PLATINUM2024

Animal-Kind International

Kindness to animals has no boundaries

aka AKI   |   Jemez Springs, NM   |  http://www.animal-kind.org

Mission

We strengthen local, existing animal welfare organizations in poor countries, focusing on those in Africa. We raise money to help support animal welfare organizations and we build their technical and administrative capacities so they become stronger voices for animals in their communities. To achieve this, we support our Partner Organizations and AKI's Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program.

Ruling year info

2009

Founder & Director

Karen Barbara Menczer

Main address

PO Box 300 % Karen B Menczer

Jemez Springs, NM 87025 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

74-3230332

NTEE code info

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (D12)

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (Q12)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Register now

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

(1) It's so difficult for Animal Rescue & Protection Organizations in poor/under-resourced countries (mainly in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe) to raise money within their own communities: they compete with so many other needs and animal welfare is not yet considered a priority. AKI reaches beyond borders to raise money for some of the most effective animal rescue and protection organizations. (2) Donors may be skeptical about donating to organizations thousands of miles away. AKI ensures that all donations are used for animal welfare purposes only. We require our partner organizations to account for all funds in a transparent and complete manner. Because AKI board members have personally worked with our partner organizations, we know-firsthand-their work, their situations, challenges, strengths.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Support to Kingston Community Animal Welfare

AKI provides funds for KCAW to purchase food and medicine and for vet care (spay/neuter and other vet needs) for over 1000 street dogs and cats belonging to low/no income families. KCAW has built up a network of community members who watch over and help care for the dogs and cats living on Kingston's streets. No other organization works in poor communities in Kingston to help owned and street animals. KCAW/Deborah has been helping street animals for over 30 years.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Economically disadvantaged people

AKI supports HHHH's animal sanctuary, the Nereida Montes de Oca Refuge in Tegucigalpa, which rescues and cares for dogs and cats that are dumped on the streets, that are hit by cars and left to die, and others in desperate need of rescue. HHHH helps the most difficult cases, those who no one else will, cares for them as long as needed, including providing spay/neuter once they're healthy. The Refuge typically has about 25 dogs and a few cats residing there. HHHH has a school humane ed iprogram, and trains young adults to rescue animals and to spread the concept, within their own communities, of kindness to animals.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children
Adolescents

AKI supports the Uganda SPCA's shelter, The Haven. AKI financial support covers about 1/3 of the operating costs of The Haven, including staff salaries, cat and dog food, electricity, water, phone, bills, shelter rent, and other priority needs of The Haven. Our Land Fund has raised money so that the USPCA can expand the shelter and actually own the property rather than rent it. In 2021, the USPCA was able to purchase a 2.08 acre plot in Kajjansi (outside of Kampala, on the way to Entebbe). We are now raising money for the construction and moving phases.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Adolescents
Children

We provide support to Twala Trust's Doggy Tuesday clinics. Every Tuesday, about 600 dogs with their owners gather at the gates of Twala Trust's sanctuary to receive vet care (check-up, vaccinations, parasite control, and any other vet procedures needed) and to eat at the doggy "buffet." All dogs who attend Doggy Tuesday receive a nutritious meal and for those who need it, a bag of supplemental food for the rest of the week. AKI is providing the funds for Twala Trust to feed 600 dogs/week and provide supplemental food to the most vulnerable. Twala Trust also spays/neuters, provides more intensive vet care, if needed, at their sanctuary clinic, travels to remote areas or to homes where the people or dogs aren't able to reach Doggy Tuesday clinics, and cares for about 400 dogs at the sanctuary, including around 70 elderly dogs, the Waggley Tail Club.

Population(s) Served
Non-adult children
Children and youth
Ethnic and racial groups
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people

AKI financial support provides funds for LAWCS's Humane Education and Community Animal Care Clinics in Lofa County. Our funds provide small stipends for LAWCS volunteers, Humane Ed material, vet supplies, fuel for motorbikes, and other priority needs for the LAWCS program. Our support for LAWCS Community Animal Care Clinics provides the only basic animal care available in Lofa County. At these community clinics, pet owners get their pets vaccinated, treated for internal and external parasites, and treated for wounds, skin, ear, and eye problems, all for free.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Economically disadvantaged people

We support Bam's donkey welfare work, including training donkey owners to make and use humane saddles out of sisal sacks and community vet clinics, providing free treatment to donkeys in Bam's target districts and sub-counties in eastern Uganda. Most of the donkey owners helped by Bam are women who rely on their donkeys to carry produce to and from market and water to their homes. In the areas where Bam works, donkeys are the main source of transportation-the road network is so poor and the topography so steep. Even though people rely on donkeys for their livelihoods, they normally provide minimal, if any care. Bam is changing that.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Women and girls
Children
Adolescents

We support the Sauvons nos Animaux animal shelter in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, by providing funds for spay/neuter and other vet care, dog and cat food for the approximately 200 animals at the shelter, shelter infrastructure improvements, and other SnA priority needs. The Sauvons nos Animaux is the only animal shelter in the eastern DR Congo, and may be the only animal shelter in the entire expanse of the DRC. The shelter also has a Kids Club, where disadvantaged kids visit the shelter to learn about animals, animal care, and to help with shelter tasks. This is the only opportunity for them to learn about dogs and cats, dispel false and harmful beliefs about cats and dogs, and to take responsibility for other beings.

