Cat Depot

What it reported doing in 2024

Cat Depot operates a premier free-roaming cat rescue, shelter and a full-service feline-only veterinary clinic in Sarasota, Florida. The organization rehomes over 1300 relinquished or stray cats and kittens into loving homes each year. Upon intake, all cats are given a thorough exam, assessing their physical and mental well-being. The cats are treated for any health or behavioral problems they may have and then readied for adoption.Cat Depot is proud to share the following highlights and accomplishments: OrganizationalIn 2024 SRQ Magazine readers voted Cat Depot as the Best Non-Profit - Bronze, Best Animal Non-Profit -Silver, Best Pet Angel during the Storms - Silver, and Best Local Veterinarian - Platinum. Cat Depot hosted other local non-profit organizations such as Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc., Easter Seals Southwest Florida, Humane Society of Manatee County, and FLSARC, offering them a variety of programs from career informaton sessions to hands-on visitor tours.Cat Depot welcomed 6,850 guests in 2024.By the close of 2024, Cat Depot welcomed 201 volunteers, primarily fosters, who generously donated over 22,000 hours of service.Cat Depot has continued to train all current employees in Fear Free practices. Fear Free helps professionals deliver better care to the animals they provide for. Fear Free mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them.Adoption & RescueThe shelter found homes for 1,115 cats and kittens in 2024 including 704 kittens and 362 adults. The shelter rescues hundreds of cats for municipal animal services agencies annually. In 2024, 69 cats and kittens were admitted to Cat Depot from such agencies.The rate of return of adopted cats remained steady (4.7%). This can be greatly attributed to the additional time that the adoption counselors spend with the adoptors prior to adoption as part of the appointment only policy.A continued emphasis was placed on Pet Retention Services helping keep cats in their home so Cat Depot can help with more homeless cats. Cat Depot received 850 owner surrender requests in 2024. Due to the work of staff, 71 cats were able to be diverted from entering the shelter.In 2024, Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton impacted our region, prompting Cat Depot to assist in several emergency efforts. During this time, Cat Depot partnered with Florida State Animal Response Coalition (FLSARC, the Florida Association of Animal Welfare Organizations (FAAWO)and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to rescue and care for 20 dogs from Hamilton County post Hurricane Debby; provided shelter for multiple cats from a Franklin County animal shelter during Hurricane Helene; and offered housing and support to St. Francis Animal Rescue of Venice during Hurricane Milton. During the three-week dog rescue project, Cat Depot transformed their Community Center into a temporary dog kennel.The Working Cat Program was established in 2020 as a way to help reduce unnecessary euthanasia of feral cats at Sarasota County Animal Services. 91 cats found a second chance at life via this program in 2024. These cats are not able to be accepted into a conventional indoor adoption program and are placed into outdoor "homes" such as barns, warehouses, plant nurseries, farms, etc. to "work" with pest management and control.Cat Depot receives regular, on-going donations of various shelter supplies. Theseinclude bags of dry and cans of wet food, litter and litter boxes, toys, carriers, scratching posts, blankets, water fountains, feeding systems and bowls. Donatedoffice supplies were also received and used for administrative purposes along withthe receipt of medical equipment made possible though donated credit card rewards.Total noncash contributions for 2024 were $87,076.Cat Care ClinicThe public Cat Care Clinic has treated thousands of cats and kittens since opening its doors in 2014. In 2024, the Cat Care Clinic treated 6,080 patients.A f

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 98.1%; rating input score 98
• Program expense ratio: 87.6%; rating input score 88
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -8.8%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.78; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings