Companion Animal Welfare Alliance

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
461695515
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Chico, CA, USA
Phone
5303215923
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Reported finances

Revenue
$453,754
Expenses
$452,518
Assets
$295,750
Liabilities
$10,440

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH DOWNS (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • INGRID CORTES (TREASURER)
  • SARAH DOWNS (PRESIDENT)
  • ARMEDA FERRINI (VICE PRESIDE)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Cawa operates the pawprints thrift boutique operates as an all-volunteer, non-profit store and funds the two spay/neuter programs: neighborhood cat advocates which traps, neuters and returns stray/feral cats in the community and the pawprints spay neuter assistance program which helps pet owners pay for altering their personal pets. Due to the shortage of veterinarians in our area, the organization also has opened a spay/neuter clinic that began operation in 2022. The focus is altering the feral cats that we trap and that we have arranged for community members to trap and transport to the clinic.

What it reported doing in 2024

The pawprints spay & neuter clinic provided spay and neuter services, rabies vaccinations, and microchipping to unowned cats. For the most part, the cats were trapped by our neighborhood cat advocates volunteers. However some cats were trapped by the community members who are feeding the cats and whom we instructed in trapping and transporting.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 78% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.8%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 94%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.3%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.65; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 36.8% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.9% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 35.3% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.8% of revenue deployed · 94% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $425K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.