We have significant methodological doubts about the Rwanda evaluation (see the Development Impact Blogs writeup. We have concerns about this general area and concerns about giving livestock specifically. See this article from the American Institute of Philanthropy for more on this topic: http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/salaries.html. Before a project participant ever receives an animal, he or she goes through training to learn how to care for the animal, how to provide safe and secure shelter, how to feed and water the animal in ways that dont conflict with food and water for the family as they pull themselves out of poverty. 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. 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? I feel that raising questions like the ones we raise above is more productive. Ive met quite a few people who lost fingers while trying to kill a goat., *note: photo not shown due to graphic nature. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Kremlin via Reuters. Read More. This food and water can be in direct competition with human consumption. And now you can pack all your good feelings in your very own goat tote. The strategy was to establish short and direct chains between urban areas with poor access to fresh produce and farmers in surrounding provinces. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting. 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. No Credit: There has been a diversion of assets within the last two years and the charity's explanation on Schedule O is either non-existent or not sufficient. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Gifts or grants to individuals (other than scholarships) (BMF activity code: 561), Foreign organization (BMF activity code: 911), 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), Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). Re: evidence of impact. For greater detail about Heifers impact, I encourage a visit Heifers Web site, http://www.heifer.org, to read the results of five years of evaluations by the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University. Mail donations to:P.O. At Heifer International, we don't just imagine in a better world, we're building one. Heifer International will remain at its Little Rock headquarters, but visitors to the campus can expect changes when new management takes over in 2023. As members are geographically diverse and large, others . The organization envisions a world with communities living together in peace and . And I was trying to argue that such compensation is unnecessary and therefore the issue itself need not exist at all. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organizations overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned. Concerns about the priorities and appropriate use of donations apply to all animal gifting programs, but Heifer International raises particular concerns because of their annual budget which exceeds $100 million a year, and luxury spending such as on their headquarters pictured here. See other 990s. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have. This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us. 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). Animal Law 101: What Is Necessary Animal 12 Reasons You May Never Want To Eat Turkeys Again, 10 Facts About Koch Foods and Joseph Grendys. Period. But in reality, donations may not go toward the purchase of the selected animal. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria. The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission. Weve seen the paper youre referring to. But it does exist, and that is unfortunate. Former Indian minister for social welfare and animal protection, Maneka Gandhi explains that when goats are allowed or forced by consequences to graze: each goat eats all the grass and shrubbery on two hectares of land a year. Heifer International is a non-profit organization that works with communities to end world hunger and poverty. Heifer International reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways: How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially: - We took measures to reduce overhead costs in early 2020 in the face of an uncertain donor landscape and to ensure continued support to programs. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories: Yes: This charity has a written donor privacy policy published on its website, which states unambiguously that (1) it will not share or sell a donor's personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations or (2) it will only share or sell personal information once the donor has given the charity specific permission to do so. - Work is regularly published and shared in traditional media and on social media channels. Please consider supporting our Plants-4-Hunger program or choose another favorite! Since 2009, we've awarded 2800+ grants ($13.5M+) in 94 countries. We agree that Heifer International discloses all relevant information, and is not hiding anything the question, though, is what impression donors come away with. The Charity Navigator rating isnt just less useful than a GiveWell-style analysis its nearly useless if your goal is to actually help people with your donation. The salary information given is very revealing and, in some cases, seemingly incongruous with the organizations stated missions and the dire needs that they are addressing. In fact, their advanced search feature allows you to use that as a search criteria. Additionally, you express concerns about Heifers livestock model and its impact. Mary, what is your source for the 80% overhead figure? - We have worked with the government and other stakeholders to increase demand for products since lockdowns have lifted. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories: Full Credit: There has been no diversion of assets within the last two years. 2009-2023   -   A Well-Fed World  -  EIN: 27-0865905. Operating Status Active. 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. Copyright | Free From Harm | All Rights Reserved. Heifer International has earned a 3/4 Star rating on Charity Navigator. We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that ones race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. Simply enter the organization's name (Heifer International) or EIN (351019477) in the 'Search Term' field. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. Still, I would happily donate to a charity with high executive compensation over one with low executive compensation, if the former had more impressive social impact. Heifer International has earned a 84% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Dawn has been a social justice advocate for more than 20 years. The same applies to charity organisations. Animals do not magically produce milk and meat or just live off the land by grazing (details below). Facebook, I was led to your web site by an article in Whole Living magazine. 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. Heifer International believes ending global hunger and poverty begins with agriculture. There is a profound lack of supervision (with teeth) in the charity sector. - In countries that are hardest hit, Heifer is providing emergency cash grants and food supplies to communities. What all of the charities below have in common is that (a) we have major questions and concerns about their activities; (b) the information necessary to see how serious these concerns are does not seem to be available. 