ASPCA gives 2% of budget to shelters

[Por_sha911]

Hubbard highlighted how only 2% of the ASPCA budget is given as grants to community pet shelter, using a figure from a new CEW report that cites the ASPCA's most recent tax filings as the source of its numbers.

At the same time, according to CEW, the ASPCA in 2021 had $390 million in revenue and $575 million in assets, including $310 million in investments and $105 million in savings. Perhaps most striking, the animal welfare group has about $11 million in offshore accounts in the Caribbean, while tax filings show ASPCA CEO Matt Berkshadker rakes in nearly $1 million a year and 259 of his employees make six figures.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aspca-gives-2-budget-pet-shelters-hoarding-millions-pushing-anti-farmer-agenda-think-tank?dicbo=v2-kuCsDqL

[pwd72s]

Precisely why I give only to a local no kill shelter...

https://safehavenhumane.org/

[GH85Carrera]

Yep. Typical for so many charities.

So many pay the staff huge salaries and pass a few pennies per dollar to the charity.

Salvation Army is one of the best for not wasting your donations.

[CurtEgerer]

But they make such compelling TV commercials ..... My 92YO FIL took up opening junk mail as an apparent hobby several years ago. Save the Whales, Save the Planet, Save the Gerbils, Feed the Children - he gives to them all

Goodwill is another one. While there is some erroneous and exaggerated information out there regarding their CEO's salary, etc. the fact is that Goodwill has extremely high overhead and administrative costs/salaries. Why not just donate to your local church thrift store that is truly non-profit and run by volunteers?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

But they make such compelling TV commercials ..... My 92YO FIL took up opening junk mail as an apparent hobby several years ago. Save the Whales, Save the Planet, Save the Gerbils, Feed the Children - he gives to them all

Many years ago, my great grandmother got on the donation lists. Her thing was churches. My grandfather started snagging her mail and going through it before she could see it because she was sending tons of money to them, especially a bunch of the shady televangelists.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

But they make such compelling TV commercials ..... My 92YO FIL took up opening junk mail as an apparent hobby several years ago. Save the Whales, Save the Planet, Save the Gerbils, Feed the Children - he gives to them all

As do they all .... but they'll send you a picture of a polar bear your $$$ helps feed .

If most published their "fund raising costs", marketing, and executive salaries they'd cease to exist were it not for the gullible.

Do somd of the charaties do "some good"? .... absolutely.

The Salvation Army is the one that gets my $.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by masraum

Many years ago, my great grandmother got on the donation lists. Her thing was churches. My grandfather started snagging her mail and going through it before she could see it because she was sending tons of money to them, especially a bunch of the shady televangelists.

When their name gets on the "sucker's list" .... it gets $old to the rest of 'em

From religion to politics and everything in between...

[Mike Andrew]

^^^^^
My MIL died 4 years ago. She was a fervent catholic and gave to some of their charities. My wife, as executor still gets 10ish letters a week from various charities. Yesterday it was Olive Branch.

Once you are on the list.....

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Yep. Typical for so many charities.

So many pay the staff huge salaries and pass a few pennies per dollar to the charity.

Salvation Army is one of the best for not wasting your donations.

Of course, if it's a large organization where someone does have to run it full time, someone with the expertise to run a large organization well is not cheap.

Do you want to hire the guy that says "I can be the CEO of your multimillion dollar organization for 100k/yr". Either the guy doesn't really understand or know how to run it effectively or he's going to end up embezzling. The odds of finding a high end CEO that will run it cheap or free are pretty much nil.

Can you have volunteers at some levels, sure, but I don't know if you can have volunteers at high levels.

Granted, it does appear that the Salvation Army CEO only makes ~125k/yr.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by masraum

Of course, if it's a large organization where someone does have to run it full time, someone with the expertise to run a large organization well is not cheap.

Do you want to hire the guy that says "I can be the CEO of your multimillion dollar organization for 100k/yr". Either the guy doesn't really understand or know how to run it effectively or he's going to end up embezzling. The odds of finding a high end CEO that will run it cheap or free are pretty much nil.

Can you have volunteers at some levels, sure, but I don't know if you can have volunteers at high levels.

Granted, it does appear that the Salvation Army CEO only makes ~125k/yr.

I understand that, but if the charity is mega millions, it needs to at the very least, spend more that 50% on the charity itself. 2% of animals and 98% on fancy offices, and fact finding trips to Maui should not be allowed at all. It is a charity for the employees making a fat salary and and not helping the animals as it should. How many people donating are thinking this will send two more people to the big conference at the 5 star hotel in Vegas. None. They want the money spend of helping animals.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

Goodwill is another one. While there is some erroneous and exaggerated information out there regarding their CEO's salary, etc. the fact is that Goodwill has extremely high overhead and administrative costs/salaries. Why not just donate to your local church thrift store that is truly non-profit and run by volunteers?

Be that as it may, in defense of Goodwill (and this is just an observation, but one made as a doctor who does a lot of worker' comp and takes care of Goodwill employees from time to time), they hire a lot of people who otherwise have a hard time being employed: people with disabilities (mental and physical), ex-cons, battered women, ex-druggies, etc. So I think there is some social benefit to having Goodwill exist.

[red 928]

MOST charities that spend a lot of money on
advertising and promotion have two goals:

To pad the bank accounts of the people
who run the charities,
and to fleece fools who are willing to throw
money away in order to gain a false sense that
they did something good.
Typically the more emotional the plea for $$$,
the less legitimate the charity.

The worst are those that prey on the heart-strings
of seniors by showing puppies, elephants and polar bears.

flushing money down the toilet would do more good
than donating it to one of those charities.