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2446 E PATRICK LN
Phoenix AZ 85024-7549
Phoenix AZ | IRS ruling year: 2008 | EIN: 26-1676217
TO PROVIDE EXCELLENCE IN SANCTUARY MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBLE CARE OF ANIMALS.
Great
This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 85% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 10/10 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 10/10 - 25/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Has Audit/Review - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Has Audit/Review - 20/20 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 2.94% - 25/25 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 2.94% - 25/25 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 87.80% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 87.80% - 25/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries) or EIN (261676217) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Loss of revenue was experienced at GFAS, as annual fees were waived or deferred for our organization’s accredited sanctuaries experiencing economic hardships. In October, 2020, GFAS received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which was forgiven as of February, 2021. In 2021 GFAS received a second PPP loan, which was forgiven as of August, 2021. This funding allowed GFAS to maintain staffing levels.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
In 2020 and 2021, the cancellation of visitor programs, conferences and in-person fundraising events, as well as the closing of national borders had real costs and implications for GFAS and our accredited sanctuaries dependent on these activities and sources of revenue. Through the implementation of a temporary COVID-19 travel policy, GFAS staff was able to continue to conduct site visits, as a part of our main accreditation program, in the United States. All international visits were delayed due to travel restrictions.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our work with both new and renewing applicants; an in-person site visit is a crucial step in the GFAS accreditation process. However, GFAS staff resumed travel to most regions of the U.S. on March 1, 2021 and travel restrictions to Canada have recently eased, which should allow for quick completion of any visits needed. On-going global travel restrictions continued to affect in-person events. The need and benefits of guiding and supporting sanctuaries with ongoing counseling and education was still great, necessitating a pivot to virtual events. To do so, GFAS collaborated with several long-standing partners to present educational content. GFAS presented and had a virtual booth at the Asia for Animals Conference; a partnership between GFAS and PASA launched webinars; GFAS hosted a webinar featuring new IUCN guidelines; and GFAS hosted a webinar on accreditation with P.E.A.C.E. Canada.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
The virtual events that GFAS offered and participated in were so well received that GFAS now looks to implement a series of on-going (quarterly, monthly) virtual small group meetings to continue to offer opportunities to check in with each other to share updates and victories, offer ideas and support, and provide time for troubleshooting and resource sharing.
Not Currently Scored
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries reported its two largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
OUTREACH: GFAS PROVIDED A VARIETY OF OUTREACH PROGRAMMING IN 2019 TO COMMUNICATE THE BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION, HEIGHTEN AWARENESS FOR TRUE SANCTUARIES, ASSIST SANCTUARIES IN ENHANCING EFFECTIVENESS, ... (More)
OUTREACH: GFAS PROVIDED A VARIETY OF OUTREACH PROGRAMMING IN 2019 TO COMMUNICATE THE BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION, HEIGHTEN AWARENESS FOR TRUE SANCTUARIES, ASSIST SANCTUARIES IN ENHANCING EFFECTIVENESS, AND INCREASING CAPACITY FOR CARE. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE: 1. PRESENTING AT SEVERAL INDUSTRY ALLIANCE CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS ACROSS THE U.S. ON THE BENEFITS OF GFAS ACCREDITATION AND THE GFAS STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE; 2. SPONSORING MULTIPLE EVENTS, SUCH AS EQUINE AFFAIRAND THE MIDWEST HORSE TRAINER'S CHALLENGE TO MARKET GFAS ACCREDITATION AND THE WORK OF ACCREDITED SANCTUARIES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND DONORS, AND PROMOTE GFAS POSITION. SEE PART III, LINE 4A STATEMENT (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
ACCREDITATION: AT THE END OF 2019, THERE WERE 188 ACCREDITED OR VERIFIED SANCTUARIES, RESCUE AND REHABILITATION CENTERS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT 16 COUNTRIES AND 36 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIC ... (More)
ACCREDITATION: AT THE END OF 2019, THERE WERE 188 ACCREDITED OR VERIFIED SANCTUARIES, RESCUE AND REHABILITATION CENTERS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT 16 COUNTRIES AND 36 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AS PART OF THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS, 63 SITE VISITS (Less)
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
GFAS's primary work of sanctuary accreditation and related services benefits sanctuaries, sanctuary professionals, animal welfare organizations, as well as donors, law enforcement, lawmakers, and the general public. Achieving GFAS accreditation gives the people who are committed to helping distressed and displaced animals the comfort and confidence that they are giving their animals the best in care. Accreditation also gives sanctuary professionals a clear, objective, measurable outcome by which they can assess their performance, make improvements and reach out to GFAS for help in times of challenge.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Other means