501(c)3. Dont Have a Cow. GiveWell, aka The Clear Fund (a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity). There any plenty of organizations who pay short salaries and fail to create any impact. That is pretty simple and straightforward, I think. Why Aren't Donated Clothes Always Given Away for Free? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Works worldwide with marginalized small-scale farmers, providing livestock, seeds and training in sustainable crop production and animal management . As a result, poultry mortality rates have fallen significantly among program participants. Again, gifts that are designated for a particular project or animal are used as requested until that need is fully met. Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core. 30 Organizations Working to End Hunger | Human Rights Careers Instead of using their food, water, topsoil, and massive amounts of land and energy to raise livestock, Ethiopia, for instance, could grow teff, an ancient and quite nutritious grain grown in that country for the past 20,000 to 30,000 years. Together with farmer cooperatives and other partners, we have invested in trucks, motorbikes and other distribution systems so farmers could continue to sell their produce, while working with governments and other local actors to ensure farmers could access medicines, feed, and important support services for their animals. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. loading and try your donation again. We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your donation is fully tax-deductible as allowed by law. These cookies do not store any personal information. About Heifer International | Heifer International Additionally, families agree to Pass on the Gift, too, by passing on offspring of the animal as well as the education and training they received to others, multiplying the initial gift. Heifer International To Partner With Mastercard To Empower Millions Of Best Items to Donate to an Animal Shelter, Donors Prefer Charities that Earn All Four Beacons. Opt-out: The charity has a written privacy policy published on its website which enables donors to tell the charity to remove their names and contact information from lists the charity shares or sells. It has declined to share this (basic, in our view) information in repeated exchanges. Heifer International is a global development organization on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. As the pandemic continued, we began providing cash grants to communities for healthcare and other household needs and worked with local governments to procure supplies for community health clinics. Furthermore, there is no need for humans to consume the milk of other animals. I sent detailed comments on the evaluation back to Heifer representatives. Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below. Heifer International main competitors are Open Society Foundations, The Heritage Foundation, and Ford Foundation. This includes milk chilling hubs, spice dryers, market infrastructure, and more. It is now rather stale and heres a positive development: How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs: - Heifer Internationals community-based development model focuses on working with communities to build social capital, prior to investments in agricultural inputs or farming infrastructure. Heifer International. This is wholly unacceptable if not pernicious. We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. As a result, the idea that Nike doesnt turn you into LeBron James is widely recognized. Heifer International is a global development organization on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Sign in Support Charity Navigator Discover Charities Best Charities Charities with Perfect Scores Protect the Environment Address Global Poverty End Hunger Autism Awareness Improve Education Reduce Homelessness Quick question about donor illusions: How different are they from the illusions that for profit organizations use to sell products? - Prior to the global pandemic, Heifer International had already started to refocus its programs, building a smaller portfolio of larger programs focused on scale, permanence of impact and partnerships. The much larger 2005 Western Michigan University evaluation is still not public as far as we know. ), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Case management notes, Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) The municipal government is expanding agroecological fairs and opening a first permanent agroecological and organic marketplace benefiting consumers and farmers. Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. Full Credit: The charity's audited financials were prepared by an independent accountant with an audit oversight committee. Your donation attempt encountered a problem. While tempting to believe, farmed animals do not just live off the land consuming only grass and scraps that dont compete with human consumption. Contact 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. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. During the holiday gift-giving season, a popular choice for gift-donations are programs that send live farm animals as gifts to help alleviate hunger and poverty in low-income countries. 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! In other words, it simply states that the evaluators had a positive view of Heifer. Some program participants and staff have been critically ill, and others have lost their lives. Twitter, The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals. This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Heifer International and SEAF Announce Agreement to Expand Impact 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. Our Plants-4-Hunger gift-donation program is a plant-based hunger relief alternative to Heifer International and other live animal campaigns. Most notably, Heifer International. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This work has continued during the pandemic. How much funding does GiveWell expect to raise through 2025? That figure jumps to more than $22 million when printing, distribution, processing, and other fundraising-related costs are included. This normally would have reduced their star rating. - Wide range of institutional and corporate partnerships see annual report for more information. That isnt the issue I was raising. We have not found a livestock-distribution charity that has published either evidence of impact or clear answers to these questions. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal. Is this where your donation is really going? By contrast, donors generally. Better to look for the most impactful organizations and assume that they know more than you do about how to allocate expenses and what an appropriate salary is. Due to popular demand, A Well-Fed World created a special Plants-4-Hunger gift-giving program to provide a compassionate and highly-effective alternative. Staff continued to provide targeted services including access to animal management services, connections to suppliers of animal feed and medicines, and access to markets, but in-person meetings and trainings were not possible, slowing program spend rates. This organization's score of 93 is a passing score. Heifer International: commonly perceived as a way to "give a cow to a poor family as a gift," but this is in fact a donor illusion -donations support Heifer International's general "agricultural assistance" activities. 