Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$2,308,169

Total expenses

$2,753,551

Contributions and grants received

$2,354,156

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

-$64,530

Other revenue

$18,543

Total assets, end of year

$3,666,565

Total liabilities, end of year

$738,369

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$2,928,196

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,634,721

Management and general expenses

$367,221

Fundraising expenses

$751,609

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,634,721

Program services were 59.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• BREEDING, VETERINARY AND CANINE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS: THE REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT, WHELPING, RAISING AND EDUCATION OF PURPOSE-BRED SERVICE DOGS OVER THE PAST TWENTY EIGHT YEARS, HAS ALLOWED ECAD TO TITRATE A PROVEN FORMULA FOR THE SUCCESSFUL HEALTH, WELLNESS, TRAINING AND PLACEMENT OF THESE DOGS TO HELP PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES. ECAD USES GOLDEN AND LABRADOR RETRIEVERS AS WELL AS A CROSS OF THE TWO BREEDS TO PRODUCE THE DESIRED RELIABLE PLACEMENTS. VOLUNTEER BREEDER-CARETAKERS CARE FOR DOGS ACTIVE IN OUR BREEDING PROGRAM. NURSERY TEAM FAMILIES WELCOME AN 8 TO 10-WEEK OLD PUPPY INTO THEIR HOMES FOR 6 - 7 MONTHS WITH THE OPTION OF ADDITIONAL STAY. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O. THE FAMILIES WILL BEGIN TO TEACH THE PUPPY BASIC COMMANDS (SIT, COME, DOWN, STAY, ETC.), HOUSEHOLD MANNERS, AND THE PUPS GET TO EXPLORE NEW AND DIFFERENT THINGS. OUR HOME HANDLER VOLUNTEERS PICK UP WHERE OUR NURSERY TEAM HOMES LEAVE OFF. THESE VOLUNTEERS BRING AN OLDER DOG INTO THEIR HOME EVERY WEEKEND AND ASSIST IN TEACHING HOME MANNERS, GIVING THE DOGS A BREAK FROM "SCHOOL", SOCIALIZING THEM WITH DOG FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES AND NEW PEOPLE, AND CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION. THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN HOME HANDLER TRAINING BEFORE BEING ELIGIBLE TO BRING A SERVICE DOG IN TRAINING HOME FOR THE WEEKEND. THESE WEEKEND CLASSES ARE HELD REGULARLY AND MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE BEING PERMITTED TO TAKE A DOG INTO THEIR HOME. ADDITIONALLY, HOME HANDLERS CAN TAKE ADVANCED TRAINING SESSIONS AND TAKE A PAT (PUBLIC ACCESS TEST) TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY BRING THEIR WEEKEND CANINE CHARGE OUT INTO PUBLIC SPACES FOR MORE INTENSE AND ADVANCED TRAINING. OUR OVER 125 YOUTH AND ADULT VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF PROVIDE EACH DOG APPROXIMATELY 1,275 HOURS OF STRUCTURED EDUCATION. BY THE END OF THEIR FIRST YEAR OF EDUCATION, EACH DOG HAS LEARNED UP TO 60 DIFFERENT COMMANDS THAT CAN BE COMBINED TO PERFORM EVEN MORE TASKS OF DAILY LIVING DESIGNED TO HELP A PERSON LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.

  Expenses $354,867

• CANINE EDUCATION AND CLIENT SERVICES: ECAD'S CANINE EDUCATORS SPEND EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS TEACHING THE SERVICE DOGS IN TRAINING TO MASTER MORE THAN EIGHTY COMMANDS. AS AN ASSISTANCE DOGS INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION, EACH ECAD SERVICE DOG RECEIVES FIVE-TIMES THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF REQUIRED CANINE EDUCATION PRIOR TO PLACEMENT. THIS LEVEL OF TRAINING, COUPLED WITH OUR STAFF'S KNOWLEDGE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL DOG'S STRENGTHS, TEMPERAMENT AND QUALITIES - ENABLES US TO MEET THE NEEDS PEOPLE LIVING WITH COMPLEX DISABILITIES THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE UNABLE TO SERVICE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THROUGH OUR DIVERSE CLIENT FOCUSED PROGRAMS, ECAD TRAINS MULTIPLE TYPES OF ASSISTANCE DOGS TO BEST SERVE OUR CLIENTS: SERVICE DOGS ASSIST ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES BY PERFORMING DAILY TASKS SUCH AS PICKING UP DROPPED ITEMS; AND FACILITY DOGS: WORKS WITH A TRAINED AND LICENSED PROFESSIONAL WHO DIRECTLY SERVES CLIENTS IN HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION AND JUDICIAL SETTINGS. THE MATCHING OF CLIENTS AND CANINES TAKES PLACE DURING TEAM TRAINING, AN INTENSIVE TWO-WEEK TRAINING COURSE WHERE CLIENTS LEARN THE SKILLS TO USE THEIR NEW ASSISTANCE DOGS. CLIENTS ALSO LEARN TECHNIQUES TO EXPAND THE RANGE OF COMMANDS TO MEET THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS IN ADDITION, EACH CLIENT MUST DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR THE DOG'S CARE AND WELL-BEING BEFORE GRADUATING WITH AN ECAD ASSISTANCE DOG SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1995, ECAD HAS GRADUATED MORE THAN 450 ASSISTANCE DOGS NATIONWIDE.

