My Nonprofit Reviews
Cogirl23
Review for Zumas , Littleton, CO, USA
*Before reading, please know that I am not affiliated with the so-called disgruntled staff that "zumas girl" keeps referencing. This is based only on my personal experience with this "charity."*
I volunteered at this facility many times, attended a Halloween event, a Christmas event and took some lessons with two of the trainers. At first, everything seems idyllic. It is a beautiful property with so many lovely animals and views. The longer you are around the darker things get. You notice lots of turnover. There are always reasons for all kinds of things that don't make sense. It is never anyone's fault except for "bad staff" or "lazy millennials." Ages, conditions, and stories about horses are super inconsistent and it's hard to know what the truth is. Unfortunately the founder/director/owner is extremely judgmental of others and shares her opinions and disdain openly to anyone who will listen. She wants you to know that she owns everything and does everything, but anything negative is never under her review. I loved the horses and other volunteers that I met, but there was a lot of stuff happening that made me worry that my donations of time and money were not actually supporting what I thought I was supporting. Colorado has many great horse rescues and you can find lots that are actually helping others, not just talking about it.
Notice a lot of new reviews coming in right now because Zumas is actively soliciting new reviews to try to bury negative ones.
A recent turn of events most certainly brought on these negative reviews. “Zuma’s has learned that a handful of former employees and their associates are spreading misinformation about the organization and our commitment to the animals we rescue. Zuma’s denies that misinformation in the strongest possible terms, and our reputation and results speak for themselves. Zuma’s commitment remains as it always has: to provide 24/7 care for our herd of over 60+ rescued animals regardless of the rain, snow, or shine. Nothing can change that.”
Zuma's financials are transparent and available for public review on GuideStar. You can examine our 990 statements to see exactly where our funds originate and how they are allocated. As for any personal differences with the founder, those are subjective opinions, not grounded in fact. In 2023, after reviewing the organization's performance over the past few years, it became evident that things had declined while a family member of the founder was in charge. The entire staff was shown these results and given the choice to improve their performance or leave. Ten days later, the entire staff chose to depart. Despite these challenges, Zuma’s Rescue Ranch remains committed to its mission. The horses in our herd, all rescues, continue to receive top-notch care. Our adoption process is rigorous to ensure that only individuals who can meet the high standards of horse care are approved. While some may be frustrated by being turned down, this reflects our commitment to the animals.
