Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Also known as Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International reported $13.9 million in revenue and $9.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $80.81 went to program services, $6.72 to management and general costs and $12.47 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 90.1% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $384,155 (President & CEO). 4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 0% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $9.7MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $14M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$90.02 $13M
- Program service revenue$2.02 $282K
- Investment income$7.96 $1.1M
Other revenue was negative: −$4,747. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 80.8% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.7% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 12.5% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.10 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 90.1% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 2.0% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $384,155 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 3.94% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 56.6 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 21 of 21 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseRwandaThe Organization's state-of-the-art research and education center in Rwanda is accelerating the critical science and training needed for effective conservation. It serves as an educational hub and, since opening in Feb 2022, has hosted more than 130,000 visitors, including 22,000 schoolchildren. The Fossey Fund maintains its daily protection activities for 10 gorilla families in Rwanda, removing more than 1,500 illegal snares this year, and continues to expand its research program on both gorillas and the surrounding biodiversity. Community development programs focus on food security…
Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund protects Grauer's gorillas and biodiversity in the Nkuba Conservation Area (NCA) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a community-owned forest at the core of the species' remaining range. Since beginning work in the region in 2000, and in close partnership with Indigenous landowners since 2012, the Fossey Fund has helped create conservation coverage to more than 2,400 km of forest, supporting an estimated 2,000-3,000 Grauer's gorillas, eastern chimpanzees, and multiple other threatened species. The NCA stores an estimated…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $355,194 | $0 | $28,961 | $384,155 |
| CFAO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $186,562 | $0 | $23,221 | $209,783 |
| Chief Philanthropy Officer Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $181,731 | $0 | $14,246 | $195,977 |
| Director of Science Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $105,843 | $0 | $5,094 | $110,937 |
4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $876K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b21 · 21 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 516
- Volunteers Part I, line 634
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| FS360 LLC Construction services | $444,497 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 1 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
68 private foundations reported grants to Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International totaling $2.0M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International spent in FY2025, $80.81 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International reported that 80.8% of its $9.7 million in expenses went to program services, 6.7% to management and general and 12.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $384,155, for the role of President & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International get its money?
Of $13.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 90.1% came from contributions and grants and 2.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 52-1118866 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, object 202640859349301754 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202530649349300748 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202400589349301760 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202310569349300511 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202200639349301550 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202100489349300925 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 52-1118866: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.