Friends of the Vervet Monkey Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To educate on primates, particularly vervet monkeys, operate on charitable purposes and support the Vervet Monkey Foundation in their critical work to protect and prevent the extinction of these primates in South Africa.
- Income
- $130,836
- Spending
- $125,675
- Reserves
- 1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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)
- $125,675 spent. Fifth year in operation as a US Charity with social media fundraising, Patreon, Teespring merchandise sales and general paypal donations to support our work. We rescued 32 monkey in 2025. 24 were vervet orphans. Each of these orphans were successfully rehabilitated and introduced to a foster monkey mom and semi wild troop on our VMF site with the help of our local staff and international volunteers. When possible we release these monkeys back to their troop and surroundings, in 2025 we were able to support and then release 5 monkeys back to their natural habitat with 3 rescues who stayed on site at the sanctuary due to special needs or an inability to find their troop of origin. Continue to create public awareness of the monkey's situations and threats in South Africa. Weekly youtube 1 hr video provides progress updates; Instagram and Facebook provide daily photos, videos and reels of on hand work supporting the monkeys at the various stages of their rehabilitation. Weekly livestreams are viewed by those around the world to look at the current orphans in human care preparing for the Foster Mum program, troop camera livestreams. Instagram lives were completed and many followers created their own personal Facebook fundraiser as a part of their birthdays or other celebrations. Support was focused on fully renovating a large cabin based on generous donations making it the perfect accomodations for families who come to the VMF to volunteer. We experienced significant weather impacts with the summer becoming hotter and drier - funding was directed towards large A-frame structures within the troop enclosure that provide additional shade for the extremely hot spring days when tree foliage is not existent. We were also hit by a signficant storm that damaged multiple buildings including our Sick Bay hospital, enclosure structures for monkey safety and power/wifi cables. A large amount of donations were used to repair and replace damaged infrastructure along with repairs for the heavy flooding that followed that storm.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 July 2021.
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.
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.