The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. The Sanctuary operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee-85 miles southwest of Nashville. The Elephant Sanctuary exists to provide captive elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being; and to raise public awareness of the complex needs of elephants in captivity, and the crisis facing elephants in the wild. As a true sanctuary, The Elephant Sanctuary is not intended to provide entertainment, and it is therefore closed to the general public.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. The Sanctuary operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee-85 miles southwest of Nashville. The Elephant Sanctuary exists to provide captive elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being; and to raise public awareness of the complex needs of elephants in captivity, and the crisis facing elephants in the wild. As a true sanctuary, The Elephant Sanctuary is not intended to provide entertainment, and it is therefore closed to the general public.
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Charting Impact
What is your organization aiming to accomplish?
Board and Staff developed Strategic Plan 2014-2019 to guide the work of the organization for the next 5 years. Goal 1: Provide Sanctuary - Offer lifelong, integrated care for elephants already in Sanctuary, and welcome additional captive elephants that will benefit from lifelong care, and that meet criteria for acceptance. Goal 2: Influence through Education - Increase understanding of and support for conservation efforts to protect elephants in the wild, and promote practices to improve the wellbeing of captive elephants. Goal 3: Create and Share Best Practices - Develop models for 'whole elephant' care, and create connections within the global elephant community to help promote best practices in elephant management, treatment, and care. Goal 4: Amplify Public Awareness - Foster recognition for The Elephant Sanctuary as a thought-leader on elephant wellbeing among various publics, in order to reach and retain diverse audiences inclined to support our mission and values. Goal 5: Sustain the Mission - Build and diversify financial support in order to sustain sanctuary for captive elephants, as well as to educate the public about the complex challenges facing elephants, both in captivity and the wild. Goal 6: Develop Organizational Capacity - Cultivate the necessary people, systems and infrastructure to provide the ideal environment for elephants in need -- so that they might live out their lives to the fullest extent possible -- and through which The Sanctuary might effectively fulfill its mission.
What are your strategies for making this happen?
The Elephant Sanctuary will - maintain individualized care plans for the health and wellbeing of each resident elephant, with a commitment to Protected Contact management and 24/7 veterinary care; - grow the number of participants in educational outreach programs, and increase collaborations with international partners; - expand relationships with elephant support groups and experts in the field, and publish and/or share best practices on elephant wellbeing and care; - demonstrate growth in digital-marketing success, and align all efforts to optimize opportunities for connecting with donors; - expand and diversify the donor base, and broaden support from individuals, corporations, foundations and workplace giving programs; - evaluate and upgrade facilities, fencing and equipment on an ongoing basis, and meet or exceed standards set by both regulatory and accrediting agencies.
What are your organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Elephant Sanctuary collaborates with national experts in the fields of behavior and medicine. With the help of generous donors, we are achieving the highest quality of care and welfare for captive elephants through these and other partnerships. The Elephant Sanctuary works with consultants and the Center for Nonprofit Management to continually assess, evaluate and develop the people, systems and infrastructure to support the growth and mission of the organization.
How will your organization know if you are making progress?
The engagement of Board and staff in strategic planning is a strong indicator of the organization's health. Quarterly and annual assessment measures the success of its programs and focus on mission. Annual staff evaluations and periodic "open forums" provide opportunity for feedback and professional development. The Elephant Sanctuary uses Testing and Treatment Plans to measure outcomes for Elephant Care and Veterinary Care. The staff will continue to collect comprehensive health data via Physical Exams (weight, mobility, skin, feet, sleep, appetite, digestion, behavior, environmental stimulated responses, etc. ), Clinical Exams (hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis, bacterial culture, fecal examination, radiography, ultrasound), Preventive Medicine and Medical Administration to track indicators that measure progress towards achieving the intended results for each individual elephant's health and well-being. Following daily, weekly, monthly and annual evaluations, Treatment Plans are adjusted for a more clearly defined amount of time and/or action required to accomplish positive outcomes for every elephant.
What have and haven't you accomplished so far?
In 2014 The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee was accredited by Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. As confirmed through an onsite visit by GFAS, this accreditation signifies The Elephant Sanctuary meets the Federation’s rigorous, peer-reviewed standards that define a true sanctuary providing humane and responsible care of animals, as well as standards around safety and security, veterinary care, and other areas of financial and organizational sustainability. Accredited status with GFAS provides a transparent, trusted means for the public, donors, and government agencies to recognize The Elephant Sanctuary as an outstanding sanctuary. The Elephant Sanctuary looks forward to welcoming more elephants from North America in need of retirement.
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This impact information is current as of January 2019, when it was provided to us by GuideStar.
At this time, Impact information published on this organization's page has no effect on its rating per our methodology.
Program names and associated costs are listed for the top programs as reported on the charity's most recently filed Form 990. The top programs displayed will include the largest three programs, or those programs covering at least 60% of the charity's total expenses, whichever comes first.
Program Name
Amount Spent
% of Program Expenses
Shelter and Care
$3,768,536
84.1%
Education
$711,049
15.9%
Ratings History The Elephant Sanctuary has received 3 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator.
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations).
