Hand in Paw
EIN: 63-1190375
as of December 2022
as of December 12, 2022
Mission
To improve human health and well-being through Animal-Assisted Therapy.
Notes from the nonprofit
Please visit handinpaw.org/about/media/video-gallery/ to see our Therapy Teams in action.
Ruling year
1998
Executive Director
Ms. Margaret Stinnett, CFRE
Main address
617 38th Street South
Birmingham, AL 35222 USA
EIN
63-1190375
Education
Human-animal interactions
Health
Human services
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
At-risk youth
People with disabilities
People with diseases and illnesses
NTEE code
Human Service Organizations (P20)
Health Support Services (E60)
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 annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Hand in Paw addresses the psychological needs of children and families in crisis, adults receiving hospital care, and senior citizens in assisted living facilities. We reach our clients through interaction with well-trained volunteer handler-animal teams; as an organization, one of our greatest strengths is the quality of our volunteers, many of whom also professionally practice as therapist, physicians, or animal specialists.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
HIP Heals
Hand in Paw Therapy Teams provide therapeutic visits in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, universities, and early intervention organizations. Animal-Assisted Therapy and Animal-Assisted Activities are two methods HIP teams utilize to enhance health and wellness and reduce stress.
HIP Reads
Animal-Assisted Education helps students achieve academic and educational goals in the classroom. HIP Teams help children build reading skills, gain confidence, and foster pro-social behaviors. We deliver Animal-Assisted Education via two programs, School's Best Friend and Sit, Stay, Read!.
HIP Cares
HIP's Pawsitive Living program teaches animal advocacy and concepts of compassion, responsibility, and empathy through one-on-one sessions with HIP Therapy Teams. Students are paired with HIP volunteer mentors to learn animal behavior and how animals and humans communicate and work together.
Where we work
Awards
Community Partner of the Year 2011
University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Occupational Therapy
Nonprofit of the Year with a budget of $500,000+ 2015
Birmingham Business Alliance
Top-Rated Nonprofit 2018
GreatNonprofits
Top Volunteer Opportunities in Birmingham 2019
GreatNonprofits
Affiliations & memberships
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Member
External reviews
Photos
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 goal is to respond to the needs of our community and facilitate positive change through Animal-Assisted Therapy. We aim to deliver our programs in every medical, educational and human service organization wishing to partner with Hand in Paw to improve the care and lives of their patients, students and clients.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We offer five programs that address some of the greatest challenges facing our region. These programs boost literacy, facilitate learning, prevent family and community violence and improve the health and well-being of people with special healthcare needs. Our work is 100% collaborative: all programs are delivered free of charge in over 100 medical centers, schools and human service agencies. In addition to ongoing program partnerships, we deliver community education and outreach visits annually at other sites.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our staff of thirteen- 10 full-time, 1 part-time and 2 non-paid volunteer staff - leads a corps of specially-trained, nationally-registered handler and animal Therapy Teams and Visit Assistants (those who serve without pets to make interventions more efficient). We are committed to professional development, continuing education, thorough screening, training, evaluation and management of our volunteer corps, delivering the highest quality of services, raising public awareness of the value of Animal-Assisted Therapy, building and sustaining strong community partnerships and growth in all program areas. The organization is governed by a diverse, visionary Board of Directors and supported by an active Kitchen Cabinet and Junior Board.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Although each year we have steadily expanded our volunteer corps, added many new community partners, and grown all programs in terms of both hours and interventions delivered, there is still much work to be done. As we train and place new teams into the field and activate new service partnerships, word of our effectiveness spreads further. For each new site made active, we receive several new service requests, and the waiting list grows.
In 2014 we purchased a building that serves as our permanent headquarters. In 2016, we embarked on a campaign to raise funds to renovate and customize the building to best serve our stakeholders -- primarily current and potential volunteers. As construction on the building reaches a close, we are excited about how these changes will enable us to hold volunteer trainings, evaluations and practice sessions on site. We will greatly increase the frequency of offerings, catering to a wide range of volunteer availability. Practice sessions will greatly increase the evaluation pass rate. We anticipate that these changes will enable us to grow at twice the current yearly rate.
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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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), Case management notes,
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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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2020 info
7.58
Months of cash in 2020 info
16.3
Fringe rate in 2020 info
19%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Hand in Paw
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
Hand in Paw
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 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: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of Hand in Paw’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 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$60,834 | -$21,764 | $1,036,723 | $638,013 | -$79,633 |
| As % of expenses | -11.0% | -3.4% | 131.0% | 87.7% | -12.3% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$69,478 | -$31,830 | $1,019,116 | $595,987 | -$121,632 |
| As % of expenses | -12.4% | -4.9% | 125.9% | 77.5% | -17.6% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $855,154 | $1,899,288 | $655,100 | $905,357 | $378,630 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 44.7% | 122.1% | -65.5% | 38.2% | -58.2% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2.4% | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 99.2% | 99.8% | 112.5% | 99.4% | 94.6% |
| Other revenue | 0.8% | 0.0% | -14.9% | 0.0% | 4.4% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $551,576 | $638,336 | $791,547 | $727,127 | $647,479 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 3.4% | 15.7% | 24.0% | -8.1% | -11.0% |
| Personnel | 74.8% | 71.3% | 70.7% | 72.7% | 84.8% |
| Professional fees | 3.8% | 6.9% | 11.1% | 8.1% | 5.0% |
| Occupancy | 6.0% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| Interest | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 12.4% | 16.7% | 14.3% | 17.1% | 8.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $560,220 | $648,402 | $809,154 | $769,153 | $689,478 |
| One month of savings | $45,965 | $53,195 | $65,962 | $60,594 | $53,957 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $25,699 | $507,075 | $162,251 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $606,185 | $727,296 | $1,382,191 | $991,998 | $743,435 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 8.3 | 6.4 | 12.0 | 13.1 | 16.3 |
| Months of cash and investments | 8.3 | 30.0 | 12.5 | 13.6 | 16.9 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | -2.6 | -3.1 | 5.5 | 13.8 | 14.1 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $383,328 | $338,524 | $790,250 | $794,749 | $879,964 |
| Investments | $0 | $1,254,754 | $33,735 | $31,613 | $32,991 |
| Receivables | $237,366 | $252,308 | $103,043 | $135,476 | $64,839 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $656,364 | $682,062 | $1,189,137 | $1,351,388 | $1,351,388 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 8.9% | 10.1% | 7.3% | 9.5% | 12.6% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 24.6% | 12.1% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 5.6% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $478,989 | $447,159 | $1,466,275 | $2,062,262 | $1,940,630 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $441,474 | $1,714,260 | $540,207 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $441,474 | $1,714,260 | $540,207 | $86,708 | $97,831 |
| Total net assets | $920,463 | $2,161,419 | $2,006,482 | $2,148,970 | $2,038,461 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Ms. Margaret Stinnett, CFRE
Margaret loves working in the service of others. A native of Sylvan Springs, Alabama, Margaret started her education at Birmingham Southern College and then moved on to the University of California, Irvine. She has volunteered and worked in non-profits for over 30 years. Margaret left the Birmingham Boys Choir Executive Director job in October of 2018 and started a new adventure with Hand in Paw in November of 2018. She is excited about the successful Capital Campaign of Hand in Paw, and along with a strong staff, volunteers, community partners and a very devoted Board of Directors, she knows the future is bright for Hand in Paw! Margaret shares her home with children, cats, dogs and a lot of laughter. If she has a spare moment, she dreams of Paris, sits down to play the piano or watch The Office.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Hand in Paw
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Hand in Paw
Board of directorsas of 01/24/2023
Board of directors data
Mr. Todd Engelhardt
Adams and reese, LLP
Term: 2021 - 2023
Laura Thompson
Children's of Alabama
Rosemary Greaves
Southern Company
David Gibert
Regions Bank
Langley Kitchings
Community Advocate
Jane Calamusa
Rosen Harwood, P.A.
Clay Clark
EGS Commercial Real Estate
Tripp Cobb
Tito's Handmade Vodka
Margaret Davis
Creative Dog Training
Tom Findlay
Thomas Andrew Art
Molly Folse
Protective
Martha Foster
Encompass Health
Holly Gainer
Samford University
Brent Hamilton
CSX Transportation
Beth Leonard
Community Advocate
Melissa Mancini
UAB Health System
Laura McAlister
Encompass Health
Phyllis McCombs
Community Advocate
Catherine McLean
Community Advocate
Carlton Millsap
Dogtopia of Homewood
Laura Needham
Children's of Alabama
Susan Nelms
Veterinary Eye Care
Joan Stelling
UAB Hospital
Lynda Woods
Community Advocate
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? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/12/2019GuideStar 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 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 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.
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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