Population(s) Served
Young adults
Adolescents
Children
At-risk youth

Our grant program provides support to existing (at least 3 years in operation) animal welfare organizations in Africa based on a proposal submitted during our open season. In both 2020 and 2021, we provided grants to nine organizations. These grants provide some of the only funding available for many animal welfare organizations in Africa.

Population(s) Served
At-risk youth
Extremely poor people
Working poor
At-risk youth
Extremely poor people
Working poor

Have a Heart is dedicated to providing spay/neuter services in remote communities in Namibia. We support an AKI-HaH Emergency Fund so that HaH clients who need help beyond s/n --specifically in emergency situations--can access vet care. We also support HaH's Lifetime Care Program, whereby all returning s/n clients are guaranteed booster shots and preventive parasite treatment for life. These are the two main budget shortfalls that HaH has identified, and that we are filling.

Population(s) Served
Extremely poor people
Extremely poor people

We support The Six Freedom's goal of improving the care and understanding of horses in Ghana. There are so many abandoned and mistreated horses in Ghana and many animal care professionals never received training in proper horse care. The 6 Freedoms (@thesixfreedoms) works with the horse community (horse owners, stable owners, grooms, vets, animal health providers, police, polo players, racetracks, horse riders) to improve the well-being of horses by providing professional training and a platform for collaboration. They also work with the wider Ghanaian citizenry (students, artists, musicians, dancers) to increase their appreciation and understanding of horses. T6F brings together and works with all stakeholders to advocate for improved care and understanding of horses. When necessary, T6F rescues horses and provides vet care, nutritious food, hoof and tooth care, etc. at 2 stables, where 13 of their rescued horses now live pending purchase of their very own horse rescue sanctuary.

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Activists
Artists and performers

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of supported organizations that exceed AKI reporting expectations

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

AKI requires partner organizations to track expenditures & send tracker to us 2x/year & to regularly send information about what AKI funds have accomplished & pictures to illustrate accomplishments.

Number of animal welfare organizations supported with AKI funds

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

This includes our Partner Organizations and Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Recipients & organizations taking part in our Friendly Audit/mentorship program.

Number of organizations accessing technical assistance offerings

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

This includes AKI Friendly Audits where we review an organization's capacities & pair them with a mentor who helps address their technical needs, & informal technical support to organizations.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

AKI aims to strengthen existing animal welfare organizations in poor countries to ensure that they will always be there, on the ground, to respond when animals are in need;
We aim to raise money for animal welfare organizations in poor countries, where there are so few opportunities to raise funds for animal organizations. In many "developed" countries, numerous options are available for grants or private donations. That's not the case in poor countries.
We aim to be a part of a sea change in attitudes and behaviors to animals worldwide.

AKI uses a variety of means to reach our target audiences, which range from youth to seniors with a focus on people who care about animals and people who are interested in international animal welfare, including those who have traveled abroad and have witnessed how animals are treated, in particular in poor countries. AKI uses social media, e-newsletters, radio, in-person presentations, magazine and newspaper articles, and other means to raise visibility of our partner organizations' work. We post projects on crowdfunding sites, and we post articles on blogs. We actively use Facebook as a means to keep supporters updated on our partner organizations' daily activities.

Three of AKI's 7 Board members (Karen, Ron, & Dipesh) have lived & worked overseas (Dipesh currently lives in Kenya) with local animal welfare organizations. Together they have lived in over 35 countries. Karen has worked with all of AKI's partners, knows their work from a personal basis, visits them regularly as part of her work in the conservation field (funding for her trips is not from the AKI budget). Dipesh worked for World Society for the Protection of Animals-Africa prior to his current position w/Rift Valley Adventures. Ron is a retired Foreign Service Officer, having worked for >30 years in > 40 countries focusing on agriculture & community development. Elizabeth is a librarian & information specialist; her focus area for AKI is on fundraising. Jean is a long-time animal welfare advocate, she advises the board on animal welfare issues. We have a Technical Advisory Group of 4 people with broad geographical experience in animal welfare.

Over the 13 years AKI has been in existence, our partner organizations' reporting capabilities have greatly improved. They not only understand they need to submit complete, detailed, and timely reports to us for AKI purposes, but also for our (their) donors; they have a better understanding of the donor/recipient relationship. We have continually raised more money and have supported more strategic and priority needs of our partners. We started a new program as of 2018, a grant program for animal welfare organizations in Africa, now in its 3rd year. The grant program is expanding the support we provide and helps deepen our focus on Africa-based animal welfare organizations.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • 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 identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Animal-Kind International
lock

Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan.

Subscribe

Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more about GuideStar Pro.

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Animal-Kind International

Board of directors
as of 05/01/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Ms. Karen Menczer

self-employed

Ronald B Stryker

U.S. Agency for International Development

Elizabeth Haskett

Jean Merriman

Dipesh Pabari

Rift Valley Adventures

Barbara Abolafia

New Jersey community college

Karen Rae

Attorney

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 5/1/2024

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/01/2024

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • 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 one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.