Montana Horse Sanctuary Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The Sanctuarys mission is to help Montanas in-crisis and abused horses by providing financial and educational support to rescuers, horse owners and animal control agencies. We provide financial assistance, education and hands-on support. Read on to learn how we are doing.From 2004 - 2024: Celebrating 20 years rescuing horses and helping horse folk in Montana: The Sanctuary became a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization in 2004. Our work until 2021 was the active rescue of horses in crisis, mostly those who had been seized by law enforcement during abuse cases. Over the years we took in and rehabilitated, then rehomed to adopters more than 200 Montana horses. Today our primary mission is giving financial support to the following:- Horse owners in financial crisis: feed, veterinary and farrier care- Private horse rescues: feed, veterinary and farrier care- Non-Profit horse rescues and sanctuaries: general and emergency support- Law Enforcement during abuse case seizures of horses: feed, veterinary and farrier support and placement assistance.Our secondary missions are:- Providing education to the horse-loving people of Montana through direct educational and resource support as well as classes and workshops.- Providing expertise and boots-on-the-ground support to the horse rescuers of Montana- Continued support to people who have adopted horses from our organization in the form of expertise, providing veterinary support and hands-on help. All horses adopted from the Sanctuary also have the safety net of an adopt-back contract which means that if their adopter is ever unable to continue caring for them they will be returned to us. We never want a horse we placed to fall through the cracks ever again.Following is a summary of the work we did in 2024.Assistance to horse owners in financial crisis - total spent in 2024 = $6,669.55. A great example of this program involved a young horse owner in Livingston. About a month before she applied to us for help, her mare received a joint injection to treat arthritis but the injection caused a joint infection and required hospitalized treatment. While at the veterinary hospital, the mare developed a serious colic which led to surgery. The mare was back home and recuperating when, for some reason, her abdominal stitches tore loose and released her intestines! Back to the hospital! The incision was stitched again and she finally went back home weeks later. The road to recovery was long with daily treatment of the healing (again) incision as well as a special girdle-type apparatus to hold her abdomen intact. With the help of her devoted owner, the horse healed well and today is able to do light work under saddle. Another young horse owner is a member of Pony Club. Her veterinarian suspected the girls mare had digestive ulcers, which were making her uncomfortable and constantly on the verge of a colic. This lovely, sweet mare was feeling cranky and miserable. Her human is an exceptional 17-year-old girl. She pays all of her horses care costs working a job as a farm hand at a local horse therapy facility after school and on weekends. She asked us to help her pay for further diagnostic testing which included another veterinary exam and endoscopy. She asked that she be allowed to invite fellow Pony Club members to observe the procedure and learn more about ulcers, which are very common in domestic horses. On the day of the exam, the Pony Club members observed and learned a lot. It was remarkable literally seeing inside the horse! The endoscopy showed ulcers and while they were small they were causing obvious pain and behavioral issues. Our support to the horse owner paid for the exam and procedure, as well as the medication the vet prescribed. Today the young woman and her mare are back to riding and enjoying each others company and the horse is returning to full health.Assistance to private rescuers: $11,630.64: Among other help to private rescuers we gave and continue to give support for two elderly geld

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 89.3%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: $126.8 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st 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: Limited
• 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: -61.7%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.31; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -22.1% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -7.9% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings