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Voice for Asian Elephants Society

EIN 47-3943896 · Palo Alto, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceFair52 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

VOICES FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS (VFAE) COMBINES SCIENCE, STORYTELLING, AND TECHNOLOGIES LIKE AI, ROBOTICS, AND GIS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED ASIAN ELEPHANTS, RESTORE AND REWILD THEIR HABITATS, AND SAFEGUARD MIGRATION CORRIDORS. BY PARTNERING WITH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND PROVIDING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES WITH RESOURCES FOR VITAL SUSTENANCE, WE PROMOTE HARMONIOUS COEXISTENCE TO THOSE LIVING ALONGSIDE THESE MAJESTIC CREATURES.

Income
$414,643
Spending
$429,038
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
5.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 96%
Employees
0
Volunteers
5

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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 4% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 69% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    89% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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: 52 out of 100. Higher than 32% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    4 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no 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

    10 of 10

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

  • 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 (4)
  1. $295,383 spent. SECURING AND REWILDING CORRIDORS FOR ODISHA ELEPHANTS - A CRISIS IS UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW-AND IT IS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL. ACCORDING TO THE WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OF INDIA, THE NATION'S ELEPHANT POPULATION HAS PLUMMETED TO JUST 22,446 INDIVIDUALS-A STAGGERING 18% DECLINE FROM THE 27,312 RECORDED IN 2017. THIS IS NOT A SLOW DECLINE. THIS IS A COLLAPSE UNFOLDING IN REAL TIME. IN ODISHA ALONE, NEARLY 100 ELEPHANTS HAVE DIED WITHIN JUST ONE YEAR, ACCORDING TO ODISHA'S MINISTER OF FOREST AND ENVIRONMENT-AN ALARMING SIGNAL OF HOW RAPIDLY THIS CRISIS IS ESCALATING AT THE STATE LEVEL. OVER THE PAST DECADE, 790 ELEPHANTS HAVE PERISHED IN ODISHA, WITH ELECTROCUTION LEADING AS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THESE UNNATURAL DEATHS. IN THIS TIME, CONFLICTS HAVE CLAIMED 668 HUMAN LIVES AND LEFT 509 OTHERS INJURED, UNDERSCORING THE SHARED TRAGEDY OF THIS CRISIS. IN THE FACE OF THESE ESCALATING TRAGEDIES, VOICES FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS IS TAKING BOLD, FRONTLINE ACTION-WORKING ALONGSIDE GRASSROOTS PARTNERS LIKE PARIBARTAN AND INDIGENOUS TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. IN JUST ONE YEAR, WE HAVE SECURED 52 ACRES OF VITAL CORRIDOR LAND, RECONNECTING TWO FRAGMENTED FORESTS AND RESTORING A LOST MIGRATORY PATH. THE RESULT? OVER 50 ELEPHANTS HAVE ALREADY RETURNED HOME. AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE HEALING DEGRADED HABITATS-PLANTING ELEPHANT-FRIENDLY, FRUIT-BEARING SAPLINGS AND CREATING WATERHOLES WITHIN CORE FOREST AREAS. THESE ARE NOT SMALL INTERVENTIONS-THEY ARE LIFELINES. BY BRINGING FOOD AND WATER BACK INTO THEIR NATURAL HABITATS, WE ARE PREVENTING ELEPHANTS FROM STRAYING INTO DANGEROUS HUMAN LANDSCAPES-WHERE TOO MANY TRAGEDIES OCCUR-AVOIDABLE DEATHS.
