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WORKING DOGS FOR CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

EIN 20-2708654 MISSOULA, MT

Largest nonprofits in Montana

Revenue 2024
$2,360,188
Expenses 2024
$2,167,942

Program services were 82.7% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
G99
Classification
1000
Street
10971 RUSTIC RD

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Partner with detection dogs to further conservation initiatives around the world. Working Dogs for Conservation Foundation (WD4C) integrates scientific-detection dog teams with established management and conservation efforts to address invasive species proliferation, wildlife trafficking, habitat fragmentation, human/wildlife conflict, and support the preservation and restoration of threatened and endangered species.

Activities or mission (Part I)

WD4C deploys conservation dogs in four categories: 1) to carry out Ecological Monitoring; 2) to Promote Biosecurity and Combat Invasive Species; 3) to Stop Wildlife Crime; and 4) to Promote Environmental Justice. WD4C works in each of these categories through direct impact, innovation, and leadership.

  • SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WD4C HAS COLLABORATED WITH MANAGERS, RESEARCHERS, AND CONSERVATIONISTS TO DETECT NEARLY 40 SPECIES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND WORLD. MANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN GROUND-BREAKING WITHIN THE REALM OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY. WD4C PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE PROPELLED THE DISCIPLINE OF DETECTION DOGS FORWARD: FROM FINDING DIFFICULT AND NOVEL TARGETS LIKE A SUITE OF WIDE-RANGING CARNIVORES, ILLEGAL WIRE SNARES, INVASIVE PLANTS AND INSECTS, SUBTERRANEAN ANIMALS, AND EVIDENCE OF INVASIVE FISH IN FRESHWATER STREAMS, TO WD4C'S GROUND-BREAKING WORK USING DOGS TO DETECT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS IN FRESHWATER ECOSTYSTEMS.WD4C ALSO SAVES DOGS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF THE TRAITS THAT PREVENT DOGS BEING SUITABLE PETS SUCH AS HIGH ENERGY AND TOY OBSESSION, CAN SIGNAL SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL TO BE A HIGHLY SKILLED DETECTION DOG. RECENT WD4C ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE:-- Sloths are in need of protection but are incredibly hard to find in the wild theyre slow-moving and blend in with the forest so well, that just spotting them is difficult - not to mention collecting any other data or genetic samples. We partnered with the Sloth Conservation Foundation to train a dog and handler team in Costa Rica to find sloth scat to enable a DNA-based populationassessment the first and most important step in protecting these animals. -- We continue to grow one of our vital biosecurity projects which is to combat the spread and movement of invasive zebra and quagga mussels on boats and trailers. These non-native mussels outcompete native species and destroy aquatic food webs, causing both ecological and economic damage to ecosystems. Their devastating effects when introduced into water systems, cause millions of dollars in damages. Since 2014 weve been training and deploying dogs to protect bodies of water in MT, WY, CA, TX and even Alberta, Canada. Dogs are orders of magnitude faster at checking vehicles than humans, and people enjoy watching them work, so the dogs transform wait times at critical boat checkpoints into a highlight of the day. Boaters love the speed with which dogs get them on the water, and inspectors appreciate the increase in compliance and local support.--The illegal wildlife trade is, unfortunately, still going strong. Elephants, rhinos, and literally hundreds of other species are killed, captured, and trafficked around the world, with devastating effects on natural populations. Poachers and traffickers are getting more sophisticated in their methods, and we work hard to stay a step ahead of them. Thats why were integrating new cutting-edge technology like AI Cameras, geo-aware radios, and SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools) into our Canine Reaction Units. Through our work, weve been able to helpNamibia respond to the worst epidemic of rhino poaching since that countrys independence. Namibia is one of eight countries where were continuing to support over 60 Law Enforcement Dogs that weve placed throughout Africa.--We completed our first three-year project in partnership with Indigenous Vision and the Amskapi Pikuni (Southern Blackfeet) on the first ever non- invasive study of mink and otter to look for long-lasting environmental contaminants. Utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to identify culturally significant hunting areas, our trained dogs were able to locate mink and otter scats that can tell us whether the food webs traditional hunters rely upon are contaminated. Thanks to an innovative lab technique pioneered by our collaborators, were now able to evaluate contamination from heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and PFAs, or forever chemicals. Especially for Native communities, who use wild products over a longer portion of the year, have fewer alternative food sources, and less access to health care, the safety of wild foods is a big part of food sovereignty and maintaining healthy traditional livelihoods. Our results are critical in helping identify the safest areas for hunting and gathering wild products, and where contaminants remain, to prioritize areas for remediation. LOOKING INTO NEXT YEAR, WEVE GOT EXCITING THINGS ON THE HORIZON, FROM DEEPENING OUR ROOTS IN MISSOULA, MT WITH VOLUNTEER DAYS, NEW CULTURAL CONNECTIONS, AND LOCALLY IMPORTANT WORK ON GRIZZLY BEARS, WOLVES AND BIGHORN SHEEP; TO BEING PART OF MONTANAS FIGHT AGAINST DISEASES SUCH COVID-19 AND CWD. WE ARE PROUD TO BE A FORCE FOR GOOD AND TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE, WILDLIFE, AND WILD PLACES THAT CONTINUALLY HAVE GIVEN US HOPE AND INSPIRATION.

    Expenses $1,793,284 · Grants $29,724 · Revenue $362,570

As filed on the 2024 return.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Pete Coppolillo

    President & ED

    Total calculated
    $148,107
    From this org
    $136,248
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,859
    Hours/week
    42

  • Aimee Hurt

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $111,528
    From this org
    $96,506
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $15,022
    Hours/week
    42

  • Skye Murphy

    DIR. OF OPER.

    Total calculated
    $91,729
    From this org
    $75,737
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $15,992
    Hours/week
    40

  • Henry Happel

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Martha Kauffman

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $2,360,188
    Expenses
    $2,167,942
    Contributions
    $2,004,405
    Grants paid
    $29,724
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $1,558,819
    Expenses
    $2,299,220
    Contributions
    $1,280,099
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $1,443,858
    Expenses
    $1,888,706
    Contributions
    $1,121,973
    Grants paid
    $0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $2,364,489
    Expenses
    $1,480,635
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,945,367

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,016,640
    Expenses
    $1,318,950
    Assets (EOY)
    $1,682,405

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,972,934
    Expenses
    $1,413,339
    Assets (EOY)
    $1,713,980

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,381,899
    Expenses
    $1,109,663
    Assets (EOY)
    $731,457

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $800,902
    Expenses
    $776,337
    Assets (EOY)
    $519,747

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 1 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.