INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE EDUCATION
EIN: 01-0530866
Mission
The mission of the Institute for Humane Education is to educate people to create a world where all humans, animals, and nature may thrive.
Notes from the nonprofit
We believe the world becomes what we teach, and that we must educate a generation of solutionaries prepared and motivated to address and solve the challenges we face in the world.
Ruling year
2000
President
Zoe Weil
Executive Director
Steve Cochrane
Main address
P.O. Box 260
Surry, ME 04684 USA
EIN
01-0530866
Higher education
Social enterprise
Human rights
Youth development
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Academics
NTEE code
Higher Education Institutions (B40)
Other Youth Development N.E.C. (O99)
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (R01)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
The Institute for Humane Education (IHE) seeks to solve interconnected problems related to social justice, environmental ethics, and animal protection. We do this by addressing a fundamental system that impacts all other systems: education. We work to ensure that people are educated to be solutionaries who are able to bring critical, systems, strategic, and creative thinking to bear on local and global challenges, and who are motivated by compassion and justice to do so. By preparing educators to teach students how to be solutionaries, able to uncover and solve systemic problems, we pave the way for the unfolding of a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. By bringing solutionary thinking and action to schools and communities, we set the stage for positive change.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Institute for Humane Education
Humane education teaches young people and adults to think critically, creatively and practically about how to live more humanely. Issues addressed range from worldwide challenges such as genocide, global warming and animal cruelty to community concerns and the power of personal choice. Our programs present novel approaches to engage people in a positive, persuasive manner.
Graduate degrees in affiliation with Antioch University offer a complete training to prepare people to be humane educators. Degree candidates learn to teach about the most important issues of our time and present complex and sensitive information to students of all ages and backgrounds.
We offer workshops, resources, high impact presentations to inform educators, activists and others to provide people with the insight they need to make truly thoughtful choices that help create a humane world for all people, animals and the environment and to solve the challenges we face. Participants learn powerful, enjoyable ways to reach out at schools, religious settings, events and other gatherings.
Resources - In addition to the books and articles written by IHE's co-founder and President, Zoe Weil, IHE offers a variety of resources, from free downloadable humane education lesson plans, to our blog and e-newsletter, to a variety of other sources useful to educators and citizen activists. IHE has produced a free, digital Solutionary Guidebook
Graduate Programs
Accredited online Masters, Certificate, and Ph.D. programs.
Center for Solutionary Change
The CSC serves as a dynamic hub for professional development, resources, and learning for educators and activists seeking to become and to educate others to be solutionaries.
Resource Center
Online resource center for educators filled with books, org links, lesson plans, activities, Pinterest, blogs etc related to educating about the interconnections between environmental sustainability, human rights, and animal protection.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Social Psychology Network 2009
Antioch University 2019
Valparaiso University 2011
Cambridge College 2000
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of educators who have opportunities to attend programs offered by professional organizations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Institute for Humane Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We zoomed into teacher events, as keynoter and speaker, to reach teachers via Zoom (during COVID), offering a solutionary focus for them to bring to classrooms.
Number of teachers who receive quarterly training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Center for Solutionary Change
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Providing support to our partners in San Mateo, ~100 teachers received training using our solutionary approach by the county. In turn, these teachers produced & delivered Solutionary Units
Total number of periodical subscribers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Institute for Humane Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
3,375 new people downloaded our various resources
Total number of new organization members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Institute for Humane Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These numbers represent new subscribers to our website with all of its resources to support solutionary teaching and learning.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our ultimate mission is to educate people to create a world in which all humans, animals, and nature can thrive. We seek to prepare a generation of solutionaries, young people able to identify unjust, unhealthy, unsustainable systems and work collaboratively, creatively, and ethically to transform them. To achieve this mission in the years ahead, we have identified the following three major goals:
1. To enhance solutionary thinking and action by making our 14-step Solutionary Framework foundational to an increasing number and diversity of schools, colleges, institutions, and communities nationally and worldwide.
2. To expand the leadership of the Humane Education movement by increasing the number and diversity of students enrolling in our unique graduate programs (M.Ed., M.A., Ed.D. Graduate Certificate, Ed.D.), which we offer through an affiliation with Antioch University. These graduate programs prepare educators, activists, and changemakers to teach about the interconnected issues of human rights, environmental ethics, and animal protection and enable others to be solutionaries for a more just and healthy world.
3. To contribute meaningfully to social and racial justice by ensuring our organization is inclusive and in the service of and with diverse communities and those most affected by injustice.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We seek to build relationships with the greatest number and diversity of people and provide them with the easiest pathways for becoming "solutionaries" and solving the problems about which they most care.
1. Our Solutionary materials and professional development - We offer free, digital solutionary guidebooks for teachers and students, a Solutionary Micro-credential Program for teachers, and free lesson plans and units from our award-winning online resource center to enable anyone, anywhere, to bring a clear and powerful process to others so that together we can bring solutionary thinking and action to bear on local and global challenges.
2. Graduate programs are online so that we can prepare educators from around the world.
3. Free lesson and unit plans, other resources, and free digital Solutionary Guidebooks - again so that anyone, anywhere can use these proven strategies to bring solutionary thinking and action to bear on problems.
4. Building and curating a Solutionary YouTube Channel to showcase student solutionary work, rather than require in-person events that limit the reach.
5. Partner with a diversity of schools, districts, and counties. Currently, we are working with San Mateo County, CA, which is using our Solutionary approach as the philosophy and framework for their entire county serving 23 school districts and 113,000 children. The Office of Education is using IHE president, Zoe Weil's book "The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries" as the text. They are bringing us in to work with curriculum and instructional deveopers, administrators, and teachers, and hold an annual Solutionary Fair to showcase student work. They have deeply trained hundreds of teachers who have developed Solutionary Units for their classrooms and are delivering them to students. We are assessing these in order to demonstrate and then spread this kind of education. We are also working with many other teachers, schools, and Oceanside School District on Long Island, NY, which is making our solutionary approach integral to the K12 social studies curriculum.
6. Provide high impact outreach: keynotes, workshops, articles, books to spread solutionary thinking and action as far as possible.IHE's president writes books, articles, keynotes conferences, leads workshops, and blogs for Psychology Today, and reaches hundreds of thousands through her personal outreach,.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
1. IHE's President is considered the global leader in comprehensive humane education. She is a prolific writer and sought-after speaker. Her first (of six) TEDx talks became among the 50 most popular one year after its upload. She keynotes conferences across the U.S. and overseas.
2. IHE's graduate programs are unique in the world and its faculty is superb and represent leaders in their respective fields.
3. IHE is the world leader in solutionary-focused humane education connecting human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection. Our graduates (of our Master's degree and PhD programs, our online courses, our workshops) have brought humane education to schools, communities, and countries across the globe. Our work has launched many non-profits and placed humane education leaders in many others.
4. IHE has a dedicated and excellent volunteer board; many long term major donors; and a growing community of alumni.
5. IHE continues to partner with people and organizations that expand our reach and our learning.
6. IHE's revenue comes from a combination of donations, grants, and program revenue making us a stable organization since our founding in 1996.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
IHE has accomplished the following:
• Created the first graduate programs in comprehensive humane education in the U.S. offered online.
• Created acclaimed humane education workshops.
• Brought the concept of educating a #SolutionaryGeneration to the world.
• Graduated hundreds of people from our graduate programs and online courses who have gone on to bring humane education to classrooms, communities, businesses, the arts, and founding and/or leading non-profit education programs.
• Reached hundreds of thousands through our free online resources at our award-winning resource center.
• Reached hundreds of thousands through our president's TEDx talks.
• Reached tens of thousands through keynote addresses at education and other conferences.
• Created a field of study - comprehensive humane education - and the books and thinking to accompany it.
• Inspired and prepared a county, districts, and many schools and teachers to bring humane education and solutionary practices to thousands of students.
What lies ahead is not simply more of this, but a tipping point in which solutionary practices are deeply embedded in educational systems, preparing students to solve the challenges we face in the world. Moreover, our world helps activists and changemakers to be systems-thinkers and more strategic as they understand the needs of all stakeholders and build bridges for successful collaboration and true solutionary thinking rather than perpetual side-taking.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve educators, students, advocates for a just, healthy, and humane world, and ultimately all people, animals, and ecosystems that are affected by the systems humans create and perpetuate. Our work builds a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable future by educating people to be solutionaries who are motivated and successful at working collaboratively, and through a powerful solutionary process, to address and solve problems locally, nationally, and globally.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email, Evaluations of all our programs,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We reviewed all of our courses through the lens of equity, inclusion, and racial justice, and made revisions in course materials and activities. We developed a document to assist teachers in their understanding and implementation of the Solutionary Framework that included links to exemplar units. We adjusted the fee schedule for our Solutionary Micro-credentialing Program so that ability to pay was no longer a barrier.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
We are collaborative and supportive of our partners, alumni, and program participants, empowering them to lead at every turn. We see ourselves as supporting a network of solutionary-focused educators and changemakers to build communities that are more just, healthy, and humane.
