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Apopo US Inc

EIN 47-1389723 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

APOPO US RAISES FUNDS IN THE UNITED STATES TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE AND HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES OF APOPO VZW. APOPO VZW IS A BELGIUM-BASED SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WHOSE MISSION IS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT DETECT ION RATS TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS.

Income
$5.7 million
Spending
$4.3 million
Spent on programs
95%
Reserves
1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
2
Volunteers
6
Highest pay
$128,750, executive director

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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 228% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    95% 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 (1)
  1. $4.1 million spent. APOPO US WORKS TO SUPPORT THE TUBERCULOSIS TB PROGRAM, MINE ACTION PROGRAM AND RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF APOPOS GLOBAL OPERATIONS. APOPO US IS ALSO WORKING TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANDMINE AND TB ISSUE AMONG THE US PUBLIC, AND HAS DEMONSTRATION DETECTION RAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH ZOOS ACROSS THE US. APOPO LANDMINE DETECTION RATS, NICKNAMED HERORATS, IGNORE SCRAP METAL AND ONLY DETECT THE SCENT OF EXPLOSIVES, MAKING THEM MUCH FASTER AT FINDING LANDMINES THAN HUMANS WITH METAL DETECTORS. HERORATS ARE TOO LIGHT TO SET OFF LANDMINES, MAKING THEM A PERFECT TOOL TO SPEED UP DETECTION. WHEN INTEGRATED INTO CONVENTIONAL MINE CLEARANCE METHODS, SUCH VEGETATION-CUTTING MACHINES, AND MANUAL DEMINERS WITH METAL DETECTORS, THE RATS ARE PROVEN TO SIGNIFICANTLY ACCELERATE OPERATIONS, HELPING RETURN SAFE LAND TO VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AS QUICKLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O PROGRAM DESCRIPTION CONTINUED THIS PREVENTS ACCIDENTS AND QUICKLY RETURNS LAND TO COMMUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTENANCE, AT A FRACTION OF THE COST, LEAVING FUNDS TO ADDRESS YET MORE AREAS. APOPOS TECHNICAL SURVEY DOGS OR HERO DOGS COMPLEMENT THE RATS BY MORE COST EFFICIENTLY FINDING THE BOUNDARIES OF A MINEFIELD, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR VEGETATION CUTTING, ACCELERATING APOPOS OVERALL LANDMINE DETECTION PROGRESS. IN 2025 APOPO CONTINUED TO CONDUCT MINE AND EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE CLEARANCE IN CAMBODIA, ANGOLA AS AZERBAIJAN, AND UKRAINE. THE ORGANIZATION RELEASED OVER 16.9 MILLION TOTAL SQUARE METERS 1,690 HECTARES OF LAND GIVEN BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, HELPING 350K PEOPLE RETURN TO THEIR LANDS AND LIVES FREE FROM THE THREAT OF MINES. IN CAMBODIA, APOPOS HERORATS AND HERO DOGS PROVED THEIR INCREDIBLE SPEED AND COST EFFECTIVENESS, HELPING APOPO LAUNCH THE FIRST EVER DEVELOPMENT IMPACT BOND LINKING MINE ACTION AND AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT. ANIMAL INTEGRATION WITH MANUAL DEMINING TEAMS WERE ABLE TO CLEAR LAND AT FIVE TIMES THE PACE, AND LESS THAN HALF THE COST OF MANUAL DEMINER ONLY DEMINING TEAMS. APOPO ALSO LAUNCHED A THE LARGEST MINE DETECTION DOG PROGRAM IN UKRAINE, WHERE IT PLANS TO DEPLOY 50 HIGHLY COST-EFFICIENT TECHNICAL SURVEY DOGS BY THE END OF 2026. APOPO TB DETECTION PROGRAMS WORK WITH OVER 140 PARTNER CLINICS IN TANZANIA, AND ETHIOPIA AND SUPPORTS THEM TO FIND AND TREAT MORE TB PATIENTS. FOR THIS, HUMAN SPUTUM SAMPLES ARE COLLECTED FROM PARTNER CLINICS THAT HAVE ALREADY TESTED THEM FOR TB, MOSTLY USING SPUTUM SMEAR MICROSCOPY. AT APOPOS LABS THE SAMPLES ARE MADE SAFE AND RAPIDLY RECHECKED BY TRAINED TB DETECTION RATS FOLLOWED BY WHO-ENDORSE CONFIRMATION TESTS. CONFIRMED RESULTS ARE INSTANTLY SENT BACK TO THE CLINICS THAT OVERSEE PATIENT COUNSELLING AND TREATMENT. APOPO RAISES PARTNER CLINIC TB DETECTION RATES BY 40 APOPOS TUBERCULOSIS DETECTION PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN 2025. APOPOS DETECTED OVER 2,000 ADDITIONAL TB PATIENTS IN TANZANIA AND ETHIOPIA. THIS MEANS THAT MORE TB-POSITIVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MISSED BY PUBLIC CLINICS ARE NOT PUT ON LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT BEFORE THEY CAN INFECT OTHER PEOPLE AND PROLONG THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF TB. APOPOS RESEARCH INTO NEW DETECTION APPLICATIONS HAS CONTINUED TO PROGRESS SIGNIFICANTLY. BOTH THE SEARCH AND RESCUE RAT S7R PROGRAM-BASED IN TURKIYE-AND THE WILDLIFE DETECTION WD INITIATIVE-NOW OPERATING IN TANZANIA-HAVE ADVANCED INTO ADVANCED OPERATIONAL RESEARCH PHASES, WITH EXTENDED FIELD TRIALS DEMONSTRATING STRONG REAL-WORLD PERFORMANCE. THESE PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED ON REFINING DEPLOYMENT METHODOLOGIES, HANDLER PROTOCOLS, AND INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING RESPONSE AND ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS. BASED ON CURRENT PROGRESS, APOPO EXPECTS BOTH CAPABILITIES TO ACHIEVE FORMAL ACCREDITATION AND TRANSITION INTO FULLY OPERATIONAL, INTEGRATED DETECTION ASSETS BY 2026, FURTHER EXPANDING THE ORGANIZATIONS IMPACT ACROSS HUMANITARIAN AND CONSERVATION SECTORS.

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 November 6, 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 May 2015.

    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 November 4, 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.