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Although seeking feedback is not a new initiative at GFAS, feedback is important to facilitate listening, improve processes and performance, and to fuel growth. Of particular importance to GFAS, as a global organization, is to ensure fair opportunity for feedback from a broad range of those served regardless of geographic location. GFAS understands this to be integral to build capacity and enhance initiatives to increase brand awareness and grow sanctuary accreditation outside of the United States. Feedback also ensures diverse perspective, impartial and fair processes and programs which provide equal possible outcomes, and fosters a culture of support and belonging.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Recent surveys from sanctuary professionals identified a desire and need for enhancement and modernization of the GFAS accreditation application process. GFAS has since begun utilizing the services of Survey Monkey-Apply, an online system which will more seamlessly collect accreditation applications and replace outdated, manual processes. This system will enable GFAS to better coordinate accreditation reviews, make faster decisions, and accredit a larger number of new rescue and sanctuary facilities each year. GFAS also updated other technology, such as our online audio and web conferencing platform, to help better reach and serve the people we serve, particularly those located outside of the United States.
Equity Practices - No Data Available - UnscoredEquity Practices - No Data Available - Unscored
This organization has not provided information regarding the Equity Practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
To accredit and recognize sanctuaries and rescue centers, support them to achieve the highest Standards of Excellence, promote collaboration, and raise awareness of their work.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
A world in which true sanctuary is given to animals in need.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Accreditation/Verification Program - efficiency of process; enhance international efforts; and refinement and review of GFAS Standards
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Services and Communications - enhance benefits and value; communications; and advocacy
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: Operational Excellence -sustainability, promote stability and continuity internally to ensure organizational effectiveness through investments in appropriate infrastructure and operational needs
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
GFAS facilitates membership and participation in several professional associations to its staff, such as the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the World Federation of Animals (WFA), and the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA). This allows staff access to a multitude of resources such as models/samples and professional development. GFAS also maintains a budget line item for staff professional development.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
As an accompaniment to the GFAS accreditation program, we maintain and make available a growing library of resources to help sanctuaries help animals, including 40+ webinars and a multitude of sample and template documents on topics ranging from animal care to non-profit governance and business operations. GFAS also attends, tables, and presents at a number of major animal welfare industry events each year, to communicate the value of GFAS accreditation for sanctuaries and raise the profile of GFAS to sanctuary groups, foundations, donors, and the public. GFAS embraces collaborative spirit, as we work together with like-minded partner organizations to improve animal care, sanctuary safety and sustainability, and seek feedback on our Standards. We serve as a steering committee member of the BCSA, associate member of WFA, member of the Homes for Horses Coalition, Right Horse Initiative Industry Partner, and ambassador of the Equine Welfare Data Collective, among others.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The cancellation of visitor programs, conferences and in-person fundraising events, as well as the closing of national borders had real costs and implications for GFAS and our accredited sanctuaries dependent on these activities and sources of revenue. GFAS was able to maintain staffing levels throughout the last year partially due to a PPP loan which was received. GFAS is actively taking measures to sustain a healthy and safe workplace environment for all employees and to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, ensuring that intended travel really is “essential” to the work being proposed. Staff travel for accreditations and renewals recommenced March 1, 2021, under a thoughtful and rigorous Temporary COVID-19 Travel Policy, approved by the GFAS Board of Directors. Since GFAS’s inception, our accreditation programs have grown tremendously, and now support 210+ sanctuaries, providing care for more than 35,000 animals at any one time, in addition to many more each year, as new animals come in. In 2021, GFAS staff conducted over 70 site visits to sanctuaries to ensure the welfare of animals in sanctuaries worldwide. Over the last year, it was imperative that GFAS continue activities of monitoring and enforcing compliance. Several factors facilitated this work; GFAS is fortunate to have embraced a completely remote staffing model since our inception, negating any need to pivot to such over the past year; utilization of an online system which seamlessly collects accreditation applications and replaces outdated, manual processes; and capacity to pivot educational content to virtual events through webinars and virtual booths and the creation of a new suite of downloadable branding/marketing materials.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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