The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's memorandum and articles of assocoiation, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)".
The Charity's objectives are to promote African conservation leadership and the conservation of wildlife and wild lands of Africa as cultural and economic assets for Africa’s future generations.
Significant activities
The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) plays an important role in the conservation of Africa's most iconic and endangered species, including elephants, rhinos, lions and great apes. AWF focuses on protecting these species, supporting their populations to grow, and on the sustainable management of the large landscapes that sustain them, that protect biodiversity, and that provide vital ecosystem services that underpin a sustainable future for Africa's people. AWF applies more than 60
years of conservation experience and ecological research to develop and implement pragmatic solutions that enable rural communities and African governments to support and lead the protection of wildlife and wild lands as essential to development and future prosperity.
AWF was founded on the belief that conservation efforts must ultimately rest in the hands of the people of Africa and that with support and global partnerships, Africans will construct a viable platform to conserve the continent's natural heritage. Over 60 years, AWF has sponsored hundreds of young African conservationists to study wildlife management and acquire higher degrees in conservation-related fields. Beyond formal education, AWF works to train local people and build the capacity of African institutions to protect and manage wildlife. AWF is now actively supporting African youth leaders to
champion a future in Africa with wildlife and wildlands as a priority.
African Wildlife Foundation began operating in the United Kingdom in May 2009, and has a UK National Board as part of the global AWF network. The UK staff team consists of a full time UK Director, part time Senior Donor Engagement Manager, and a full-time Development Officer. AWF UK Director departed AWF on 18th June 2024.
Activities undertaken in the UK in FY2024 include:
1, Building AWF’s UK network of donors and strategic partners, with a focus on individuals, corporates and
foundations. This includes:
Digital and direct mailings and engagements/campaigns.
Prospect research to identify and steward prospects in line with their interests.
Face-to-face meetings with donors and prospects.
Events: In FY2024 AWF in the UK held a dinner at the House of Commons in January 2024, hosted
by AWF Trustee Lord Grayling. The event focussed on AWF’s Volcanoes National Park expansion
and restoration programme
Anchoring AWF engagement with strategic networks such as the Africa National Capital Alliance and Business for Nature.
2, Supporting AWF’s Programme Design Team to apply for UK Government Funding opportunities where they align with AWF’s programmes.
3, Overseeing Performance in the UK and developing UK strategy for the coming period
4, Building UK Board and engaging trustees in fundraising and delivery of UK strategy
Public benefit
In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the charity commission relating to public benefit and in particular to its supplementary public benefit guidance.
During the financial year ending June 2024, AWF in the UK received payments amounting to £589,550, of which £489,808 was from the UK corporates and Foundations, and £99,742 from UK individuals, the latter of which was recorded as deferred revenue.
Key programme activities supported include:
Conservation of endangered species and biodiversity in Faro and Dja landscapes in Cameroon through building capacity of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), engagement of actors including private sector within those biodiversity critical landscapes, and development of sustainable livelihoods for communities living alongside wildlife and dependent on natural resources.
Engagement of Indigenous (Bagyeli) People in Cameroon in the conservation and protection of the critically endangered western lowland gorillas in and around Campo Ma’an National Park
Operational set up for a new detection dog unit in Ethiopia’s main Bole International Airport to support the Ethiopian government authorities to combat the transit of illegal wildlife and their products through Addis Ababa’s international airport, including from West and Central Africa and onwards to Asia.
Conservation education in community schools in Olderkesi Conservancy, Kenya.
Anti-poaching and rhino conservation in Mid Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe.
The Foundation had net incoming resources in the year of £271,548 (2023 net outgoing resources : £79,069) as shown on page 7 of the accounts.
During the year a total of £489,808 (2023 £190,730) was received in gifts, donations and legacies and £242,223 (2023 £269,799) was paid out in connection with charitable activities. A further £23,963 of currency gains was also received during the financial year (2023: £nil).
AWF undertakes a yearly review of the organization's achievements and performances. The global Board of Trustees reviews a report from the Chief Executive Officer that assesses the organization's performance and effectiveness in achieving AWF's mission. The global Board of Trustees identifies and communicates through the Chief Executive Officer any future actions required by staff to achieve AWF's mission.
