There still seems to be a very obvious budgetary issue within the collections that's appears to be worse than many other zoos, especially larger ones, have. Any suggestions for why this is the case beyond that the organization focuses more on conservation?
I think you'll find the answer here
https://www.wcs.org/about-us/literature/annual-reports
Just looking at the years 2012-2015 you can see that revenue decreased in 2013 while expenses remained largely unchanged,
In 2014 revenue increased bu 6% while expenses increases by 12%
In 2015 revenue increased by 5% while expenses increased by 7%
Expenses for the international program grew somewhat faster than for the zoos but takes only slightly more (52% of WCS allocations compared to the facilities - zoos and aquarium).
Consider that revenue is from gate receipts and sales on site (burgers and t-shirts), memberships and various government agencies (City, State, Feds). These government funds account for about 25% of WCS' revenue. In 2015 while expenses increased by 7% overall, government contribution declined by 1%. Since 2012, the government contribution has been slowly shrinking. Operating costs have grown 20% over that time while the government contributions have grown only 3.5%
Investment income (from the endowment) is also a factor and that has declined over the years as the stock market has suffered and dividends went out of fashion.
Put all together, WCS is struggling to fund itself day to day without government subsidies. But then again it
always has. This is why staff is decreased and buildings have closed. They have to do what they can with less income.
On the other hand, the topic here is at least about new mega exhibits as anything else. And that has very little to do with annual revenue. New exhibits are funded largely by government grants and private donations. WCS is always improving existing exhibits and buildings and opening small new exhibits. But mega exhibits require mega$$$. That takes years of fund raising, negotiations with constantly changing City, State and Federal administrations as well as years of planning. As I wrote earlier, for the past few years it has all been about the Aquarium which is budgeted at $157,000,000.
For most other zoo organizations that would build ten new big exhibits (these days). And it is next to impossible to raise that kind of funding and also additional funding for other new mega-exhibits at the zoos. There are only so many potential funding sources. And while there is a vast amount of wealth in New York City, it is no longer with families that have roots and pride in the City. Much of the wealth in the city comes from people who have ties elsewhere (China, the UAE, Texas, etc.). That is less the case when fundraising in Wichita.
And construction costs in New York are substantially greater than in Kansas.
Perhaps someone would like to list all the major new exhibits at WCS over the past ten years and what they cost. That might clarify the state of the zoos for you.
So when you look into it, I think you see not so much that WCS has lost its way as that it takes a great deal to turn this huge ship.
.
