Project K9 Hero

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811770909
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Whitwell, TN, USA
Phone
8108446045
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,308,156
Expenses
$5,253,381
Assets
$4,101,727
Liabilities
$110,184

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JASON K JOHNSON (PRESIDENT, D)

Highest reported compensation

  • JASON K JOHNSON (PRESIDENT, D): $166,095 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Project k-9 hero (the organization) is a non-profit corporation located in whitwell, tn. The organizations purpose is to educate the public on the costs and responsibilities of adopting a retired police k-9s and military working dogs. The organization provides financial assistance with covering/offsetting medical and prescription food costs, as well as the rehabilitation and rehoming for retired k-9 heroes. The organization provides end of duty services for all program members. This can include burial, cremation, urn, and a custom portrait for each owner or handler after their hero passes. The organization is primarily supported by donations, corporate sponsors, in-kind contributions, plus the sale of branded apparel and other items.

What it reported doing in 2025

To ensure each k-9 hero is rewarded with health and the way of life that they deserve for their faithful and loyal service. To educate the public on the costs and responsibilities of adopting a retired k-9 hero. To help cover or offset all medical, prescription food, and end of duty costs for retired k-9 heroes. With dozens of retired k-9 heroes needing support, the time has come for project k-9 hero to move forward with building a rehabilitation and rehoming facility, along with our corporate headquarters. This facility will support and further our mission, allowing us to provide an enriching, safe, and healthy environment for retired heroes in need of an immediate home. We are currently in the initial stages of design and construction.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 84% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and some filed totals do not add up.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 89.6%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $21.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.4%; rating input score 96; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 16.7%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.78; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.4% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 20.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.2% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75% of revenue deployed · 89.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $4.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $166K · 8 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2017 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.