Fewer than 10,000 African penguin breeding pairs remain in the wild: a collapse from millions just decades ago.
Their disappearance reflects overfishing, habitat loss, and climate impacts.
Their crisis exposes a larger truth: when global climate action lacks empathy, vulnerable species are left to bear the consequences of distant decisions.
Our results to date
560
+
African penguin chicks fed.
35
African penguin families protected with artificial nests.
137
Injured African penguins provided medical intervention and critical care.
2,800
African penguins at the Dyer Island colony protected by solar-powered WiFi security cameras we purchased and and the Senior Seabird Ranger, whose salary/expenses we fund.
40
Disadvantaged students in Gansbaai, South Africa, received supplies, and a three-day autumn retreat sponsored by KruShan Foundation and CapeNature, as part of the three-year DEEP Blue Ambassadors program.
Life-saving equipment provided:
KruShan Foundation X-Ray Room for critical on-site diagnostics; reliable freezers to store fish to ensure rescued penguins stay fed, a laptop to ensure a partner’s life-saving work can continue, penguin pool relining
More about KruShan Foundation’s impact.
What We Do
KruShan Foundation is a U.S. nonprofit organization protecting critically endangered African penguins by partnering with South African organizations with lived experience and local expertise to strengthen conservation capacity and advance empathy as a climate solution, ensuring that those least responsible for climate harm can shape a future in which penguin colonies thrive in the wild.
Protect
Safeguard critically endangered African penguins and the coastal ecosystems they depend on.
- Fund rescue, rehabilitation, and colony monitoring
- Support habitat restoration and protection
- Provide resources that reduce harm to penguins and ecosystems
Partner
Honor our partners’ expertise, reject donor-over-grantee power dynamics, and embrace trust-based philanthropy.
- Strengthen local nonprofit capacity (training, tools, staffing)
- Build long‑term, trust‑based collaborations
- Amplify frontline expertise and leadership
Transform
Shift away from harm‑blindness toward empathy‑centered action to advance empathy as a climate solution.
- Create empathy‑centered climate storytelling and education
- Shift narratives around species loss and responsibility
- Support the local community in Gansbaai, South Africa, by investing in opportunities for disadvantaged students through the DEEP Blue Ambassadors program.
More testimonials
Ripple Effect of Rescuing one African Penguin
Powerful Ripple Effect: When 1 equals 45
Protecting one African penguin sparks a ripple that strengthens colonies, slows extinction, and builds a penguin-protector-level epic legacy. One rescue can lead to at least 45 more birds over a lifetime. Factor in the dollar-to-rand exchange rate, and your impact multiplies. That’s the math of hope. Every penguin counts. So do you. #NotBy2035
View our impact chart.
Partners
 |  |  |  |
 |  | ||
Allies
 |  |  | |