  Expenses $697,294

• PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT: SERVING NATIONALLY, ACTING LOCALLY, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND LOCAL PRESENCE ECAD TAKES A PROACTIVE STANCE IN RAISING AWARENESS OF ASSISTANCE DOGS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. OUR EFFORTS HAVE PRODUCED MANY ARTICLES IN NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND NEWSLETTERS. ECAD HAS WORKED WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL WEB, RADIO, AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS TO BRING AWARENESS OF OUR PROGRAM TO THE MASSES. ECAD DISTRIBUTES A NATIONAL NEWSLETTER, ELECTRONIC MESSAGES AND DIRECT MAIL PACKAGES THAT EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND PROVIDE PROGRAM UPDATES. FURTHERMORE, ECAD MAINTAINS AND REGULARLY UPDATES ACCOUNTS WITH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN AND YOUTUBE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.ALL OF THESE EFFORTS ARE SUPPORTED BY ECAD STAFF AND ARE DEPENDENT ON THE SUPPORT OF MORE THAN 125 VOLUNTEERS, INDIVIDUALLY, IN SMALL GROUPS, AND IN ORGANIZED CHAPTERS, CONDUCT PRESENTATIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS, RAISING AWARENESS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND HOW ASSISTANCE DOGS HELP THEM LEAD MORE INDEPENDENT LIVES. ECAD'S WEBSITE (WWW.ECAD1.ORG) PROVIDES FULL ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

  Expenses $369,630

• CANDIDATE, CLIENT AND GRADUATE SERVICES: ECAD MAINTAINS A WAITING LIST OF PERSONS DESIRING PLACEMENT WITH AN ASSISTANCE DOG. ALL CANDIDATES ARE INTERVIEWED PRIOR TO BEING ACCEPTED INTO AN ECAD PROGRAM OR ATTENDING A TEAM TRAINING SESSION, SO THAT THEY ARE INFORMED ON ALL THAT IS INVOLVED WITH OBTAINING A SERVICE OR FACILITY DOG. AND TO HOW MUCH THEIR LIFE WILL CHANGE, BOTH IN THE WORKPLACE AND AT HOME. INITIAL INTERVIEWS ARE EXTENSIVE, LASTING UP TO TWO HOURS. ECAD SURVEYS CANDIDATES' MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, FAMILY, EXTENDED SUPPORT GROUP TO ENSURE THE NEEDS OF THE TEAM CAN BE MET. ECAD GRADUATE SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT TO EACH GRADUATE TEAM AS THEY BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY ON THEIR NEW LIFE TOGETHER AFTER GRADUATION, TRACKING ALL THE TEAMS THROUGH FOLLOW-UP VISITS AND GRADUATE AFTER ACTIONS REPORTING. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF GRADUATE FOLLOW UP VISITS IS TO MAINTAIN AS WELL AS ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GRADUATE TEAM WELL-BEING. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CREATING AN AWARENESS OF VITAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO GRADUATES THAT INCLUDE SAFETY ISSUES, PUBLIC ACCESS RECERTIFICATION, EQUIPMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT, ACCESS TO LEGAL ISSUES AND INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAM UPDATES TASKS PERFORMED BY INSTRUCTORS AT FOLLOW-UP VISITATION INCLUDE 1) ASCERTAINING THAT THE PLACEMENT IS STILL WORKING, 2) CORRECTION OF ANY PROBLEMS THAT MAY EXIST, 3) ENSURING THAT THE DOG IS HEALTHY, 4) ENSURING EQUIPMENT BEING USED IS EFFECTIVE, 5) MAKING CERTAIN THAT THE DOG IS DOING THE COMMANDS INITIALLY TAUGHT, AND THAT THEY ARE STILL NEEDED, AND 6) BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF TEACHING NEW COMMANDS. IN 2023, ECAD STAFF PERFORMED 390 HOURS FOLLOW-UP CARE OVER 71 CLIENT PLACEMENTS.

  Expenses $212,930

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

1 August 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202402189349301355

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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