ASPCA reports on its website that approximately 77 cents of every dollar they spend goes to its programs and services. There are obviously varying expenses associated, but they’re essentially saying 77 cents of every dollar goes toward their direct work with animals, albeit salaries, facility maintenance, animal food, etc. And 1.39% of its total annual budget has been the combined average total compensation of the executive leadership team.
However, some reports challenge ASPCA’s handling of its finances. CBS News did a story on it in 2021. A former VP at ASPCA, Jo Sullivan, talks about what happened in the organization when those famous Sarah McLachlan commercials displayed sad music and dogs. Sullivan was part of the team that created them. She recalls their revenue tripling from 2007 to 2019, making for an interesting dynamic. Essentially they had more money than they knew what to do with, resulting in leaving money in assets versus the supposedly urgent need the commercials implied. So, some wonder if there’s a better business model to spread some of those funds to other animal welfare organizations in need.