  2. $35,217 spent. SAVING ELEPHANTS FROM DEADLY TRACKS - ELESENSE - UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENCROACHMENT IN INDIAN FORESTS ARE PUSHING ENDANGERED ASIAN ELEPHANTS TOWARD EXTINCTION, WITH 18-20 DYING ANNUALLY IN TRAIN COLLISIONS ALONE. WEST BENGAL, THE FOURTH MOST DENSELY POPULATED STATE, IS A DEADLY HOTSPOT, RANKING SECOND IN ELEPHANT DEATHS ON TRAIN TRACKS. TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS, VOICES FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS AND PARTNERS LAUNCHED ELESENSE, A SENSOR-BASED EARLY WARNING SYSTEM THAT PREVENTED NEARLY 1,600 TRAIN COLLISIONS BETWEEN JANUARY 2023 AND AUGUST 2025. INSTALLED NEAR TRACKS CUTTING THROUGH FORESTS, IT ALERTS TRAIN PILOTS OF ELEPHANT PRESENCE WITHIN 750 METERS, ALLOWING SAFE BRAKING AND DETERRING ELEPHANTS FROM DANGER ZONES. ELESENSE IS NOW BEING EXPANDED INTO CRITICAL HABITATS LIKE BUXA TIGER RESERVE AND CHAPRAMARI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. THIS INDIGENOUS-DESIGNED INNOVATION IS TRANSFORMING CONSERVATION, SAFEGUARDING ELEPHANTS, AND PROMOTING PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE.
  3. $29,709 spent. ROBOTIC ELEPHANTS PROJECT - IN FEBRUARY 2025, VOICES FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS UNVEILED THE SECOND ROBOTIC ELEPHANT IN INDIA - FIRST IN THE STATE OF KERALA - TO REPLACE A LIVE ONE IN TEMPLE PROCESSIONS-PRESERVING TRADITION WHILE PREVENTING CRUELTY. THE LAUNCH GARNERED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE ACROSS AT LEAST 30+ MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS IN ENGLISH, AND MALAYALAM, MARKING A BOLD STEP TOWARD PROTECTING THE ENDANGERED ASIAN ELEPHANT. IN KERALA ALONE, THE NUMBER OF CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS HAS DROPPED FROM 500 IN 2019 TO 397 IN EARLY 2024, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 25 ELEPHANT DEATHS ANNUALLY. THESE ANIMALS, OFTEN VIOLENTLY CAPTURED AND EXPLOITED IN THE NAME OF CULTURE, ARE SUFFERING ALONGSIDE MAHOUTS, WITH 293 STAMPEDES IN 2023 CAUSING MULTIPLE DEATHS AND INJURIES. THE ROBOTIC ELEPHANTS ARE NOW INSPIRING TEMPLES TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM LIVE ELEPHANT USE, ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELFARE. THIS INNOVATION SIGNALS A COMPASSIONATE CULTURAL SHIFT WHERE TRADITION AND KINDNESS CAN COEXIST.
  4. $21,570 spent. SECURING FORESTLAND TO REHABILITATE CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS - VOICES FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS IS PARTNERING WITH BOON LOTT'S ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN REHABILITATING CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS RESCUED FROM THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. AS PART OF THIS COLLABORATION, VFAE HAS CONTRIBUTED 14 ACRES OF LAND TO HELP EXPAND THE BOON LOTT'S ELEPHANT SANCTUARY (BLES)-CREATING ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR ELEPHANTS TO ROAM FREELY, WITHOUT FEAR OR EXPLOITATION. ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA, COUNTLESS ELEPHANTS ONCE USED IN TOURISM ENDURE LIVES OF CONTROL, CONFINEMENT, AND HARDSHIP. MANY ARE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, SUBJECTED TO HARSH TRAINING, AND DENIED THE FREEDOM THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO THEIR WELL-BEING. AT BLES, LOCATED IN NORTHERN THAILAND, RESCUED ELEPHANTS ARE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO BEGIN AGAIN. HERE, THEY ARE NOT FORCED TO PERFORM OR INTERACT. THERE ARE NO RIDES, NO CHAINS, AND NO COMMANDS-ONLY SPACE, SAFETY, AND THE TIME THEY NEED TO HEAL. SPREAD ACROSS MORE THAN 600 ACRES OF PROTECTED FOREST, THE SANCTUARY PROVIDES A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE ELEPHANTS CAN ROAM FREELY, FORM SOCIAL BONDS, AND REDISCOVER THEIR INSTINCTS. WHAT EMERGES IS SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY: TRUST REBUILT, TRAUMA SOFTENED, AND A RETURN TO THE RHYTHMS OF LIFE AS NATURE INTENDED.

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 July 2016.

    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.