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Elephantvoices

EIN 26-3462274 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceFair54 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO INSPIRE WONDER IN THE INTELLIGENCE, COMPLEXITY, AND VOICES OF ELEPHANTS AND TO SECURE A KINDER FUTURE FOR THEM THROUGH CONSERVATION, RESEARCH, AND SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE.

Income
$380,732
Spending
$325,935
Spent on programs
94%
Reserves
40.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 94%
Employees
1
Highest pay
$100,000, president/ce

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 40.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 43% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    94% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    3 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 (3)
  1. $175,185 spent. CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH: CONTINUED WITH THE CURATION OF OUR ELEPHANT CALLS DATABASE; HELD DISCUSSIONS WITH US BASED COLLABORATORS IN THE JOINT ANALYSIS OF OUR ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION DATA; DRAFTED MANUSCRIPTS ON ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION AND COGNITION, INCLUDING ON POSSIBLE HUMOR AND POINTING BEHAVIOR IN ELEPHANTS AND IN DOCUMENTING FURTHER ADVANCES ON ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION; REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. FOLLOWED ON FROM OUR JOINT DISCOVERY THAT ELEPHANTS CREATE AND USE NAMES FOR ONE ANOTHER, HIRED DR. MICKEY PARDO AS SENIOR SCIENTIST TO LEAD UPCOMING CONTINUING INVESTIGATION INTO ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION; PARTICIPATED IN THE TASK FORCE OF IUCN'S AFRICAN ELEPHANT SPECIALIST GROUP, WHERE DR. JOYCE POOLE IS A MEMBER; SPOKE AT THE MALL GALLERIES, LONDON, IN SUPPORT OF THE UK GOVERNMENT'S BILL TO BAN IMPORTS OF WILDLIFE TROPHIES CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH: CONTINUED WITH THE CURATION OF OUR ELEPHANT CALLS DATABASE; HELD DISCUSSIONS WITH US BASED COLLABORATORS IN THE JOINT ANALYSIS OF OUR ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION DATA; DRAFTED MANUSCRIPTS ON ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION AND COGNITION, INCLUDING ON POSSIBLE HUMOR AND POINTING BEHAVIOR IN ELEPHANTS AND IN DOCUMENTING FURTHER ADVANCES ON ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION; REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. FOLLOWED ON FROM OUR JOINT DISCOVERY THAT ELEPHANTS CREATE AND USE NAMES FOR ONE ANOTHER, HIRED DR. MICKEY PARDO AS SENIOR SCIENTIST TO LEAD UPCOMING CONTINUING INVESTIGATION INTO ELEPHANT COMMUNICATION; PARTICIPATED IN THE TASK FORCE OF IUCN'S AFRICAN ELEPHANT SPECIALIST GROUP, WHERE DR. JOYCE POOLE IS A MEMBER; SPOKE AT THE MALL GALLERIES, LONDON, IN SUPPORT OF THE UK GOVERNMENT'S BILL TO BAN IMPORTS OF WILDLIFE TROPHIES
  2. $30,321 spent. WELFARE: NETWORKED GLOBALLY FOR ELEPHANTS AND THEIR WELFARE; WROTE LETTERS REGARDING ELEPHANT WELFARE POLICY AND AFFIDAVITS ON BEHALF OF INDIVIDUAL ELEPHANTS AND COMMUNICATED WITH OTHERS ABOUT POTENTIAL ACTION AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR ELEPHANTS IN NEED; ACTED AS AN EXPERT WITNESS FOR THE NON-HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT'S EFFORT TO GAIN HABEAS CORPUS FOR ELEPHANTS; PARTICIPATED IN THE BERGGRUEN INSTITUTE'S MULTISPECIES CONSTITUTION PROJECT.
  3. $99,276 spent. EDUCATION: CONTINUED TO PROMOTE THE ELEPHANT ETHOGRAM: A LIBRARY OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT BEHAVIOR VIA EXTERNAL MEDIA; MAINTAINED ELEPHANTVOICES.ORG (STARTED THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A NEW AND MORE MODERN VERSION), FB.COM/ELEPHANTVOICES, INSTAGRAM.COM/ELEPHANTVOICES AND X.COM/ELEPHANTVOICES, LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ELEPHANTVOICES AND COMMUNICATED WITH THOSE ACTIVE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA; ACTED AS SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND FILMING OF A PBS DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MALE ELEPHANT BEHAVIOR; GAVE ADVICE TO OTHER ELEPHANT DOCUMENTARIES; GAVE SCORES OF INTERVIEWS FOR NEWS ARTICLES, TV SEGMENTS AND RADIO BROADCASTS; PROVIDED AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY WITH ADDITIONAL MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL FOR THEIR TRAVELING EXHIBIT THE SECRET WORLD OF ELEPHANTS; ADVISED AND ASSISTED STUDENTS, REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PAPERS AND WROTE RECOMMENDATIONS; COMMUNICATED WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ABOUT ELEPHANTS AND THEIR BEHAVIOR, CONSERVATION, AND WELFARE. EDUCATION: CONTINUED TO PROMOTE THE ELEPHANT ETHOGRAM: A LIBRARY OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT BEHAVIOR VIA EXTERNAL MEDIA; MAINTAINED ELEPHANTVOICES.ORG (STARTED THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A NEW AND MORE MODERN VERSION), FB.COM/ELEPHANTVOICES, INSTAGRAM.COM/ELEPHANTVOICES AND X.COM/ELEPHANTVOICES, LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ELEPHANTVOICES AND COMMUNICATED WITH THOSE ACTIVE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA; ACTED AS SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND FILMING OF A PBS DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MALE ELEPHANT BEHAVIOR; GAVE ADVICE TO OTHER ELEPHANT DOCUMENTARIES; GAVE SCORES OF INTERVIEWS FOR NEWS ARTICLES, TV SEGMENTS AND RADIO BROADCASTS; PROVIDED AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY WITH ADDITIONAL MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL FOR THEIR TRAVELING EXHIBIT THE SECRET WORLD OF ELEPHANTS; ADVISED AND ASSISTED STUDENTS, REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PAPERS AND WROTE RECOMMENDATIONS; COMMUNICATED WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ABOUT ELEPHANTS AND THEIR BEHAVIOR, CONSERVATION, AND WELFARE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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 October 13, 2026.

  2. 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 October 13, 2026.

  3. 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since April 2009.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 21, 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.