Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	African Wildlife Foundation
Address:	1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 120
	Washington, DC 20036
Phone:	202-939-3333
Web Address:	www.awf.org

African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

AWF conserves Africa’s wildlife and wild lands through land preservation, species research, human capacity building, and conservation enterprise. AWF’s programs take place in eight "Heartlands", large landscapes which are biologically important and have the scope to maintain healthy populations of wildlife and natural processes over the long-term horizon. AWF works with governments, communities, and other partners to develop detailed plans for the conservation of these areas. These plans include identifying wildlife migration corridors, water sources, and other critical sites needing protection, as well as strengthening the infrastructure and management of national parks and reserves. AWF supports critical species research projects, with an emphasis on conservation management problems and human-wildlife conflicts. AWF works to improve the lives of local people through conservation, assisting communities to establish cultural and ecological tourism enterprises. The organization provides scholarships to Africans pursuing advanced degree studies in related fields. Furthermore, AWF works to influence and support key policies that strengthen conservation at the local, national, and international level. Some ($74,430, or 3%) of AWF’s education and most ($815,490, or 99%) of its membership programs are conducted in conjunction with fundraising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, AWF's program expenses were:

Conservation programs	14,174,224
Public education	2,392,989
Membership programs	828,243
Total Program Expenses:	$17,395,456

Chief Executive : Dr. Patrick J. Bergin, Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*:

$266,198

Chair of the Board: Dennis J. Keller
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Co-Founder and Director Emeritus, Devry, Inc.

Board Size: 36

Paid Staff Size: 132

*July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, and membership appeals.

Fund raising costs were 7% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $21,647,049, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

AWF incurred joint costs of $1,553,848 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $889,920 was allocated to program expenses and $663,928 was allocated to fund raising expenses.

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on AWF's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds
Public sector support	8,582,555
Corporate and foundation support	5,815,839
Gifts from individuals	5,224,931
Legacy gifts	1,360,424
In-kind contributions	663,300
Royalties and other earned income	92,645
Unrealized losses on beneficial interest in perpetual trusts	-139,119
Investment losses	-725,143
Unrealized losses from investments	-1,541,434
Total Income	$19,333,998

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 86%  Fund Raising: 8%  Administrative: 6%

Total income				$19,333,998
	Program expenses			$17,395,456
	Fund raising expenses			1,524,764
	Administrative expenses			1,262,056
Total expenses				$20,182,276
Expenses in Excess of Income				(848,278)
Beginning net assets				26,902,410
Ending net assets				26,054,132
Total liabilities				6,521,938
Total assets				$32,576,070

Note: According to AWF's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2009, the organization received $663,300 in in-kind donations in the form of donated advertising space.