Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education and Experience Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
593691867
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2010, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Naples, FL, USA
Phone
2394551698
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Reported finances

Revenue
$603,808
Expenses
$866,006
Assets
$1,785,237
Liabilities
$21,417

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SHANE BILTZ (PRESIDENT)
  • ELIZABETH HARMON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELIZABETH HARMON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $57,044 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Improving the quality of life for wolves and wolfdogs through rescue, sanctuary and education. Shy wolf sanctuary education & experience center rescues captive-bred exotic and un-releasable wild animals. We then provide a permanent home for those needing sanctuary.

What it reported doing in 2025

We work year round to educate the public about the importance of protecting these animals and peacefully co-existing with wildlife. We work to improve the quality of life for wolves and wolfdogs through rescue, sanctuary and education. This is done by rescuing captive-bred exotic and un-releasable wild animals with nowhere else to go. Their stories are shared with participants in partner organizations to promote healing with children and adults who have experienced their own trauma. (continued at schedule o).

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% 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.
  • 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 99%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 69%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: -43.4%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.06; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 99% of revenue deployed · 69% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $597K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $57K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 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: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 58/100.