Conservation activities funded the Company were conducted in AWF's various operations sites throughout Africa.
The year ended 30 June 2024 marked the Company's Thirteenth full year of operations in the United Kingdom, with activities focused on building brand, providing technical support to the conservation programme in Africa, and expanding funding partnerships in the UK and Europe.
Investment policy and objectives
For the year ended 30 June 2024, the Company did not hold any investments.
Going Concern
On 30 June 2024 the charity had net unrestricted funds of £367,987. The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resource to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Therefore the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the Accounting Policies.
Future plans
The Charity's aims and objectives for the next five years are as follows:
1, | Expand AWF's funding base in the UK and Europe to support AWF's conservation programmes in Africa |
2, | Engage in policy dialogue in UK and Europe to support conservation in Africa |
3, | Support AWF's programme in Africa with technical inputs |
4, | Build AWF's brand in the UK and Europe as a thought leader in conservation. |
Future plans (cont'd)
To achieve these objectives, the Charity will implement the following activities in the coming year
1, | Build a steady stream of income from UK/European partners to support AWF's conservation programme in Africa, including European Government donors, philanthropists with interests in African conservation work, including foundations, corporations and private individuals. Specifically in the UK, AWF will expand funding partnerships with private individuals, corporations and foundations. |
2, | Engage in policy and technical dialogue with European governments, research organizations, universities and international NGOs and share learning from Africa with conservation stakeholders in UK and Europe. |
3, | Share ideas and lessons learned by facilitating preparation, sharing and presentation of reports, newsletters and technical papers about conservation work in Africa. |
4, | Develop a communications strategy targeting specific audiences through events/ meetings, media and social media in UK and Europe. |
Members Liability
The Members of the Company guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the Company in the event of winding up.
Employee Involvement and Employment of the Disabled
Employees have been consulted on issues of concern to them by means of regular consultative committee and staff meetings and have been kept informed on specific matters directly by management. AWF carries out exit interviews for all staff leaving the organisation and has adopted a procedure of upward feedback for senior management and the Trustees.
AWF has implemented detailed policies in relation to all aspects of personnel matters including:
Equal opportunities policy
Volunteers' policy
Health & safety policy
In accordance with AWF's Equal opportunities policy, the company has long-established fair employment practices in the recruitment, selection, retention and training of disabled staff. Full details of these policies are available from AWF's offices.
Governing document
The Company is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee and was set up by a Memorandum of Association on 04/07/07. The Company's registered charity number is 1128297. The principal objectives of the Company are to ensure that wildlife and wild lands thrive in modern Africa.
Risk management
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the company is exposed, in particular, those related to the operations and finances of the company, and are satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to the major risks.
The directors who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
None of the directors have any beneficial interest in the company. All of the directors are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is an international conservation organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and registered as a charity in various countries including the United Kingdom. AWF maintained operational offices in seven African countries in the year ended 30 June 2019: Kenya (Headquarters), Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Niger. In addition, AWF maintained fundraising and representational offices the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. AWF has designated certain key landscapes in the African countries as priority conservation areas. The AWF existing entities in Switzerland are in the process of dissolution, this is to be completed within the following financial year.
In addition, AWF maintained fundraising and representational offices the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Switzerland. AWF has designated certain key landscapes in the African countries as priority conservation areas.
Umbrella Structure
AWF is governed by a global Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees consists of no fewer than fifteen (15) and no more than thirty-nine (39) Trustees. Trustee term is for three years, with no fixed limit on the number of terms that a Trustee may serve.
The global Board of Trustees holds at least four board meetings per year, two of which must be face to face meetings. In addition to these compulsory meetings, special meetings may be called by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary upon order of the Chair, or upon written request of three (3) Trustees.
National Structure
The Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of AWF, with the assistance of the Nominating and Governance Committee, have the power and authority to create National Boards as required by local laws for the sole purpose of establishing legal presence to raise funds and carry out operational activities. Members of National Boards have no vote in the conduct of the Organization, except where such members are also members of the Board of Trustees or as otherwise may be provided by the Organization governing document.
