners, we were working towards getting flatback turtles listed within the 'major conservation values' of the reserve and this is what happened, with the citation being 'Foraging area adjacent to important nesting sites for flatback turtles'. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| We played an active role in saving 50 wolves from being declared legitimate hunting targets in the Bieszczady mountains in Poland. This was achieved by providing accurate information on the predator numbers and by influencing the local authorities who reversed their decision to cull wolves. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Our guidelines for boat behavior at clay licks in the Tambopata Reserve have been incorporated in local management plans. Guidelines are needed because unsustainable forms of farming, logging and tourism are threatening the natural habitat in the Peruvian Amazon. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Our recommendations for the management and protection of jaguars have been incorporated into national and state-wide jaguar action plans in Brazil's Atlantic rainforest. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Our recommendations for the management and protection of the coral reefs of the Musandam peninsula in Oman have led to the Omani Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' (MoAF) decision to prohibit the use of all kinds of nets and cages, and any other fishing equipment, except handlines. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Our recommendations for the management and protection of the coral reefs of the Cayos Cochinos marine protected area in Honduras have been incorporated into the managing authorities' action plan. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Our recommendations for the management of Arabian oryx and Gordon's wildcat have been incorporated into the action plan of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Together with our partners in Spain, we helped to reverse EU high altitude carcass removal regulation, which was designed to combat the spread of BSE, but was starving high mountain vultures and bears. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Together with our partners in Peru, we were able to halt a dam construction project, which was threatening a biodiversity hotspot in our Madre de Dios study site region in the Peru Amazon region. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| We have constructed three research stations and have helped to create local jobs and capacity all over the world. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| All over the world, we have produced and distributed information and educational materials to local children and adults, about the importance of wildlife, natural resources and how to protect them and their livelihoods. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| We have hosted local staff, rangers, students and other people on our expeditions as part of our comprehensive placement programs and have involved local communities in all our expedition locations, creating livelihoods and non-destructive, sustainable jobs in the process. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| We have published numerous scientific reports and research papers, disseminating information amongst the scientific community. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| We have won a multitude of awards & accolades and have published hundreds of press articles, radio and TV programs, creating awareness locally and internationally. | $0 | Yes (X) | $0 |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Program Service Expenses | $0 | TotalProgramServiceExpensesAmt |
Officer Director Trustee Empl OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp (3 entries)
| TitleTitleTxt | Average Hrs Per Wk Devoted To PosAverageHrsPerWkDevotedToPosRt | CompensationCompensationAmt | Employee Benefit ProgramEmployeeBenefitProgramAmt | Expense Account Other AllwncExpenseAccountOtherAllwncAmt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan M Hoffberg | ||||
| Director Chairman | 3 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Dr Mathias Hammer | ||||
| Director President | 50 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Katherine Gill | ||||
| Director Secretary VicePresident | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Activities Not Previously Rpt | 0 | ActivitiesNotPreviouslyRptInd |
| Chg Made To Orgnzng Doc Not Rpt | 0 | ChgMadeToOrgnzngDocNotRptInd |
| Organization Had UBI | 0 | OrganizationHadUBIInd |
| Subject To Proxy Tax | 0 | SubjectToProxyTaxInd |
| Organization Dissolved Etc | 0 | OrganizationDissolvedEtcInd |
| Direct Indirect Pltcl Expend | $0 | DirectIndirectPltclExpendAmt |
| Form1120 Pol Filed | 0 | Form1120PolFiledInd |
| Made Loans To From Officers | 0 | MadeLoansToFromOfficersInd |
| Tax Imposed Under IRC4911 | $0 | TaxImposedUnderIRC4911Amt |
| Tax Imposed Under IRC4912 | $0 | TaxImposedUnderIRC4912Amt |
| Tax Imposed Under IRC4955 | $0 | TaxImposedUnderIRC4955Amt |
| Engaged In Excess Benefit Trans | 0 | EngagedInExcessBenefitTransInd |
| Tax Imposed On Organization Mgr | $0 | TaxImposedOnOrganizationMgrAmt |
| Tax Reimbursed By Organization | $0 | TaxReimbursedByOrganizationAmt |
| Prohibited Tax Shelter Trans | 0 | ProhibitedTaxShelterTransInd |
| States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld | FL | StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd |
Books In Care Of Detail BooksInCareOfDetail
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Person | Alan M Hoffberg | PersonNm |
