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752 LOVEJOY RD NW
Ft Walton Bch FL 32548-3845
Ft Walton Bch FL | IRS ruling year: 1966 | EIN: 59-0815515
TO OFFER REFUGE AND MEDICAL CARE TO INJURED ANIMALS. TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LIFE TO HOMELESS ANIMALS.TO PROTECT ANIMALS FROM CRUELTY, NEGLECT, CARELESSNESS AN ... (More)
TO OFFER REFUGE AND MEDICAL CARE TO INJURED ANIMALS. TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LIFE TO HOMELESS ANIMALS.TO PROTECT ANIMALS FROM CRUELTY, NEGLECT, CARELESSNESS AND IGNORANCE.TO FOSTER A PUBLIC SENTIMENT OF HUMANITY AND GENTLENESS TOWARDS ANIMALS.TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP. TO REDUCE COMPANION ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION THROUGH HUMANE EDUCATION AND SPAY AND NEUTER ADVOCACY. (Less)
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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: 35% Accountability & Finance, 50% Impact & Results, 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 As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. 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.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 11/12 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 11/12 - 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 - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 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 - 3.58% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 3.58% - 15/15 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 - 87.40% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 87.40% - 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:
Government instrumentality other than section 501(c) (BMF activity code: 926)
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
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 (Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc.) or EIN (590815515) 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.
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Lack of adoptions impacted regular revenue and donations.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Due to the pandemic, PAWS was unable to facilitate open hour adoptions. This set back negatively impacted regular revenue and moving animals out of the shelter and into permanent homes.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
PAWS adapted by scheduling adoptions. Adopters submitted applications, were initially vetted via phone, then scheduled for meet and greets.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Adoptions are still being scheduled, but open adoptions have also resumed.
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. has earned a 100% for the Impact & Results beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon estimates the actual impact a charity has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot Applicable
Program
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society
Activities
The nonprofit rescues animals that would’ve otherwise been killed or in some other bad condition. These animals are taken in and sheltered.
Program Type
Animal Shelter
Beneficiaries Served
Program Geography
Time Period of Data
1/1/21 to 12/31/21
Outcomes: Changes in the lives of those served by a nonprofit. They can be caused by the nonprofit.
Costs: The money spent by a nonprofit and its partners and beneficiaries.
Impact: Outcome caused by a nonprofit relative to its cost.
Cost-effectiveness: A judgment as to whether the cost was a good use of resources to cause the outcome.
Outcome Metric
number of rescued animals
Outcome Data Source
Ratings are based on data the nonprofit itself collects on its work. We use the most recent year with sufficient data. Typically, this data allows us to calculate direct changes in participants' lives, such as increased income.
The nonprofit submitted data on how many animals it intaked as well as how many animals received a "non-rescue" exit
Method for Attributing Outcomes
We don't know if the observed changes were caused by the nonprofit's program or something else happening at the same time (e.g., a participant got a raise). To determine causation, we take the outcomes we observe and subtract an estimate of the outcomes that would have happened even without the program (i.e., counterfactual outcomes).
We assume that there is a lack of shelter for animals, and therefore assume a counterfactual percent likelihood of the animal being rescued otherwise as 0%.
Cost Data Source
After estimating the program's outcomes, we need to determine how much it cost to achieve those outcomes. All monetary costs are counted, whether they are borne by a nonprofit service deliverer or by the nonprofit’s public and private partners.
Program cost data reported by the nonprofit. Partner and beneficiary costs reported by the nonprofit or estimated by Charity Navigator.
Cost Calculation
$956,012 program costs + $157,440 partner costs + $36,752 beneficiary costs = $1,150,204 total costs
We calculate impact, defined as the change in outcomes attributable to a program divided by the cost to achieve those outcomes.
Impact Calculation
$1,150,204 total costs / 2,475 rescues = roughly $460 rescues one animal.
Benchmark for Rating
Impact & Results scores of animal shelters are based on the cost a household spends saving the life of their pet. Programs receive an Impact & Results score of 100 if they are less than 75% that cost and a score of 80 if they are less than 125%. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65.
Determination
Highly cost-effective
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. reported its two largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
ANIMAL CONTROL AND ANIMAL SHELTER, INCLUDING INVESTIGATING ANIMAL CRUELTY & NEGLECT.
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
HUMANE SERVICES: ANIMAL ADOPTIONS; PROVIDE LOW COST SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC & PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. 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.
PAWS serves all 207,430 citizens of Okaloosa County.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Community meetings or town halls
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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff, Our board, 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?
The community members that provide feedback report feeling more involved in the mission and direction of the organization. The act of being heard and valued has allowed the public and the staff to work together to find solutions or improve upon past successes.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
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.
PAWS values all feedback from the community. Recently, the administration has provided training on the public facing members of the staff to better equip them with strategies to work with individuals who may be having a difficult experience.
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.
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc. Aka Paws Inc. 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
PAWS seeks to provide the resources, education and programs needed to improve animal welfare.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
To service the community through assistance and education to end animal cruelty and neglect in Okaloosa County.
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: To improve the health and wellness of our residents through facility renovation.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: Improve education of staff and volunteers to benefit the animals in our care.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Improve the health and wellness of community pets through low-cost veterinary care.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Board members, volunteers, and staff are provided with ongoing training opportunities through online courses and in-person learning opportunities. In the last year, staff and volunteers have participated in Fear Free training and training through Maddies' Fund.
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
Raising Awareness
Policy Advocacy
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), continues to build strong relationships with local agencies to include law enforcement, city/ county governments, other animal welfare non-profits, and the community at large. PAWS provides low-cost veterinary care for community pets which allows for education opportunities for the public to better care for their animals. Animal Control Officers work closely with local law enforcement to assist in a case when animals are present. With the Animal Control contract, PAWS works directly with in-county municipalities and county government officials to advocate for animal welfare.
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.
PAWS was created in 1976. In that time, the facility fell into disrepair as did the organization's reputation. In the last 2 years, PAWS leadership and staff have worked tirelessly to improve the facility, public relations, and re-build confidence in the community. This campaign includes the re-opening of the community veterinary clinic, providing low-cost services to community pets. The clinic proved to fill a large gap in animal services in Okaloosa County. PAWS continues to improve the facility with the soon to be newly renovated canine kennel runs.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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