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. Click ACCEPT to continue or change your settings to opt-out. This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. 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. This search returns results from both GiveWell's main site and from the GiveWell Blog. Heifer International's work in Japan is widely viewed as the start of their modern factory-style dairy industry. (BMF affiliation code: 3). I donate my hard earned money to make change for the better not to make the well-off even richer. Poverty and hunger are again on the rise, meaning support from Heifer International is needed to build resilient livelihoods providing protection to farmers in emergency situations, now more than ever. Pro-meat biases mean that sustainable plant crops that actually provide better nutrition and more income are often overlooked. Those dollars should be going to where they are most needed. For example, Heifer International is largely considered responsible for kick-off of industrialized dairy in Japan after World War II. How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve? He was an advocate for Christian pacifism and a conscientious objector . 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. Heifer International 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. Your declaration that the gift of a cow or a goat or other livestock to Heifer International is donor illusion is inaccurate. Dan West (philanthropist) - Wikipedia When the pandemic hit, our field teams provided immediate support to the communities they work with, sharing information on how farmers could protect their families from the virus, as well as masks and hand-washing equipment. We have continued education in diverse market systems, emerging technologies and impact capital, and are planning for belonging labs focusing on employee engagement and inclusion. Working to empower people all over the world and help them to escape poverty, this organization donates livestock and funds programs with similar missions. 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. 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 response to criticism that promoting animal agriculture in regions already plagued by desertification and drought is irresponsible, Heifer International and other organizations have zero-grazing requirements. It is drought and heat tolerant, while also being packed with protein and calcium. Would you expect a doctor to recommend a cancer drug based on reading an abstract? Heifer International 1 World Avenue Little Rock, AR 72202-2863 Other Names . A goat destroys the fertility of land and [the value of] any milk or dung it may give is very little compared to the havoc it wreaks, within two years, the people who get goats have an even poorer lifestyle. I think accountability for charities is really important. We make it easy with one tax-letter, gift card and present, but you may also choose to give directly to these groups or choose from our grants list. Increased dairy production is frequently touted as one of the greatest successes of animal-gifting programs. Most mammals (including humans) become lactose intolerant after weaning. Families who have lost farmed animals to drought are now growing crops and experiencing food security, better nutrition, and access to healthcare and education as a result of a steady income. How a donor can have themselves removed from a list differs from one charity to the next, but any and all opt-out policies require donors to take specific action to protect their privacy. Dont Send One, Either. With micro-irrigation, crops can be grown year round, harvesting rainwater and precisely redistributing it, and supplying families with sources of food as well as income from surplus harvest. But lately, weve gone into a bit more detail about our take on several of the best-known and most appealing charities out there. Evaluators witnessed improvements around the world. Living in a third world country, I know that most of the well known Aid organisations have their staff living in the best neighbourhoods & drive gas guzzling vehicles. Heifer International (also known as Heifer Project International) is a global nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. You can also follow them on facebook. We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. A Well-Fed World is an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a . Our multi-level approach provides immediate assistance to people in need and structural change that maximizes personal and planetary health. Compare this with: a) CARE (a similar type organization that is secular and has a more holistic approach) with overhead at 7.9% (according to their 2004 990 filing MRA) Staff members personal donations for giving season 2022, The winners of the Change Our Mind Contestand some reflections, Answering some questions about water quality programs, The Maximum Impact Fund is now the Top Charities Fund, Announcing the Change Our Mind Contest for critiques of our cost-effectiveness analyses. I disagree. - Fundraising investments performed better than expected throughout the year and year-end giving results exceeded projections. In Thailand, for example, evaluators found Heifers work helped villagers access greater amounts and varieties of food, helped increase their knowledge and skills in livestock care, and that extra income for livestock and food helped villagers send their children to school for more years. We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. Heifer International already operates such programs and can quickly and easily shift its focus and resources from animal abuse and meat consumption advocacy to a more compassionate, sustainable and effective initiatives, such as - irrigation systems installations, supplying seeds and farming training, empowering woman small businesses and more. Specifically, the reasons below provide details about these concerns. LEARN MORE (photo: Ashraya Initiative for Children - India) . It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don't have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, 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. 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. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage. To end hunger & poverty and care for the earth. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. She also draws attention to the negative consequences of increasing livestock production and intensification on climate change and oil scarcity. The People Department is strengthening development policies across the organization and providing clearer guidance and support to leaders in formal and informal leaderships roles. The World Land Trust calls animal gifting programs madness environmentally unsound and economically disastrous, They conclude that now that the grave consequences of introducing large numbers of goats and other domestic animals into fragile, arid environments is well documented, WLT considers it grossly irresponsible to continue with these schemes as a means of raising quick money for charities over the Christmas season., Sean ONeill of the Times of London explains that animal gifting organizations are wooing the ethical shopper with pictures of cute goats wearing Christmas hats and promises of helping the poor in developing countries., But organizations such as the World Land Trust and Animal Aid deem that it is madness to send goats, cows and chickens to areas where they will add to the problems of drought and desertification..