US Address USAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | Post Office Box 917750 | AddressLine1 |
| City | Longwood | City |
| State | FL | State |
| ZIP Code | 327917750 | ZIPCode |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 4078696900 | PhoneNum |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Financial Account | 0 | ForeignFinancialAccountInd |
| Foreign Office | 0 | ForeignOfficeInd |
| Donor Advised Fnds | 0 | DonorAdvisedFndsInd |
| Operate Hospital | 0 | OperateHospitalInd |
| Tanning Services Provided | 0 | TanningServicesProvidedInd |
| Related Organization Ctrl Ent | 0 | RelatedOrganizationCtrlEntInd |
| Transaction With Control Ent | 0 | TransactionWithControlEntInd |
| Political Campaign Acty | 0 | PoliticalCampaignActyInd |
| Lobbying Activities | 0 | LobbyingActivitiesInd |
| School Operating | 0 | SchoolOperatingInd |
| Trnsfr Exmpt Non Chrtbl Rltd Org | 0 | TrnsfrExmptNonChrtblRltdOrgInd |
| Part VI Of Comp Of Hghst Pd Empl | NONE | PartVIOfCompOfHghstPdEmplTxt |
| Part VI Hghst Pd Cntrct Prof Srvc | NONE | PartVIHghstPdCntrctProfSrvcTxt |
| Filed Schedule A | Yes (1) | FiledScheduleAInd |
Schedule A IRS990ScheduleA
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Organization170 | Yes (X) | PublicOrganization170Ind |
Gifts Grants Contri Rcvd170 GiftsGrantsContriRcvd170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $16,838 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $5,169 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $6,439 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $1,471 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $15,353 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $45,270 | TotalAmt |
Tax Rev Levied Orgnztnl Bnft170 TaxRevLeviedOrgnztnlBnft170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $0 | TotalAmt |
Govt Furn Srvc Fclts Vl170 GovtFurnSrvcFcltsVl170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $0 | TotalAmt |
Total Calendar Year170 TotalCalendarYear170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $16,838 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $5,169 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $6,439 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $1,471 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $15,353 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $45,270 | TotalAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Support Total170 | $45,270 | PublicSupportTotal170Amt |
Gross Investment Income170 GrossInvestmentIncome170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $0 | TotalAmt |
Unrelated Business Net Incm170 UnrelatedBusinessNetIncm170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $0 | TotalAmt |
Other Income170 OtherIncome170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $0 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $0 | TotalAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Support | $45,270 | TotalSupportAmt |
| Gross Receipts Rltd Activities | $0 | GrossReceiptsRltdActivitiesAmt |
| Public Support CY170 | 1 | PublicSupportCY170Pct |
| Public Support PY170 | 1 | PublicSupportPY170Pct |
| Thirty Thr Pct Suprt Tests CY170 | Yes (X) | ThirtyThrPctSuprtTestsCY170Ind |
Schedule O IRS990ScheduleO
Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail (4 entries)
| Form And Line ReferenceFormAndLineReferenceDesc | ExplanationExplanationTxt |
|---|---|
| Form 990-EZ, Part I, Line 10 | 522-P Grants & allocations - Programs |
| Form 990-EZ, Part I, Line 16 | Description;Amount^521-F Dues Subscriptions - Fundraising;16|521-P Dues Subscriptions - Programs;63|533-P Supplies - Program Services;418|534-P Telephone - Program Services;785|543-M Bank Charges - Management General;20|544-M Filing Registration - Management General;62^Total;1364^ |
| Form 990-EZ, Part II, Line 24 | Description;EOY Amount^105-0 Accounts Receivable;929|158-0 Software;195|182-0 Prepaid Expenses;6^Total;1130^ |
| Form 990-EZ, Part III, Line (28-31) | LINE 28: Data collected by our expeditions in Namibia have helped our local and international partners make arguments that have led to the declaration of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, or KAZA TFCA. The KAZA TFCA is the world's largest conservation area, spanning five southern African countries; Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, centered around the Caprivi-Chobe-Victoria Falls area. Also in Namibia, fewer lions, leopards and cheetahs have been killed in farmer-predator conflict due to our data collection, awareness-building and educational work. -- LINE 29: Data collected by our expeditions in the Ukraine have helped our local partners make arguments that have led to the declaration of a national park in the Ukraine. This park now protects a unique steppe area jutting into the Black Sea and a stop-off point for many migratory birds, as well as a haven for fauna (e.g. birds & wolf) and flora (it boasts amongst other things Europe's biggest orchid field). -- LINE 30: Data collected by our expeditions in the Altai have helped our local and international partners make arguments that have led to the declaration of a protected area in the Altai Republic, Central Asia. This area now provides protected habitat for a number of endangered species, including the snow leopard. Also in the Altai, we have converted local poachers into conservationists by paying them for verifiable camera trap pictures of snow leopards surviving year-on-year. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but with so few snow leopards remaining, some stopgap solutions are needed until the long-term ones can be reached. |
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