Montana Horse Sanctuary
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Sanctuarys mission is to provide a wide array of assistance to in-crisis and abused horses. We provide support via education and financial assistance to Montanas horse owners, rescuers and law enforcement.
- Income
- $49,071
- Spending
- $79,367
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 39.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 80%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 32
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 39.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 62% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $70,882 spent. The Sanctuarys mission is to help Montanas in-crisis and abused horses by providing financial and educational support to rescuers, horse owners and animal control agencies. We provide financial assistance, education and hands-on support. Read on to learn how we are doing.From 2004 - 2024: Celebrating 20 years rescuing horses and helping horse folk in Montana: The Sanctuary became a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization in 2004. Our work until 2021 was the active rescue of horses in crisis, mostly those who had been seized by law enforcement during abuse cases. Over the years we took in and rehabilitated, then rehomed to adopters more than 200 Montana horses. Today our primary mission is giving financial support to the following:- Horse owners in financial crisis: feed, veterinary and farrier care- Private horse rescues: feed, veterinary and farrier care- Non-Profit horse rescues and sanctuaries: general and emergency support- Law Enforcement during abuse case seizures of horses: feed, veterinary and farrier support and placement assistance.Our secondary missions are:- Providing education to the horse-loving people of Montana through direct educational and resource support as well as classes and workshops.- Providing expertise and boots-on-the-ground support to the horse rescuers of Montana- Continued support to people who have adopted horses from our organization in the form of expertise, providing veterinary support and hands-on help. All horses adopted from the Sanctuary also have the safety net of an adopt-back contract which means that if their adopter is ever unable to continue caring for them they will be returned to us. We never want a horse we placed to fall through the cracks ever again.Following is a summary of the work we did in 2024.Assistance to horse owners in financial crisis - total spent in 2024 = $6,669.55. A great example of this program involved a young horse owner in Livingston. About a month before she applied to us for help, her mare received a joint injection to treat arthritis but the injection caused a joint infection and required hospitalized treatment. While at the veterinary hospital, the mare developed a serious colic which led to surgery. The mare was back home and recuperating when, for some reason, her abdominal stitches tore loose and released her intestines! Back to the hospital! The incision was stitched again and she finally went back home weeks later. The road to recovery was long with daily treatment of the healing (again) incision as well as a special girdle-type apparatus to hold her abdomen intact. With the help of her devoted owner, the horse healed well and today is able to do light work under saddle. Another young horse owner is a member of Pony Club. Her veterinarian suspected the girls mare had digestive ulcers, which were making her uncomfortable and constantly on the verge of a colic. This lovely, sweet mare was feeling cranky and miserable. Her human is an exceptional 17-year-old girl. She pays all of her horses care costs working a job as a farm hand at a local horse therapy facility after school and on weekends. She asked us to help her pay for further diagnostic testing which included another veterinary exam and endoscopy. She asked that she be allowed to invite fellow Pony Club members to observe the procedure and learn more about ulcers, which are very common in domestic horses. On the day of the exam, the Pony Club members observed and learned a lot. It was remarkable literally seeing inside the horse! The endoscopy showed ulcers and while they were small they were causing obvious pain and behavioral issues. Our support to the horse owner paid for the exam and procedure, as well as the medication the vet prescribed. Today the young woman and her mare are back to riding and enjoying each others company and the horse is returning to full health.Assistance to private rescuers: $11,630.64: Among other help to private rescuers we gave and continue to give support for two elderly geldings in northwest Montana. A neighbor noticed the horses in the next door pasture werent being cared for and in the winter their pasture was eaten down and they lost a lot of weight. She began feeding them and when law enforcement was unable to find the owner she decided to pay for their hoof, dental and veterinary care. The now-rescuer has an average income so covering the expenses of 2 abandoned horses in addition to caring for her own 2 horses was a sizeable burden. She kept at it for about 3 years until finally one of her neighbors called the Sanctuary and told us about the abandoned horses and asked if we could help with costs. We helped by paying all her past and current expenses. About a year later, law enforcement found the owner of the horses who said she no longer wanted them. Then our board decided that these sweet, deserving horses needed a safe retirement. We voted to pay their costs of care until the ends oftheir lives. As of 2024, both horses are now healthy elders, enjoying the food, care and love they so richly deserve. They also eat special supplements, medications and herbs three to four times a day. Support to fellow non-profit rescues and sanctuaries: total spent in 2024 =$6,649.81. One of our support projects in 2024 helped a rescue organization in southeastern Montana which unfortunately had to close down. The founder had a major life change and was unable to continue operations. At the time there were numerous horses at the facility who all needed forever homes. The founder did a masterful job of finding permanent homes for nearly all the horses. But some remained. The Sanctuary helped for about six months with costs of care and boarding of the remaining horses while they found forever homes. Finally, one horse remained, a mustang mare who had arrived shortly before the rescue organization closed. The mare was previously traumatized and hard to approach. We provided the organization support to send the mare to a professional trainer familiar
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2004.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.