Charity of the week: Return to Freedom

­Return to Freedom (returntofreedom​.org) is a wild-horse sanctuary that provides a haven for nearly 200 wild horses and burros on 300 acres in Lompoc, Calif. Because wild horses live in tightly bonded family social groups and can die if separated from them, Return to Freedom has a policy of keeping intact the herds it rescues. Its contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service insists on that policy for all horses that Return to Freedom rescues on public lands. Return to Freedom also supplies wild mares with yearly, nonhormonal contraceptive injections that are less disruptive to social behaviors and herd dynamics than conventional gelding, and it helps arrange adoptions of abandoned animals.

Each charity highlighted on this page has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America. Charity Navigator ranks not-for-profit organizations on their financial strength, the effectiveness of their programs, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.