Longhopes Donkey Shelter
Legal name: Longhopes Donkey Shelter Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 841538890
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2014–2025
- Official website data refreshed
- Jun 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Bennett, CO, USA
- Phone
- 303-644-5930
- Rating
- 81
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Animal Protection and Welfare
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,508,693
- Expenses
- $618,285
- Assets
- $4,888,145
- Liabilities
- $4,074
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
6 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Kathy Dean (President)
People named in this filing
- Kathy Dean (President)
- Rebecca Braun (Treasurer)
- Roberta Glaser (Secretary)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Longhopes Donkey Shelter was founded to provide an alternative for unwanted donkeys often destined for slaughter—offering rehabilitation and training until suitable homes are found—and was formalized by establishing an equine shelter serving the donkey population in the Rocky Mountains. A testament to our unwavering dedication, Longhopes was accredited by the ASA and then in 2012 became the first donkey shelter in the United States to be accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. At Longhopes, we continue to forge ahead with our mission to provide a safe haven for donkeys in need, offering them a chance to heal, thrive, and find loving forever homes. Through our relentless efforts and the unwavering support of our compassionate community, we strive to make a lasting difference in the lives of these remarkable animals. Click here for the latest Longhopes IRS 990 report.
What it reported doing in 2025
Titer Research completed its second-year study while the Organization continued to provide outreach, feed, and medical expense assistance to donkey owners and other equine rescues. The Organization also solidified ownership of its property, further strengthening its long-term stability. During the year, the Organization rescued 12 donkeys and facilitated the adoption of 19 donkeys into permanent homes. In addition, it invested in the Colorado School of Mines Capstone Engineering Program to support agricultural product development, furthering innovation in support of its mission.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 95% 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
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 67
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 88
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 50%; rating input score 50
- Program expense ratio: 86.3%; rating input score 86
- Fundraising efficiency: $255.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 59%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.91; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 13% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 50% of revenue deployed · 86.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $534K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
- Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 50/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.