Kentucky · Nonprofit
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW (Kentucky) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $16,200 to it, the largest being THE DUFFIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION DBA MADDIE'S FUND ($10,000). 1 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $44k
- Funders on record
- 2
- Grants received
- $16k
- Net assets
- $59k
What Making a Difference Now does
Mission
Mission: Rescue animals, educate communities, advocate for animal welfare. We exist to help animals and the people who love and care for them.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2025 return the organization reported starting a significant new program.
Making A Difference Now (MADN) is a founding organization of a new Kentucky (KY) coalition formed in 2025. KY Human Animal Welfare Coalition (KY HAWC) is designed to improve human and animal well-being throughout our state. MADN joins the KY Link Coalition; Kentucky Social Work Advocacy, Justice, and Leadership, and the Asbury University Department of Social Work as founders. We look to engage human services and animal welfare providers throughout KY to improve laws, policy, and services.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
First Program Service Accomplishment Rescue/Animal Care. This was our largest program area in 2025. It includes such specific services as S/N (spay-neuter) of companion animals; TNR (trap-neuter-return) for community cats; community cat caregiving; rescue of ill, injured, homeless and at-risk animals; veterinary care; transport of homeless animals at risk of euthanasia in Kentucky shelters to shelters and rescues in other states with more options for foster and adoptive homes; and foster care, along with extensive collaboration with sister organizations regarding all these service needs. We have always made collaborations and partnerships a priority and firmly believe that these relationships are key to addressing the critical needs in animal welfare. Sadly, even with the committed partnerships MADN and other organizations have developed, animal welfare remains in post-pandemic crisis. Needs far exceed resources, and most shelters and rescues struggle to keep their heads above water. Shelters that hadn't had to euthanize healthy animals for years before covid continue to face that awful prospect, as all animal welfare staff and volunteers continue the search for additional…
$19,208 spent$15,055 earned by the program62% of program spendingSecond Program Service Accomplishment Education. The pandemic's ongoing impact continues with many people estimating that animal welfare has been set back at least two decades, largely because of the companion animal overpopulation crisis. For many in the field, the general public's lack of awareness continues to be surprising and discouraging. Casual owner relinquishment of their pets, even elderly pets who have only known this family for most of their lives. Rejection of S/N. Pets abandoned to fend for themselves, most of whom suffer from confusion, terror, hunger, and thirst, and many of whom die. Pets starved to inconceivable condition. And purchasers of animals continuing this awful cycle by supporting irresponsible breeders and puppy/kitten mills, and the pet stores that support them, rather than adopting from shelters/rescues or at least ensuring they only purchase from responsible breeders. Education has always been a central element of MADN's mission. We have developed highly regarded programs we have offered in central Kentucky (Making A Difference Conferences) and in other communities (Taking it to the Towns: On the Road Workshops), as well as webinars and other online…
$6,069 spent$5,754 earned by the program20% of program spendingThird Program Service Accomplishment: Advocacy. Advocacy is a slog in Kentucky, with our state ranking 47th in the Animal Legal Defense Fund's ranking of animal protection laws. Even more sad than our current ranking is the fact that 47th is progress since we ranked dead last for over 10 years. While hard, advocating for better laws and better enforcement is essential if we are to help Kentucky's animals and people. An excellent case in point is the state statute that was passed in 2024. Dubbed Ethan's Law for the wonderful dog who captured hearts all over the state as he recovered from severe neglect, the statute allows a person to be charged with a Class D felony the first time and every time they torture a dog or cat. It is an important deterrent, and it is also the first substantial upgrade to our animal protection laws in years. Bipartisan support for Ethan's Law offers hope for additional progress. Of course, passage of the law is the first step. Enforcement must back it up. In too many cases and areas of our state, enforcement has been slow to keep pace, and MADN and our many excellent advocacy partners continue to call out lax enforcement and encourage community members to…
$5,655 spent$5,655 earned by the program18% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $30,932.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2017 to 2018, from $12k to $27k (+132%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
99% of MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW’s revenue is contributions — about as donation-reliant as the typical peer (100% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 0 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2019: the base held at 1 funder, grant income held at $5k.
From the IRS filings of MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW leans on a few funders — its largest provides 62% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
38% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 100% · 2019 100% — broadly stable.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW draws 62% of its grant income from funders outside Kentucky, across 2 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW runs a healthier operating margin than half of the 3,315 animals nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 3,315 animals nonprofits under $100k, FY2025
Organizations like MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Kentucky
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
85% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
99%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW?
- MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW (Kentucky) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $16,200 to it, the largest being THE DUFFIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION DBA MADDIE'S FUND ($10,000). 1 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW have?
- IRS filings report 2 organizations giving $16,200 in grants to MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW, 1 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW?
- THE DUFFIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION DBA MADDIE'S FUND is the largest funder on record, with $10,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOW find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Kentucky. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Making a Difference Now →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 2 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing