Happy Doggo

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
991254720
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Ames, IA, USA
Phone
5154937204
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,146,990
Expenses
$2,366,188
Assets
$2,657,960
Liabilities
$3,466

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • NIALL HARBISON (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • LINDSAY ANGUS (COO): $121,391 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The organization will address the global street dog problem through sterilization, vaccination, critical medical care, and re-homing of sick, injured, and abused dogs.

What it reported doing in 2025

Medical care and feeding: in 2025, happy doggo's medical program in koh samui, thailand provided free veterinary care to over 100 dogs, treating conditions including fractures, cancer, infectious disease, and severe malnutrition. All services were provided at no cost and prioritized stray and community-owned animals with no other access to care. Our feeding program delivered freshly prepared meals to over 1,000 dogs daily, distributed through a community feeder network across koh samui. Controlled feeding plays a critical role in population management: by establishing consistent feeding stations, the program stabilizes where dogs congregate, reducing roaming behavior and the human-animal conflict that most often leads to conflict. In 2024, happy doggo committed funding to the construction of tina's hospital, a dedicated animal medical facility in thailand. Architectural design was completed and a building permit was secured. Site preparation work was carried out, including full clearing, leveling of the building site, and construction of a new access road. Construction broke group in april 2026 and is now actively underway.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 90% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 46.6%; rating input score 47
  • Program expense ratio: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 42.9%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.12; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.1%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 189.9% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 114% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 101% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 46.6% of revenue deployed · 81.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $121K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 47/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.