The current National Board of African Wildlife Foundation in the United Kingdom (AWF UK or the Charity) is currently composed of six (6) trustees, four (4) of whom also serve on the board of the main Organization. The AWF UK Board Meets four (4) times in a year.
Decision Making
The daily management of the Company falls under the supervision of AWF and has been delegated to AWF's corporate officers. The officers of AWF currently consist of the following individuals:
AWF Global Trustees who are Officers
Larry Green – Chair
Stephen Golden – Vice Chair
Secretary and Treasurer were eliminated.
AWF Officers of the AWF Board
Officers of the Board - reappointment for an additional year
• Andrea Athanas, Vice President, Enterprise and Investment
• Eric Coppenger, Chief of Staff
• Charly Facheux, Snr. Vice President, Conservation Strategy, Knowledge Management & Impact
• Beth Foster, SVP, Brand and Public Engagement
• Philip Muruthi, Vice President for Species Conservation and Science
• Kaddu Sebunya, Chief Executive Officer
• Richard Holly, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
• Frederick Kumah, Vice President, Global Leadership
• Susan Hoefling, Secretary
Decision Making (cont'd)
The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are elected at the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees. These positions are subject to the term limits outlined in AWF's governing documents. The Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, President and the Vice Presidents are appointed by the Board of Trustees.
a) The Chairman supervises the business of the Corporation, presides at all meetings of the Board of Trustees, and performs such other duties as may be delegated to him by the full Board of Trustees. He is an ex official member of all Board committees and sub committees.
b) The Chief Executive Officer has direct responsibility for the activities, operations, programs and assets of AWF, subject to the direction and approval of the Chair, and performs such other duties as may be delegated to him/her by the Board.
c) The Secretary keeps the corporate records, the Minutes of all meetings of the Board of Trustees, has custody of the Minutes book and Seal, conducts the correspondence of AWF, and performs such other duties as may be delegated to him by the Board. The Secretary is entitled to utilize the services of employees and representatives of AWF in the performance of these functions.
d) The Treasurer has custody of all AWF property; receives, holds and disburses all funds and assets of AWF as directed by the Board; and, in addition to the required statements of accounts to the Board of Trustees, renders such other accounts as may be requested from time to time by the Chair; and perform such other duties as may be delegated to him by the Board. He/she deposits all funds and securities in his/her care in such banks or other depositories as the Board may designate. The Treasurer is entitled to utilize the service of employees and representatives of AWF in the performance of these functions.
Method of Appointment or Election of Trustees
The management of the Company is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the Articles of Association
As of and for the year ended 30 June 2024, the Charity or its trustees are not acting as custodian trustees.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The directors' report was approved by the Board of Directors.
I report to the directors on my examination of the financial statements of African Wildlife Foundation (the charity) for the year ended 30 June 2024.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
African Wildlife Foundation is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Ground Floor, 1-7 Station Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1HT.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
On 30 June 2024 the charity had net unrestricted funds of £367,987. The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resource to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Therefore the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the Accounting Policies.
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Donated services or facilities are recognised when the company has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit for the use of the company of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the general volunteer time of the Friends is not recognised.
For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either; the company is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the company has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the company, or the company is aware of the granting of probable, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
On receipt donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the company, which is the amount the company would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Income tax recoverable in relation to investment income is recognised at the time the investment income is receivable.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Support costs are those costs incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the company and include project management carried out at Headquarters. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with administration of the company and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
The charitable company only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are measured at transaction price including transaction costs. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors are recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised at transaction price.
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the company to the fund in respect of the year.
Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation are included in net income/(expenditure) for the period.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
There were no key judgments of estimates during the financial year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was: 3
During the year the charity took the decision to change their payroll process. The employees are now employed via an employment on record arrangement and are contracted to AWF.
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
As at the 30 June 2024, the inter-organisation balance owing to African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) Global is £139,160 (2023: £177,145).
At 30 June 2024 African Wildlife Foundation UK held £89,926 on behalf of African Wildlife Foundation Kenya, the funds are in Other Creditors. Maria Groen, David Edwards, Gilles Harerimana and Heather Sturt Haaga are trustees of both organisations.