Why Support KruShan Foundation

• As the only US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated solely to African penguins, we are laser-focused on one thing—protecting critically endangered African Penguins from extinction. 
• Your donation has maximum impact. Thanks to our close relationships with our local partner organizations in South Africa, we know what the critically endangered African penguins need and when they need it in real time. Thus, we can quickly direct funds, including during emergencies, where funds will have the most significant impact.
• At least 97% of your donation goes directly to protect critically endangered African penguins. With no salaries, office rent, costs of plushies, or other donor gifts that subtract from your donation, and minimal fundraising costs, you can trust that your donation goes directly to programs and initiatives that protect the critically endangered African penguins.
• You can trust our financial information and performance metrics. We’ve held the highest transparency rating (Platinum) from Candid GuideStar since 2023.
• Although we are based in the United States, we don’t work in an ivory tower having never seen the animals we are protecting, or listening to our partners on the ground. We’re often in South Africa, where our co-founder, Kruger du Plessis, grew up. Our visits to African penguin colonies and our work with our partners and African penguin rangers in the field keep ensure we have the current data to most effectively ways to protect this iconic species found in the wild only in South African and Namibia.
• We’ve been active conservation advocates since 2013.

Vision, Mission, Theory of Change, and SDG Alignment

Vision

We value nature for its intrinsic worth rather than the human-centered approach that values nature as something humans can exploit. The human-centered approach to nature diminishes all other forms of life and has, over time, imperiled all life on our shared planet, including human life.

We view ourselves as part of a larger web of life rather than separate from it. As individuals, we recognize that every action we take impacts the environment.

African penguins serve as marine sentinels. Much like a canary in a coal mine, their critically endangered status warns us that their marine ecosystem is in trouble. Oceans are our planet’s lungs, so threats to our oceans’ health endanger us humans. If we can save one species, we will leave the world brighter for future generations.

Mission

KruShan Foundation is the only US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated solely to protecting critically endangered African penguins from extinction. #NotBy2035

Theory of Change

Because human activity has reduced the African penguin population from millions of birds 100 years ago to a critically endangered species with under 11,000 breeding pairs left, we stay in near-constant contact with our partners in the field and make frequent trips to South Africa so that we know what they need in real-time to protect this iconic species from extinction. Our fundraising, education, and outreach efforts aim to bolster the African penguin population to prevent their projected extinction in the wild in 2035 so that future generations can enjoy these adorable, entertaining birds in a healthy marine ecosystem.

SDG Alignment

Note: We are an IRS-qualified US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible in the United States per current tax regulations. Since the IRS removed, quite wrongly, the $600 charitable donation deduction for US taxpayers who use the standard deduction, if you itemize deductions, your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donor-advised funds (DAF) are another simple, tax-effective way to donate to charity.

Do you have questions or want more information? Please get in touch with us. We love talking about African penguins.