Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County

What it reported doing in 2024

Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County2024 Program AccomplishmentsWhen you believe, anything is possible.In 2024, Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County continued to advance its mission to alter every unowned cat in Sonoma County through high-volume, high-quality, and data-informed spay/neuter and care programs. We pair innovation with compassion so that Sonoma County can be a place where every cat has the best possible chance at a safe, stable, and healthy life.Our Spay & Neuter Clinics Making a DifferenceEvery single cat that is spayed or neutered makes a big difference. In 2024, 5,085 cats came through our spay/neuter clinics for alterations and medical care. Of those, 4,326 cats were spayed or neutered. Each one of those surgeries prevents future litters, reduces pressure on colonies and caretakers, and lowers the number of kittens entering the system.Forgotten Felines operates 2 or 3 spay & neuter clinics for cats each week. The service provided to our Spay & Neuter Clinics includes: Altering for male or femaleRabies vaccineFVRCP vaccineMicrochippingEar tipping for identificationTreatment for visible parasitesOverall health checkTreatment for visible injuries or illnessPain managementIndividual attention and a dose of loveWe ask for a donation of $50 to help offset the cost of a spay/neuter appointment; the remaining cost is subsidized by our generous donors and community partners.Foster & Adoption ProgramOur Foster & Adoption Program continues to flourish under a foster-to-adopt model that allows cats to move directly from a foster home to a forever home without a shelter stay. This keeps stress low, shortens the path to adoption, and makes room for the next cat in need.In 2024, 435 cats were adopted directly through Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County. These were kittens born in the wild who were tamed and socialized, tame strays with no caretakers, and cats transferred to us for a second chance.In addition, 133 cats were pulled by Forgotten Felines and adopted through our partner shelters. This reflects our strong, ongoing collaborations with local agencies to ensure that every friendly, healthy cat has a path to a home.Cat Relocation Program Barn and Garden CatsWhile our preferred method to humanely curb cat overpopulation is TrapNeuterReturn (TNR), sometimes returning a cat to its original location is not safe or humane. In those cases, we place unsocial or at-risk cats through our Wine Country Barn Cats program.In 2024, 82 unsocial, at-risk, or displaced cats were safely relocated to working and sanctuary-style homes, barns, wineries, ranches, and businesses where they can live protected, be cared for, and provide natural rodent control. These placements are often for cats whose caretaker has moved or passed away, whose habitat is being demolished, or who simply cannot remain where they were living.A modest co-pay helps us cover transport, supplies, and follow-up to make sure placements are successful.Colony Care and Management It Takes a VillageForgotten Felines continues to support managed colonies across Sonoma County. In 2024, we provided food, trapping support, medical care, and education to volunteer caretakers who show up every day rain or shine to feed and monitor their colonies.We supported more than 50 colonies and delivered well over 6,000 pounds of food again this year to stabilize existing colonies, keep cats healthy, and make it possible to trap newcomers for altering and return.Our caretakers keep an eye out for newcomers. If a new cat appears, it is trapped, scanned for a microchip, altered, vaccinated, and either returned to the colony or reunited with an owner when possible. This is how we prevent new kittens from entering well-managed colonies.Innovation: Project BeaconIn 2024 we advanced Project Beacon, our first-of-its-kind, data-driven mapping and predictive modeling platform for humane cat population management. Beacon integrates historical and real-time data - colony size, alteration status, geography

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 51.6%; rating input score 52
• Fundraising efficiency: $1.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -0.9%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.08; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.7%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings