Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383171570
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Dearborn, MI, USA
Phone
3139432697
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,181,983
Expenses
$2,662,144
Assets
$11,928,398
Liabilities
$539,198

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JUDITH BELKNAP (BOARD PRESIDENT- INCOMING SEPT 2024)
  • LAURIE BUHR (BOARD PRESIDENT- OUTGOING SEPT 2024)
  • CORY KELLER (PRESIDENT AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • CORY KELLER (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $118,092 total reported compensation
  • ELAINE GREENE (BOARD SECRETARY): $42,273 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The friends are dedicated to the rescue, protection, and adoption of companion animals in need while inspiring the human-animal bond. We meet our mission by:-saving 100% of healthy and treatable animals.-providing high-quality animal care and adoption services.-delivering innovative outreach programs and activities that promote education.-promoting animal welfare legislation.-embracing environmental responsibility with earth-friendly practices and facilities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Through our programs, we provide every homeless animal with the compassionate care, medical support, and rehabilitation they need to heal and thrive. Once they are ready, we work to place them in loving, permanent homes where they can truly belong. At the same time, we make every effort to reunite lost pets with their families, bringing joy and relief to both pets and the people who love them.intake was 2,482 (758 dogs, 1,643 cats, 81 domestic animals, and wildlife) the live release rate for 2024 was 94%, and all cats and dogs come with age-appropriate vaccines, are spayed or neutered, and are microchipped. People who visited the shelter in 2024 totaled 8,094at friends for animals, our mission goes beyond caring for the thousands of animals that come through our doors each year and ensuring that every adoptable pet finds a loving home. We are equally dedicated to education, outreach, and building strong partnerships that celebrate the human animal bond and extend our impact into the communities we serve.our programs reflect this commitment. For animals in need, we provide spay and neuter services, microchipping, vaccine clinics, and behavior and enrichment support. For people and their pets, we offer initiatives like feed fido, community vaccine clinics, read to rover, and so much more. Together, these services not only keep pets and families together but also strengthen the fabric of our communities, helping us move closer to a future with fewer homeless animals.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 43.2%; rating input score 43
  • Program expense ratio: 82.3%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th 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: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 48.6%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.48; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 43.2% of revenue deployed · 82.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $118K · 17 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $117K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 43/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.