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Lewa Wildlife Conservancy USA
New York, NY · EIN 870572187 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE D30 · Animal-Related · Medium ($1M-$10M) · lewa.org
revenue
$4.4M
expenses
$3.8M
net assets
$7.8M
employees
0
program ratio
92%
mission · from form 990

To support Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya and other partner orgs that serve its mission.

profile · synthesized from sources

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy operates a 62,000-acre protected area in Kenya focused on endangered species conservation, ecosystem monitoring, and community development. The organization directly manages wildlife populations including black rhino, elephant, and Grevy’s zebra, while running education, healthcare, and economic empowerment programs for over 60,000 neighboring people. It serves as a critical ecological corridor between Mount Kenya and northern rangelands.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Bursary Programme
Provides financial support covering up to 75% of secondary school tuition for students from Lewa-partnered primary schools.
Conservation Education Programme
Engages students and teachers through game drives, conservation center visits, outreach, and wildlife clubs.
Elephant Monitoring
Uses satellite collars and ground teams to track elephant movements and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Elephant Underpass
Safe passage infrastructure allowing elephants to cross under the Meru-Nanyuki highway without human conflict.
Lewa Education Programme
Supports 28 schools through infrastructure development, digital literacy, teacher recruitment, and bursaries.
Rhino Monitoring
Tracks rhino births, deaths, and movements to inform conservation strategies and maintain appropriate population density.
Ungulate Monitoring
Monitors populations of Grevy’s zebra, Lelwel’s hartebeest, reticulated giraffe, and other hooved mammals to assess ecosystem health.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Wildlife Conservation in Africa 4 activities
    • Conserve endangered Grevy's zebra and other wildlife species
      Hosts the world's largest single population of Grevy's zebra, with 221 individuals conserved in the Lewa-Borana Landscape. Conducts population monitoring and conservation efforts contributing to the species' survival, including habitat protection and population growth initiatives.
    • Manage rhino sanctuary and conservation breeding program
      Manages 93,000 acres of contiguous rhino rangeland in partnership with Borana Conservancy, protecting over 14% of Kenya's black rhino population and growing the local rhino population from 15 in 1983 to over 280 today. The conservancy also translocated over 70 rhinos to other conservancies since 1995 to support national population resilience.
    • Protect and monitor elephant populations and migration corridors
      Provides seasonal habitat for approximately 400 migratory elephants and supports a resident population of 403 elephants, including 12 matriarchal family groups. Implements human-elephant conflict mitigation strategies such as non-invasive tracking collars, elephant underpasses (recording 7,573 crossings in 2024), and targeted responses based on conflict data.
    • Secure and manage protected conservation landscapes
      Secured permanent protection of 32,200 acres of private land through a 2011 capital campaign, contributing to a 62,000-acre reserve. Manages a total of 93,000 acres of protected land as contiguous rhino rangeland, ensuring secure habitat for diverse endangered species.
  • Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 1 activity
    • Conduct wildlife and ecosystem monitoring research
      Collects longitudinal data on rhino demographics, elephant movements via satellite collars, large carnivore ecology, indicator ungulates, vegetation health, and waterbird populations. Maintains hydrological monitoring stations and conducts annual rangeland and species surveys to inform adaptive management.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
    • Deliver conservation education and community engagement programs
      Engages over 4,000 Kenyan students annually through conservation education programming, including wildlife clubs in 10 schools and visits to the Conservation Education Centre. Trained 104 teachers in 2024 to integrate conservation topics into curricula and hosted 103 groups for educational sessions.
  • Digital Literacy Training and Technology Access 1 activity
    • Implement education support and digital literacy programs
      Supports 28 schools annually, improving education quality for over 9,100 students through infrastructure development, teacher recruitment, bursaries, and digital literacy initiatives. Distributed over 1,000 tablets and 300 computers, and equipped schools with smart boards, libraries, and learning materials.
  • Organized Running and Triathlon Events 1 activity
    • Organize annual conservation-focused sporting event
      Organizes the annual Lewa Safari Marathon each June, drawing international participants and raising awareness and funds for wildlife conservation and community development initiatives.
  • Individual Child Education Sponsorship 1 activity
    • Provide scholarships and student mentorship programs
      Provides bursaries and scholarships to over 1,100 students since program inception, supporting 518 students in 2024 alone. Offers biannual mentorship on career guidance, life skills, and mental health, and facilitates parent engagement in student progress evaluation.
  • Direct Clinical Care Delivery 1 activity
    • Support community health and primary care services
      Oversees operations of four clinics serving remote communities within a 25-kilometer radius, providing primary healthcare access to tens of thousands of people. Services include diagnosis and treatment for reproductive and mental health issues, and preventative education on HIV/AIDS, family planning, and hygiene.
  • Indigenous-Led Ecosystem Stewardship 1 activity
    • Support community-based conservation partnerships
      Provides critical institutional and operational support to the Northern Rangelands Trust, a community-led conservation organization spanning Northern Kenya, strengthening local governance and conservation capacity across multiple conservancies.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$4.39M
Contributions & grants$3.61M82%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$776K18%
Other revenue$9K
expenses
Total expenses$3.78M
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead6%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$3.35M
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$8.53M
Cash$1.15M
Investments$7.03M
Liabilities$768K
Net assets$7.76M
Liquid reserves26.0 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +17.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 14
  • Alex Beard — Board member
  • Brian Gitau — Treasurer
  • David Bonnouvrier — Board member
  • Deborah Gage — Secretary
  • Katherine Chou — Vice Chair
  • Linda Millard — Board member
  • Mary Pope Hutson — Board member
  • Myrta Pulliam — Board member
  • Sarah Gott — Board member
  • Schuyler Heuer — Board member
  • Stephanie Osborne — Board member
  • Sue Anchutz Rodgers — Board member
  • Ted Schmitt — Board member
  • Tony Barclay — Chairman
relationships · 23

Who they work with

  • 19 primary schools Partner — Partner schools from which students transition into secondary education with bursary support.
  • Al Ain Zoo Partner — Partner in monitoring program for Grevy's zebra conservation.
  • Book Aid International Partner — Partnership to extend reading resources to Lewa partner schools.
  • Borana Conservancy Partner — Collaborates to merge land areas, creating 93,000 acres of contiguous rhino rangeland.
  • Borana Conservancy Partner — Partnership to protect over 14% of Kenya's black rhino population.
  • Government of Kenya Partner — Partnership to equip schools with computers, tablets, and projectors through the Digital Literacy Programme.
  • Kenya Police Partner — Joint efforts with Lewa to improve security and stability in the Lewa-Borana landscape.
  • Kenya Wildlife Service Government — Partners with Lewa on elephant population monitoring and joint patrols.
  • Kenya Wildlife Service Partner — Collaborates with Lewa on anti-poaching and landscape security initiatives.
  • Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Partner — Primary implementing organization for wildlife conservation efforts in Kenya
  • Lewa-Borana Landscape Partner — Collaborative conservation landscape where rhino protection and anti-poaching efforts are jointly implemented.
  • Lewa-supported schools Partner — Receives outreach and support from Lewa’s conservation educators to implement environmental curriculum and activities.
  • Marwell Wildlife Partner — Partner in monitoring program for Grevy's zebra conservation.
  • Ministry of Education Government — Collaborates to align Lewa’s curriculum with national education guidelines.
  • National Museums Partner — Collaborates with Lewa to verify and maintain a checklist of bird species in the landscape.
  • Nature Kenya Partner — Collaborates with Lewa to verify and maintain a checklist of bird species in the landscape.
  • Northern Rangelands Trust Partner — Collaborates with Lewa on monitoring elephant populations in Northern Kenya.
  • Northern Rangelands Trust Partner — Provides critical support to this community-based conservation movement that originated from Lewa and now operates independently across Northern Kenya.
  • Save The Elephants Partner — Collaborates with Lewa on monitoring elephant populations and placing tracking collars.
  • The Bently Foundation Funder — Provided initial funding for hydrological monitoring stations and weather monitoring standardization.
  • The Grevy’s Zebra Trust Partner — Partner in monitoring program for Grevy's zebra conservation.
  • United Nations Government — Cited as source of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes education as a fundamental right.
  • local government Partner — Collaborates with Lewa in overseeing the operations of healthcare clinics.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Adaptive, Landscape-Scale Wildlife Protection
    methodology: adaptive_landscape_conservation
    By combining protected area management, individual-based monitoring, and landscape-scale connectivity (e.g., migration corridors), Lewa enables species recovery and genetic diversity, because targeted, data-driven interventions in ecologically connected habitats produce more resilient populations.
  • Community-Centred Conservation with Shared Benefits
    methodology: community-centred_conservation
    By integrating local communities as active stewards and equitably sharing benefits from wildlife tourism and conservation funding, Lewa strengthens local ownership and long-term commitment to biodiversity protection, because community buy-in reduces poaching and increases landscape resilience.
  • Integrated Conservation Education Model
    methodology: conservation_education
    By embedding conservation education within formal schooling, experiential learning, and community outreach, Lewa fosters long-term behavioral change and cultural stewardship among youth, because early, sustained exposure builds identity-based conservation values and reduces human-wildlife conflict over time.
  • Technology-Enhanced Anti-Poaching System
    methodology: technology-enabled_intelligence_gathering
    By deploying innovative surveillance technology and intelligence-gathering tools, Lewa enables proactive anti-poaching operations, because real-time data and early warning systems increase response effectiveness and deterrence, reducing wildlife mortality.