Dazzle Africa
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
DAZZLE AFRICA'S MISSION IS TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS IN CONSERVATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND ICONIC AFRICAN WILDLIFE THRIVE.
- Income
- $1.7 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 1.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 69%
- Employees
- 1
- Highest pay
- $81,900, coo
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
Weak: 49 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 84% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 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.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
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, 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 (1)
- $1.4 million spent. DAZZLE AFRICA'S MISSION IS TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS IN CONSERVATION, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND ICONIC AFRICAN WILDLIFE THRIVE. WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE'VE PROVIDED WATER FOR 28,000 RESIDENTS, SPONSORED 45 STUDENTS TO PURSUE EDUCATION, AND INVESTED OVER 4 MILLION DOLLARS IN LOCAL CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES THROUGH OUR THREE PROGRAM PILLARS OF CONSERVATION, COLLEGE EDUCATION, AND CLEAN WATER. ZAMBIA'S SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK AND THE ENTIRE LUANGWA VALLEY ARE HOME TO AN INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY OF WILDLIFE, INCLUDING MANY ENDANGERED SPECIES. THIS LARGE, UNFENCED LANDSCAPE SERVES AS AN ESSENTIAL PROTECTED HAVEN FOR BIODIVERSITY, INCREASINGLY UNCOMMON IN AFRICA AND AROUND THE WORLD. HOWEVER, WILDLIFE IN THE AREA FACE CRITICAL THREATS. POACHING POSES A MAJOR DANGER TO MANY SPECIES, AS THE WIRE SNARES COMMONLY USED BY POACHERS INDISCRIMINATELY TARGET ALL ANIMALS IN AN AREA. MANY ANIMALS LOSE THEIR LIVES TO SNARES AND OTHER POACHING METHODS EVERY YEAR IN THE LUANGWA VALLEY. AS COMMUNITIES EXPAND, THESE BIODIVERSE AREAS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING MORE HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT AS RESIDENTS TRY TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. DAZZLE AFRICA SUPPORTS CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA TO PROTECT VULNERABLE AND THREATENED SPECIES THROUGH ANTI-POACHING MEASURES. THE GROUND PATROL TEAMS COVERED A TOTAL OF 59,815 KM IN 2025 ACROSS PATROLS OF VARIOUS LENGTHS, INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF DEPLOYMENTS COVERING MULTIPLE DAYS IN THE BUSH. THIS TIRELESS WORK LED TO APPREHENSION OF 130 WILDLIFE CRIME SUSPECTS, CONFISCATION OF 703 KG OF BUSHMEAT, AND RECOVERY OF 297 SNARES. AS AN EXAMPLE OF THEIR IMPACT, THE K9 UNIT ALONE IN 2025 SUPPORTED IN RECOVERING 23 FIREARMS AND 90 KILOGRAMS OF BUSHMEAT, AND CONDUCTED 201 OPERATIONS SEARCHING BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES. DAZZLE AFRICA SUPPORTS A RADIO PROGRAM, THE CONSERVATION HOUR RADIO SHOW, THAT IS A JOINT PROJECT OF CONSERVATION PARTNERS ZCP, CSL, AND CHIPEMBELE WILDLIFE EDUCATION TRUST (A LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ORGANIZATION BASED IN THE SOUTH LUANGWA AREA). DAZZLE AFRICA COLLABORATES WITH OUR PARTNERS CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA AND ZAMBIAN CARNIVORE PROGRAMME TO FUND THE FIRST FULL-TIME WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN IN SOUTH LUANGWA VALLEY, DR. MWAMBA SICHANDE. HIS WORK IS CRUCIAL FOR SAVING WILDLIFE IN SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK AND THE SURROUNDING AREA THROUGH RESCUE OPERATIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED VETERINARY WORK. IN 2025, THE VETERINARY TEAM DE-SNARED A TOTAL OF 14 ANIMALS IN THE FIELD, AND HELPED DEPLOY 15 COLLARS ON WILD DOGS AND 6 ON LIONS, IN ADDITION TO REPLACING COLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED. IN THE REALM OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS, THE TEAM TREATED 844 ANIMALS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND 461 ANIMALS AT THE BASE CLINIC IN MFUWE. 103 DOGS AND CATS WERE SPAYED AND NEUTERED, AND 844 WERE VACCINATED AGAINST RABIES, PROTECTING BOTH DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS. DR. SICHANDE AND HIS TEAM ALSO SERVE DOMESTIC ANIMALS WITH VACCINATIONS, SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES, AND OTHER MEDICAL CARE. DAZZLE AFRICA ASSISTS IN OPERATIONAL FUNDING FOR THE AERIAL PROGRAM IN SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK USED FOR ANTI-POACHING OPERATIONS AND LARGE CARNIVORE RESEARCH. THANKS TO THIS PROGRAM, 51% OF THE PARK AND 7% OF THE NEIGHBORING GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS WERE COVERED BY ANTIPOACHING SURVEILLANCE OVER 91.7 FLIGHT HOURS BY THE AERIAL TEAM. THESE FLIGHTS ALLOWED THE TEAM TO IDENTIFY 109 POINTS ALONG POACHING ROUTES AND 4 POACHER CAMPS, PLUS OTHER SIGNS OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. WE ALSO FUND A CRITICAL HELICOPTER PROGRAM FOR CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA IN SOUTH LUANGWA VALLEY, ZAMBIA. THIS ONGOING PROGRAM ALLOWS RAPID PATROL DEPLOYMENT AT THE SCENES OF POACHING INCIDENTS AND YEAR-ROUND ABILITY TO MONITOR PROTECTED AREAS, BOTH DETERRING POACHING. IN 2025, THE HELICOPTER TEAM COVERED 63% OF THE NATIONAL PARK OVER 152 FLYING HOURS. FROM THESE HELICOPTER OPERATIONS, THE TEAM APPREHENDED 9 POACHING SUSPECTS, CONFISCATED 11 FIREARMS, AND IDENTIFIED 7 ELEPHANT CARCASSES - JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE TEAM'S IMPACT. DAZZLE AFRICA HAS PROVIDED SATELLITE COLLARS THAT ARE USED IN ZAMBIAN CARNIVORE PROGRAMME'S RESEARCH, SURVEILLANCE, AND ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS. IN 2025, OVER 1,000 CARNIVORES FROM OVER 100 GROUPS WERE MONITORED USING COLLARS. AT DAZZLE AFRICA, WE BELIEVE THAT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS. WE REMOVE BARRIERS TO COLLEGE BY SPONSORING THE MOST VULNERABLE AND HARD-WORKING STUDENTS IN THE REGION, WHO HAVE STRONG ACADEMIC ABILITIES BUT DO NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PURSUE THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS. OUR SPONSORSHIPS PRIMARILY SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION, EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS AND SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITY. SOME OF THESE STUDENTS HAVE PURSUED CAREERS IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, LAW, MEDICINE, AND MORE. A TOTAL OF 45 STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SPONSORED BY DAZZLE AFRICA, WITH 22 STUDENTS ON ACTIVE SPONSORSHIP IN 2025. LACK OF CLEAN, SAFE WATER POSES A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR MANY FAMILIES AND VILLAGES IN THE LUANGWA VALLEY. WHEN FAMILIES DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER, THEY MAY HAVE TO SPEND MANY HOURS EACH DAY FETCHING WATER OR USING WATER FROM UNSAFE SOURCES THAT CAN CAUSE ILLNESS OR DANGEROUS CONFLICT WITH WILDLIFE. THE RESPONSIBILITY TO GATHER WATER IS OFTEN PRIMARILY GIVEN TO WOMEN AND GIRLS, POSING FURTHER CHALLENGES TO THEM ATTENDING SCHOOL AND PURSUING EMPLOYMENT. THIS PROBLEM IS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASED DROUGHT. DAZZLE AFRICA DRILLS BOREHOLES IN LOCAL VILLAGES. THESE BOREHOLES PROVIDE CLEAN, SAFE WATER TO APPROXIMATELY 350 PEOPLE EACH. TO DATE, WE HAVE FUNDED THE CONSTRUCTION OF 81 BOREHOLES DAZZLE AFRICA'S MISSION IS TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS IN CONSERVATION, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND ICONIC AFRICAN WILDLIFE THRIVE. WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE'VE PROVIDED WATER FOR 28,000 RESIDENT
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
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.
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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2013.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
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