Save Giraffes Now

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
834423842
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
2147606000
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Protection of Endangered Species

Reported finances

Revenue
$641,373
Expenses
$736,851
Assets
$376,124
Liabilities
$15,347

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUSAN G R MYERS (FOUNDER/CEO/DIRECTOR)
  • MARY ELLEN ZELLERBACH (BOARD PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • KAYLA WALISCH (COO): $99,877 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We save giraffes through conservation in their natural habitats across 10 african countries.

What it reported doing in 2025

Save giraffes now (sgn) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to saving giraffes from extinction. They focus on supporting and establishing collaborative community-led conservation projects in 10 countries across africa that help safeguard all four giraffe species: reticulated, masai, northern, and southern.sgn's initiatives include (but are not limited to) rescuing and relocating giraffes in emergency situations or to improve genetic diversity, training and managing anti-poaching ranger teams, and increasing water accessibility for giraffes and people through water pans and wells. These combined efforts aim to ensure the welfare of wild giraffes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 58% for direct work, and 42% for grants.
  • 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. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.4%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 83.9%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 43rd 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: -14.9%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.51; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.6%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.4% of revenue deployed · 83.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $618K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 40/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 9/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 25/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.