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Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society

CharityWatch report issued
May 2023

C+
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
56%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$29
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society
17250 Old Frederick Road
Mount Airy, MD 21771

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

To save draft horses from slaughter, abuse and neglect, and finding them adoptive homes as trail and schooling horses.

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Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2021

Program Percentage: 56%

The percentage of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society's cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$5,900,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $29

How many dollars Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$7,500,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Joint Costs

Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society's rating was adjusted for Joint Costs. If you are a donor who considers direct mail, telemarketing, and other Joint Cost solicitations to be true charitable programs, the below efficiency ratios, which were not adjusted for joint costs, may better reflect your goals.

Program % Cost to Raise $100
79% $12
Accounting rules allow charities to report some telemarketing, direct mail, and other solicitation costs as Program expenses. CharityWatch believes that most donors do not consider a charity's solicitation activities to be the Programs they are intending to support with their donations. We therefore adjust such expenses out of a charity's reported Program expense and add it to Fundraising expense prior to calculating its rating.

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society IRS Form 990 59-3822764
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society Audited Financial Statements 59-3822764
Entity: Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 59-3822764
Entity: Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society
Document Type: Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: 59-3822764

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society
does not meet transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy Opt-Out Policy  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Christine Hajek President $106,951
1
Name: Christine Hajek
Title: President
Compensation: $106,951

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

CharityWatch's rating of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society (GGDHRS) is for the public charity entity and does not include the financial activities related to GGDHRS's 76.9% ownership interest in the outstanding shares of Southdown Community, Inc., an S-Corporation, which are consolidated in the GGDHRS audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

According to the Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society consolidated audit of December 31, 2021 (Note A re: Organization and Nature of Activities):

"In 2017, the Organization received as a gift, 182 shares of Southdown Community, Inc., (the Corporation) a Virginia-based S-corporation that operates horse stables. In 2019, the Organization purchased 78 shares from the Corporation's shareholders. These transactions resulted in the Organization owning 76.9%% [sic] of the outstanding shares of the Corporation. The assets, liabilities, and income and expense items of the Corporation have been consolidated in these [audited] financial statements, as required by generally accepted accounting principles."

According to the Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society (GGDHRS) 2021 tax filing re: the existence of a family relationship among officers, directors, trustees, or key employees, GGDHRS reports that Christine Hajek, Executive Director, and Peter James McIntosh, Jr., Treasurer, are husband and wife (IRS Form 990, Schedule O re: Form 990, Part VI, line 2).


GGDHRS reports having eight voting members on its governing body at year-end 2021, including Christine Hajek and Peter James McIntosh, Jr., with seven of the voting members reported as independent. Hajek and McIntosh, Jr. are also reported as two of the three total officers (IRS Form 990, Part VI, Section A, lines 1a & 1b and Part VII, Section A).

According to the Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society (GGDHRS) consolidated audit of December 31, 2021 (Note E, Concentrations):

"Approximately 53% of the Organization's revenue is derived from the fundraising efforts of a professional fundraising company. In the event the professional fundraiser no longer performed services for the Organization, the current level of the Organization's operations and services would be negatively impacted. As December 31, 2021, there is no provision in the financial statements for such an event as a reasonable estimate cannot be made and no losses are anticipated."

According to the Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society (GGDHRS) consolidated audit of December 31, 2021 (Note K, Long-term Debt), GGDHRS received a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $186,663 in 2020 pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The PPP loan was forgiven in 2021, and GGDHRS reports $186,663 in "PPP loan forgiveness" revenue on its audited Consolidated Statements of Activities & Changes in Net Assets for the year ended December 31, 2021.


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