Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

RwandaThe Organization's state-of-the-art research and education center in Rwanda is accelerating the critical science and training needed for effective conservation. It serves as an educational hub and, since opening in Feb 2022, has hosted more than 130,000 visitors, including 22,000 schoolchildren. The Fossey Fund maintains its daily protection activities for 10 gorilla families in Rwanda, removing more than 1,500 illegal snares this year, and continues to expand its research program on both gorillas and the surrounding biodiversity. Community development programs focus on food security and livelihood initiatives, including livestock, food tree distributions and mushroom cultivation. The program has expanded to address the needs at a village level, reaching approximately 14,000 households, by providing financial support and technical assistance to 60 villages bordering Volcanoes National Park as they design and launch livelihood initiatives for a climate-resilient future. Community programs also focused on educational outreach and access through nature clubs, conservation camps and debates, guided tours, forest visits, teacher training and community leader engagement. The Girls in Conservation project addresses education inequalities by supporting girls in their education goals through academic scholarships to secondary schools and promoting environmental stewardship. To build scientific capacity, the Fossey Fund provided training to more than 500 university students and has hosted 25 workshops with participants from more than 30 countries. The Fossey Fund has an intensive mentoring program for early-career scientists and provides scholarships to promote the educational advancement of African scientists, with a particular focus on women in science and conservation.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 60.2%; rating input score 60
• Program expense ratio: 80.8%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 30%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.87; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.2%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.8% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.5% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings