Patriot K9s of Wisconsininc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
823033279
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Wausau, WI, USA
Phone
7152981373
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Support N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,053,414
Expenses
$794,140
Assets
$1,163,042
Liabilities
$423,917

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GILLIAN WAUKAU (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • GILLIAN WAUKAU (PRESIDENT)
  • GARY BEZUCHA (VICE PRESIDE)
  • DIANE LECHNER (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

Provide service dogs for qualified disabled military veterans diagnosed with ptsd, tbi or msi located in the state of Wisconsin.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, patriot k9s of Wisconsin continued to advance its mission of serving veterans through the training and placement of highly skilled service dogs. During the year, the organization supported 36 service dogs in various stages of training and development, and 21 veterans actively participating in different phases of the program. Patriot k9s successfully graduated 15 veteran/service dog teams, helping those veterans gain greater independence, confidence, and quality of life. Throughout 2025, patriot k9s continued to strengthen its program standards, expand public outreach, and increase community awareness regarding the life-changing impact of service dogs for veterans. The organization also participated in the wounded warrior service dog program; a department of defense program administered through the uniformed services university of the health sciences and was recognized as the number one performing organization in the nation within that program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.3%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 85%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th 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: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.6%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.46; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.7% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 24.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.6% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.3% of revenue deployed · 85% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $675K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.