The Giving Basket is having some issues. However, this summary appears to say next to nothing about the methods used to reach the conclusions described. Search . ____________________________________________. Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. Additionally, you express concerns about Heifers livestock model and its impact. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting. Please consider supporting our Plants-4-Hunger program or choose another favorite! Period. In 2009, Lydia and her mother traveled to Vietnam on a Heifer International study tour to meet families that are recipients of Heifer gifts. Furthermore, children who are supposed to benefit from animal gifts may be taken out of school to tend to animals. - In countries that are hardest hit, Heifer is providing emergency cash grants and food supplies to communities. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I sent detailed comments on the evaluation back to Heifer representatives. There is a profound lack of supervision (with teeth) in the charity sector. I dont think it is difficult to satisfy both criteria at once. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You're faster than our page! Without citing specific organizations, you would first look at who GiveWell (or whichever rating service you choose to use) recommends, then consider the executive compensation question. This is in line with Heifer's plan of reaching 6 million smallholder farming households in Africa by 2030. By Dawn Moncrief | December 10, 2013 | Categories Agriculture and Environment. Evaluators witnessed improvements around the world. As President and CEO of Heifer International, this weighs heavy on my heart. 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. 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. I encourage Heifer to make the full study public, as is done with (for example) Poverty Action Lab evaluations. 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. We have concerns about this general area and concerns about giving livestock specifically. 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. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn. Im impressed by the intelligent, respectful and thoughtful conversation found here. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up for our e-newsletter and get our free EcoFood Guide PDF. These hunger relief projects provide both immediate assistance and long-term community solutions that feed families without harming animals. If the problem persists contact us. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. As communities went into lockdown, farmers found it increasingly difficult to get their products to market and get access to farming inputs. Goal Three: Build inclusive and effective value chains, The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development. THE MAGAZINE OF HEIFER INTERNATIONAL SPRING 2020 | HEIFER.ORG PLUS What's the Real Cost of Your Coffee Habit? 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. 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. 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. Twitter, Heifer International Foundation 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 - 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. 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. Additionally, dairy production negatively impacts local communities with ripple effect consequences that ultimately disadvantage entire societies. With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve? Heifer International is exempt from federal income tax under 26 U.S.C. To end hunger & poverty and care for the earth. Best Items to Donate to an Animal Shelter, Donors Prefer Charities that Earn All Four Beacons. Researchers have found that teff can be grown in those same areas by the same farmers at a yield of 2,000 to 3,000 pounds per acre, with more sustainable growing techniques employed and no water irrigation teff has been shown to grow well in water-stressed areas and it is pest resistant.. Simply enter the organization's name (Heifer International) or EIN (351019477) in the 'Search Term' field. I feel that raising questions like the ones we raise above is more productive. See the metrics below for more information. Our program staff also help to procure hard to get items. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. Animals Eat Other Animals, So Why Shouldnt We? diets, in particular on the consumption of animal source foods, and on child nutritional status in those households. In Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, evaluators cited Heifers effectiveness and impact as nothing less than impressive, and in Asia, evaluators said, It was evident that Heifer China has the strongest system we have seen so far, not only to provide livestock care training and management support, but also to effectively influence other agencies to adopt Heifer values and work strategies.. Heifer is about education and training and building communities as much as it is about the living loan of livestock. Our Global Grants strengthen plant-based feeding and farming programs, education, and advocacy. The much larger 2005 Western Michigan University evaluation is still not public as far as we know. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organizations overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned. - Staff regularly present at industry-specific conferences and events. A global shift towards plant-based foods more efficiently uses crops and natural resources to nourish people and cool the climate. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. Furthermore, there is no need for humans to consume the milk of other animals. Heifer International 1 World Avenue Little Rock, AR 72202-2863 Other Names . In Heifer, you will have the opportunity to work with hundreds of people worldwide to solve universal problems affecting our planet and the food supply chain. For example, our top-rated charity (VillageReach) doesnt appear (based on its Form 990) to pay anyone more than $65,000/yr. 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. A Well-Fed World sends 100% of your donation to four hand-picked groups with low-overhead and proven successes in high-need areas. Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic: - In April 2020, the municipal government of Quito approached Heifer Ecuador to respond to the food security crisis in low-income neighborhoods. Founders Dan West. And I was trying to argue that such compensation is unnecessary and therefore the issue itself need not exist at all. Our evaluation convinced us of the importance of continuing with this core feature.. 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. Investment Firm Abandons Plans to Build a Mega Slaughterhouse in What about Humanely Raised Milk and Dairy Products? A diversion of assets any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. ), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Case management notes, Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) 2009-2023   -   A Well-Fed World  -  EIN: 27-0865905. 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). 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. Section 501(c)(3), and is a non-profit organization eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.Each donation to Heifer is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and represents a contribution to its entire mission which is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. In this case, we deduct 7 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. Company Type Non-profit. This ratio is an indicator of an organizations solvency and or long term sustainability. The model relies heavily on in-person activities including workshops, group sessions and on-farm activities. 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.. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Isnt a donor who believes that the success stories they see on a non-profits website are the rule rather than the exception as naive as a consumer who thinks Nike shoes will actually make them play basketball like Lebron James? Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years. Specifically, the reasons below provide details about these concerns. 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). loading and try your donation again. How much funding does GiveWell expect to raise through 2025? Consuming milk from other animals is also associated with allergies, asthma, and a host of autoimmune disorders. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 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. GiveWell is devoted to finding charities in which we can have more confidence. Learn more about our criteria and methodology. Facebook, This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. - Wide range of institutional and corporate partnerships see annual report for more information. 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. However, I signed a nondisclosure agreement with Heifer that requires me not to disclose the contents of the evaluation. There are also organizations that pay substantial salaries and make a difference. As a result, the idea that Nike doesnt turn you into LeBron James is widely recognized. Our purpose here is to make the criticisms of these campaigns public and to encourage alternatives that are more effective and more compassionate. 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. Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve. 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. Heifer International main competitors are Open Society Foundations, The Heritage Foundation, and Ford Foundation. In this case, we deduct 15 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. Give the page a little longer to finish 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. I disagree. Goal Two: Promote and support collective action and the formation of farmer groups and farmer owned cooperatives. 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. In this situation, we deduct 7 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. This normally would have reduced their star rating. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years. horizons HEIFER.ORG | 1 For the last couple . We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets.