Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. I think the average donor is probably very unaware of what some of these salaries are (I was myself until recently), but, as I indicated earlier, that information is easily obtained. - In addition to work directly with smallholder farmers to improve production and productivity, we invest alongside farmers and cooperatives in infrastructure to benefit large numbers of farmers. More information is available here: https://www.heifer.org/blog/raising-chickens-and-hatching-hope-odisha-india-heifer-international-.html. The conclusion states in part Animal donations appear to have a favorable effect on recipient households? Full Credit: The charity's audited financials were prepared by an independent accountant with an audit oversight committee. If you believe that the Western Michigan University evaluation represents good outward-facing evidence of Heifers impact, I encourage you to make it publicly available. The partnership will enable Heifer International's impact investing division - Heifer Impact Capital - and SEAF to build on SEAF's global network and experience raising over $1.2 billion in . As a result, the idea that Nike doesnt turn you into LeBron James is widely recognized. A BRICS currency would be a serious threat to the dollar, a former White House adviser said. Heifer International boasts that their projects produced 3.6 million gallons of milk in one year in Uganda, and developed a national dairy program in Tanzania. For example, Heifer International is largely considered responsible for kick-off of industrialized dairy in Japan after World War II. Initiatives such as micro-irrigation (or drip irrigation) projects for growing crops are far more sustainable and ecologically sound, and have helped provide an alternative livelihood to many pastoralists and subsistence farmers. Full set of blog posts on The Carter Center. No: This charity either does not have a written donor privacy policy in place to protect their contributors' personal information, or the existing policy does not meet our criteria. We have significant methodological doubts about the Rwanda evaluation (see the Development Impact Blogs writeup. Certainly not every gift goes to provide geographically appropriate animals or plants to families gripped by poverty, but Heifer makes that fact clear in all of its publications, collateral and material. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Scientists and environmental organizations around the world urge a shift toward plant-based foods as one of the most impactful actions we can take to reduce climate destruction and improve our health. Dawn Moncrief is the founder and executive director of A Well-Fed World , a hunger relief and animal protection organization working with grassroots groups in the U.S. and internationally to focus on sustainable plant-based food production programs. However, 75% of the world is lactose-intolerant, and 90% of Asian and African populations (toward whom dairy programs are aggressively targeted) are lactose intolerant. This website uses standard, nonpersonalized cookies for best experience. Your declaration that the gift of a cow or a goat or other livestock to Heifer International is donor illusion is inaccurate. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. The issue is that apart from the question of impact there appears to be a deep and perhaps systemic issue with excessive executive compensation in the nonprofit sector which is most troubling as it relates to charitable organizations (because of the missions they have and who they serve). Dont Have a Cow. The People Department is strengthening development policies across the organization and providing clearer guidance and support to leaders in formal and informal leaderships roles. Im not saying that salaries are justified in every case. A Well-Fed World is an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a . In this case, we deduct 15 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. Full set of blog posts on Grameen Foundation, Full set of blog posts on Heifer International, Full set of blog posts on The Robin Hood Foundation. Just as if you have to choose between two investments with slightly different future profit prospects, you should ignore executive pay and choose the one with better prospects. Executives in the nonprofit sector, like all workers in the nonprofit sector, typically take a pay cut compared to what they could earn in the public sector. Heifer International works in partnership with the communities it serves and implements programs that support entrepreneurs. Her work highlights the ways in which high levels of meat consumption in the U.S. and globally exacerbate global hunger, especially for women and children. For 76 years, it has invested in more than 36 million smallholder farmers and their families around the world, supporting them to build businesses that are economically and environmentally sustainable. While animal-giving programs seem to focus on small-scale farming, they have extremely large-scale implications that pave the way for factory farming, and exponentially increase consumption of meat, dairy and eggs throughout entire countries and beyond. With Alternative Giving, . These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. I agree with Bill, if a charitys funding comes from Donors then the bulk of that should be used for the work that charity is carrying out & not for paying its executives. The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). Working with rural communities in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. The organization envisions a world with communities living together in peace and . This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. Logically, this makes sense but rarely is it fully considered. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Teffis high in protein, with an excellent amino acid profile, is high in fiber and calcium, (1 cup of teff provides more calcium than a cup of milk), and is a rich source of boron, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and iron. 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? Having another mouth to feed can significantly add to a familys burden, and the animals frequently suffer from neglect, malnutrition, dehydration, lack of veterinary care, and lack of shelter from temperature extremes. The impact question is certainly complex, but that is why organizations like GiveWell are helpful to individual donors who dont have the time or the expertise to make those judgments. The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. Heifer International 1 World Avenue. We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that ones race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. Is this where your donation is really going? ____________________________________________. Please consider supporting our Plants-4-Hunger program or choose another favorite! Heifer International has earned a 95% for the Culture & Community beacon. Who are the people you serve with your mission? In addition to the massive number of animals who suffered factory farm and slaughterhouse atrocities, the increased consumption of animal fat led to significant health issues for the Japanese people. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal. But lately, weve gone into a bit more detail about our take on several of the best-known and most appealing charities out there. Heifer International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity registered in the US under EIN: 35-1019477. . Our Plants-4-Hunger gift-donation program is a plant-based hunger relief alternative to Heifer International and other live animal campaigns. There any plenty of organizations who pay short salaries and fail to create any impact. Following feedback from program participants on the impact of COVID on their operations, we shifted some of our program funding to respond to evolving community needs. Skip to Main Content Jump to Main Menu. Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible. From my perspective, I think we have to be careful about blaming the non-profits here and place more responsibility on the funders (especially large funders, since smaller funders often follow their lead). Heifer International and similar organizations spend exorbitant amounts of money on colorful, glossy catalogs depicting cute children hugging and kissing happy, healthy animals (like this HI catalog photo). A Well-Fed World is an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a sustainable, nourished, and climate-friendly future. Lactose intolerance occurs when there is not enough of an enzyme called lactase. From these catalogs, well-meaning donors choose which animal they would like to send as their gift-donation. Works worldwide with marginalized small-scale farmers, providing livestock, seeds and training in sustainable crop production and animal management . Likewise, donors should focus on a charitys evidence of impact, rather than micromanaging their spending on executive pay or office supplies. Pay is but one of thousands of ways in which a charity can waste money; rather than focusing on it, take the charitys total costs into account and find out how much impact you are getting for those costs. Helping people is something to feel good about. We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. Zero-grazing is not only bad for the animals who are confined, it is also bad for the people (often times bad for children) who must use their time, labor and resources to bring food and water to the animals. - Many of the communities we work with have been heavily affected. The Impact of Heifer Internationals Livestock Donation Programs in Rwanda Jan 2013. In this situation, we deduct 7 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. We have concerns about this general area and concerns about giving livestock specifically. Heifer International is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to strengthening local economies by eradicating poverty and hunger. A summary of the evaluations can be found at: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.5647733/?msource=XS2M090001&utm_source=Heifer&utm_medium=Website_Banner&utm_campaign=ImpactStudy. Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. Milk is very specifically created for infants, not adults. Facebook, 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. Goal Two: Promote and support collective action and the formation of farmer groups and farmer owned cooperatives. As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Heifer International is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. She also draws attention to the negative consequences of increasing livestock production and intensification on climate change and oil scarcity. Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission. We send 100% of your tax-deductible donation to groups and individuals with proven successes providing warm school lunches, soy kits, supplemental food, disaster relief, community farms, and much more. According to Animal Nepal Founder, Lucia DeVries:I have been sending letters to Dutch agencies to stop this kind of program for yet another reason the animals are generally slaughtered in an inhumane mannerIn Nepal, for instance, there is only one slaughterhouse, in the capital (Katmandu). I would go in that order. The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). Why are the WMU evaluations confidential, anyway? He realized that giving food was only a short-term solution, however, the donation of cattle would be able to feed a family for years. Mary, what is your source for the 80% overhead figure? Cart ID: Not Assigned, Copyright 2023 | EIN 13-4148824 | Bridge ID 3108588923. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. When you say that a high executive salary is not necessary, you are making a judgment about how an organization can or cannot be run, and I think that is a mistake. Pro-meat biases mean that sustainable plant crops that actually provide better nutrition and more income are often overlooked. However, there is a crucial piece of information missing: how it allocates its budget between programs (in particular, how much it spends on its stronger and better-documented vs. more questionable programs). Company Type Non-profit. Raising animals for food requires up to 10 times more water than growing crops for direct consumption. HEIFER ECUADOR CHOCOLATE FARMERS' BITTERSWEET HARVEST ECO-FRIENDLY LAWN ALTERNATIVES CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF HEIFER INTERNATIONAL WHERE IT ALL BEGAN 44 32 12 WILL VEGANS SAVE THE PLANET? This means that virtually all livestock are killed with the often not-too-sharp-knife of rural butchers, causing much suffering to the animal and possibly to the butcher. Would you expect a doctor to recommend a cancer drug based on reading an abstract? Free from Harm is dedicated to helping end animal exploitation through public education and grassroots action. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. The article goes to great lengths to try to justify these salaries but I would rather see greater moral imagination applied to solving these problems a different way. We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. However, one important difference is that people who buy Nike shoes do eventually figure out what they actually did and didnt get for their money. Operating Status Active. Considering how many talented, experienced and capable people are seeking employment these days, for no fault of their own, it seems to me that it should be possible to find very capable and caring people willing and able to lead these organizations for far less than the hundreds of thousands of dollars that the article you referred to seems to think is reasonable. Sign up below for our monthly e-newsletter to receive your free PDF and advance notice when the print copies are available. Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below. Farmers that were on a pathway toward living income regressed, with the income gap widening. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years. - Member of InterAction and other international development platforms. Re: donor illusion. We use the term donor illusion to refer to any case where donors are getting something very different from what they imagined, even if the charity in question has fully transparent disclosures. There are also organizations that pay substantial salaries and make a difference. The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). In this case, we deduct 15 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. Yes. Re: executive compensation. What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve? This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows:80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. To learn more about the work of A Well Fed World, visit their website. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place. And yes, I think that funders deserve the lions share of the blame charities market the way they do, presumably, because it works. Founded Date 1944. (In most cases our assessment is based on significant back-and-forth with the charities themselves, though in some cases we are going off their website.). The organization donates livestock such as chickens, cows, and goats and provides mentorship to help local farmers build a business and gain access to market chains. This independent review, led by Dr. Michael Scriven, found that, It is beyond doubt that in all 20 of the countries we have examined, Heifer has brought large overall benefits to very large numbers of low income rural families., Evaluators cited, The Heifer edge in the organizations cost-effective crusade against poverty has always been the built-in sustainability of the commitment to Passing on the Gift of livestock, and of skills in (i) their care, and in (ii) respect for the Twelve Cornerstone Values (guiding principles of all the organizations programs), evaluators noted. I still try to steer donors away from animal gifts towards less restrictive donations but it is good to see Heifer include this kind of information on their site. In concept, I strongly agree with Ian. Animals Eat Other Animals, So Why Shouldnt We? Heifer USA works with small-scale farmers in the United States to help them transform their communities through training and cooperatives. Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. Founders Dan West. Your donation attempt encountered a problem. Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties, Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website. In 2012, Heifer International spent more than a million dollars on professional fundraising fees. As Bill suggested double checking information is a very good idea. - Staff regularly present at industry-specific conferences and events. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years. We examine the flaws in concept and practice with animal-gifting groups in general, and with Heifer International in particular (since they are the largest and most well-known). The result is widespread digestive ills such as stomach pain, gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, and even vomiting. Seventy percent of all Ethiopias cattle are raised pastorally in the highlands of their country, where less than 100 pounds of meat and a few gallons of milk are produced per acre of land used. 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 identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve. Give the page a little longer to finish Cull good intentions of useless self serving operations going round in circles of their own PR importance! Heifer International. People looking for large compensations should stay in the Private sector. Unfortunately, zero-grazing means that confined animals must have food and water actually brought to them. Since 1944, it has invested in more than 39 million small-scale farmers and their families around the world, providing livestock, training, and access to a wide range of farmer-focused services. A world without hunger and poverty where smallholder farmers can meet demand for food through climate-friendly farming practices. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons, minimize the time spent on opaque or otherwise lackluster ones, GiveWell Board member Tim Ogdens summary of the recent discussion/controversy, have major concerns about supporting any but the most outstanding microfinance institutions, concerns about Kivas due diligence process specifically, general concerns about microfinance charities, rarely even clear about what their value-added is, disappointing (and eye-opening) evaluation of the Village Phone program, concerns about giving livestock specifically, recent removal of the charts we questioned, own explanation of why it is giving grants to other major charities, suspect that this offer is a donor illusion, UNICEF provides almost no information at all about its huge variety of activities and how they are going, CARE coming the closest to meaningful transparency, we see no substantive available information about its track record, is unwilling to share any information about the results of its grantmaking, http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.5647733/?msource=XS2M090001&utm_source=Heifer&utm_medium=Website_Banner&utm_campaign=ImpactStudy, the overhead ratio issue is usually a distraction, http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/salaries.html, http://www.heifer.org/ending-hunger/accomplishments/measure-of-success.html. If you wish to donate, please refresh the page. Re: executive compensation. 501(c)3. Dan West (1893-1971) was the founder of Heifer International, [1] a charitable organization dedicated to relieving hunger and poverty, as well as being involved in starting several other programs associated with the Church of the Brethren. In Tanzania, evaluators found most partner families were initially undernourished, but within a couple years after receiving an animal, were able to maintain a healthy diet. Ive pointed people to this blog post and Joedys comments a few times when Heifer is mentioned. Ethical Vegans Must Reject Donald Trump. It has declined to share this (basic, in our view) information in repeated exchanges. Thank you! Turkey Talk Between Birds and Humans Will Blow Former Meat and Dairy Farmers Who Became Vegan Why Organic Meat, Dairy and Eggs Are Not Biden Must Stand Up To Animal Agriculture! Heifer . Meeting the needs of hungry families always comes first, but we do our best to accommodate your wishes, too., Every gift to Heifer International represents a gift to our total mission of purchasing and transporting food and income-producing animals, as well as providing intensive training in animal husbandry; environmentally sound, sustainable farming; community development and global education. The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
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