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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 look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), 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,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
58.95
Months of cash in 2021 info
22.8
Fringe rate in 2021 info
13%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE EDUCATION
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Aug 01 - Jul 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE EDUCATION
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Aug 01 - Jul 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Aug 01 - Jul 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE EDUCATION’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$128,494 | -$53,689 | $69,113 | $371 | $21 |
| As % of expenses | -21.9% | -10.5% | 14.7% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$129,040 | -$54,235 | $68,567 | -$22 | $21 |
| As % of expenses | -22.0% | -10.6% | 14.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $457,718 | $540,328 | $477,644 | $405,321 | $779,046 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -4.9% | 18.0% | 0.0% | -15.1% | 92.2% |
| Program services revenue | 34.8% | 27.7% | 24.5% | 19.1% | 22.8% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.4% |
| All other grants and contributions | 64.8% | 72.4% | 75.8% | 81.3% | 70.8% |
| Other revenue | 0.3% | -0.1% | -0.3% | -0.6% | -0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $586,491 | $511,046 | $470,608 | $303,695 | $382,974 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 0.0% | -12.9% | 0.0% | -35.5% | 26.1% |
| Personnel | 78.1% | 82.8% | 82.0% | 73.2% | 69.2% |
| Professional fees | 4.3% | 4.0% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 11.9% |
| Occupancy | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 16.4% | 11.8% | 9.7% | 17.0% | 17.0% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $587,037 | $511,592 | $471,154 | $304,088 | $382,974 |
| One month of savings | $48,874 | $42,587 | $39,217 | $25,308 | $31,915 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $635,911 | $554,179 | $510,371 | $329,396 | $414,889 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 4.6 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 16.7 | 22.8 |
| Months of cash and investments | 4.6 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 16.8 | 24.3 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 5.4 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 10.7 | 11.7 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $224,859 | $296,950 | $245,334 | $423,340 | $726,228 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,515 | $49,136 |
| Receivables | $48,681 | $8,000 | $30,355 | $5,850 | $1,488 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $17,301 | $17,301 | $17,301 | $17,301 | $17,301 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 89.6% | 92.7% | 97.7% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 3.5% | 3.7% | 3.3% | 14.3% | 1.6% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $263,479 | $209,244 | $270,631 | $270,609 | $371,863 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $9,720 | $92,689 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $9,720 | $92,689 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $273,199 | $301,933 | $270,631 | $371,842 | $767,935 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
President
Zoe Weil
Zoe Weil is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), where she created the first graduate programs in comprehensive Humane Education. Zoe is a frequent keynote speaker at education and other conferences and has given six TEDx talks including her acclaimed TEDx, “The World Becomes What You Teach.” She is the author of seven books including "The World Becomes What We Teach" and Nautilus silver medal winner "Most Good, Least Harm." Zoe was named one of Maine Magazine’s 50 independent leaders transforming their communities and the state, and is the recipient of the Unity College Women in Environmental Leadership award. She was also a subject of the Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait series and received the Distinguished Alumnae Achievement Award from the Nightingale-Bamford School. She holds master’s degrees from Harvard Divinity School and the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Valparaiso University.
Executive Director
Steve Cochrane
Passionate about preparing young people to lead lives of joy and purpose, Steve Cochrane has worked in all aspects of education. He began as an admissions officer and an assistant dean of students at Princeton University, then taught – and learned from – his fourth and fifth grade students as a public school teacher. He became dorm director and associate dean of admissions at Wheelock College in Boston. He has also been an elementary school principal, a middle school principal, an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and, most recently, the superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools in Princeton, New Jersey, where he was honored with the County Superintendent of the Year award. In each of these roles, Steve has collaborated with others to prioritize innovations in learning, wellness for students, equity, and a belief that every child should be supported and inspired to achieve their highest potential.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE EDUCATION
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE EDUCATION
Board of directorsas of 01/26/2023
Board of directors data
Neil Hornish
Zoe Weil
Neil Hornish
Stephanie Hanner
Lori Weir
Haj Carr
Kathleen Skerrett
Stacy Hoult-Saros
Andrea Jamison
Victoria Chiatula
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Yes -
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
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/24/2022GuideStar 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
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- 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.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- 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.
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- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2021, 2020, 2019
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