International Elephant Foundation
The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is an Azle, Texas-based public charity that supports elephant conservation, education, research, and management programs worldwide. Founded in 1999, it focuses on African and Asian elephants and works through grants, partnerships, and conservation programs.
International Elephant Foundation at a glance
In short: International Elephant Foundation reported $959K in grants paid in 2025 (a total; its filing lists no individual grants). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Grants paid (2025)
- $959,048 — reported as a total on the IRS filing, without an itemized list
- +26.3% vs 2024
- Total assets
- $4,545,310
- +8.9% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $1,343,864
- -38.6% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $235,009
- +42.3% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $1,520,972
- +40.0% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to International Elephant Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 366, Azle, TX 76098
Phone: (817) 597-0956
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from International Elephant Foundation
Who International Elephant Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 3 grants of 5 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
IEF describes its work as worldwide and identifies African forest, African savannah, and Asian elephants in its funding materials. Its stated grant priorities include transfrontier or transboundary conservation. The 2026 call for proposals described eligibility in terms of projects with direct impact on elephant conservation.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
How International Elephant Foundation gives
- Giving fell 94% from 2020 to 2023. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $16K (2023) to $959K (2025). In 2025 it reported $959K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trustees of Tufts College Boston, MA | Elephant conservation and research | $15,750 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,545,310 | $1,343,864 | $1,520,972 | $959,048 | Total only | $235,009 |
| 2024 | $4,173,880 | $2,189,882 | $1,086,472 | $759,536 | Total only | $165,139 |
| 2023 | $2,900,793 | $1,322,510 | $1,193,411 | $15,750 | 1 | $74,026 |
| 2022 | $2,574,965 | $1,164,379 | $866,745 | $25,000 | 1 | $48,813 |
| 2021 | $2,509,436 | $816,995 | $708,558 | $163,915 | 3 | $87,201 |
| 2020 | $2,632,549 | $757,986 | $1,208,833 | $274,397 | 3 | $63,341 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
IEF’s mission is to create a sustainable future for elephants by investing in elephant conservation, education, research, and management programs worldwide.
Its funding priorities include reducing human-elephant conflict; habitat conservation and management; conservation education and community outreach; transfrontier or transboundary conservation; anti-poaching and other elephant protection efforts; reducing the ivory and bushmeat trade; and research into elephant diseases. Its stated program scope includes projects concerning elephants in the wild and in human care, with an emphasis on conservation, habitat protection, community programs, and scientific and veterinary research.
IEF describes providing grants to institutions, organizations, and individuals working in elephant conservation, research, health, management, education, and improvements in husbandry of elephants in human care. Its materials favor projects that are effective, sustainable, feasible, ethically and culturally appropriate, and developed and carried out with relevant stakeholders.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing reports one grant totaling $15,750 in 2023. It reports no grants in 2024 or 2025. Separately, IEF’s website says it supports about 20 to 25 projects each year and gives an average award of $15,000 per year.
The website’s 2026 funding call and its call for proposals for 2027 funding are past cycles as of October 2, 2026. The 2027 call specified an August 7, 2026 submission deadline, and the grant-program page says submission access has closed. The available materials do not establish a current application cycle.
The 2025 filing says proposals are subject to peer review and review by the IEF board. Applicants must complete all application sections and include project investigator resumes. If a project is funded, the investigator must review and sign a grant contract before the first installment is paid. A six-month interim report with digital photos is required before the second installment, and a final report and budget, with photos, are required at the end of the funding period. IEF’s grant materials state that it will not fund interventions proven ineffective.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Deborah Olson as Executive Director; Kristi Burtis as Secretary; and Brian Aucone, Frank Camacho, Daryl Hoffman, Gary Johnson, Elizabeth Larsen, Arne Lawrenz, Amos Morris, and Tim Thier as directors.
International Elephant Foundation is led by Deborah Olson, Executive Director since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 18 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah Olson
Executive Director
Executive Di → Executive Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$90K (2020) → $99K (2025)
Mike Fouraker
President
Vice President & Secretary → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Arne Lawrenz
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Aucone
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daryl Hoffman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Larsen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Carlos Camacho
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Johnson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amos Morris
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Thier
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lou Barreda
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Bernardy
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ted Fox
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jan Ramer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy Goodman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlie Gray
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Albert
Treasurer
Treasurer → Assistant Secretary, 2023
Assistant Secretary → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristi Burtis
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Tom Schmidt (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Randy Rieches (2020–2023) — Director Emeritus
- Former: Tim Morrow (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Barbara Baker (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Dennis Schmitt (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Tom Stalf (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Harald Schwammer (2020) — Director
- Former: Martha Fischer (2020) — Director
- Former: Michael Fouraker (2020) — Vice President & Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $99K, to Deborah Olson (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about International Elephant Foundation
How much does International Elephant Foundation give each year?
International Elephant Foundation reported $959K in grants paid in 2025 on its 2025 IRS Form 990, as a total without an itemized list of grants. In 2024 it reported $760K in grants paid.
How large is International Elephant Foundation?
International Elephant Foundation reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does International Elephant Foundation fund?
IEF’s mission is to create a sustainable future for elephants by investing in elephant conservation, education, research, and management programs worldwide. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from International Elephant Foundation?
International Elephant Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does International Elephant Foundation make grants?
IEF describes its work as worldwide and identifies African forest, African savannah, and Asian elephants in its funding materials. Its stated grant priorities include transfrontier or transboundary conservation. The 2026 call for proposals described eligibility in terms of projects with direct impact on elephant conservation.
What is International Elephant Foundation's EIN?
International Elephant Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2815706. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 16, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work International Elephant Foundation funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in International Elephant Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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