Breaking the Chains International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
931851963
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2023
Location
Hilton Head Island, SC, USA
Phone
8438162555
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Services N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$391,363
Expenses
$368,051
Assets
$5,427
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Thomas Seaton Norton (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Thomas Seaton Norton (President): $15,325 total reported compensation
  • Lily Bluck (Secretary): $9,578 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The entitys mission is to deliver life-saving food veterinary supplies and humanitarian aid to animals and communities in crisis. The entity works across Ukraine and beyond to support stray animals under-resourced shelters and independent rescuers often overlooked and underfunded. Through powerful unfiltered storytelling from the ground they aim to shine a light on realities raise global awareness and rally meaningful support for those who need it most. This is more than rescue - it is a movement of compassion courage and commitment.

What it reported doing in 2024

Provide aid to animals in need which are located in areas of crisis such as the countries of Ukraine Gaza and Turkey. Forms of aid include but are not limited to food medical and other supplies veterinary care and repairs and maintenance of animal shelters with limited resources of their own. Services are provided to animal shelters zoos homeless and stray animals and many others in need.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 63
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.9%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 93.5%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 11
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.01; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.8%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.9% of revenue deployed · 93.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 1 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $344K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $15K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.