Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 204031006
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Marion, WI, USA
- Phone
- 9206349701
- Rating
- 71
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Animal Protection and Welfare
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $916,712
- Expenses
- $812,630
- Assets
- $1,777,304
- Liabilities
- $394,382
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
6 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- AMANDA REITZ (PRESIDENT)
- KEN REITZ (VICE PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- AMANDA REITZ (PRESIDENT): $38,616 total reported compensation
- MARCUS REITZ (MEMBER): $36,424 total reported compensation
- KEN REITZ (VICE PRESIDENT): $30,186 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To increase humanity's capacity to care for its companion animals.
What it reported doing in 2024
In 2024, our community of 229 dedicated volunteers contributed an extraordinary 28,985 hours of service in support of hea's mission to increase humanity's capacity to care for its companion animals. Their collective efforts touched every aspect of our work --from direct animal care and fostering, to adoption support and spay/neuter outreach.through our spay/neuter program, 464 community participants partnered with us to complete 1,493 surgeries, preventing the birth of countless unwanted litters and reducing the strain on both families and shelters. The number of offspring prevented is the equivalent of 142 years of hea's feline intake. In parallel, 76 foster homes opened their doors to 453 animals in need, providing them with safe, nurturing environments during their transition to adopters' homes.our adoption program celebrated 599 placements, bringing joy and companionship to 510 families while ensuring that each animal found a loving home. Every adoption represents a tangible demonstration of our community's growing commitment to animal welfare and their role in it.together, these accomplishments illustrate the power of compassion in action. By mobilizing volunteers, supporting families, and directly improving the lives of animals, we continue to expand our community's ability to care for its companion animals, fulfilling both the spirit and practice of our mission.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 65% 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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 69
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 38
- Sustainability: 56
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 70.8%; rating input score 71
- Program expense ratio: 77.4%; rating input score 77
- Fundraising efficiency: $7.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st 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: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 10th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: Fail
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 11.4%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.19; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 16.7%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 20.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 70.8% of revenue deployed · 77.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 2 of 6 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $629K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $39K · 6 people listed
- Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
- 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
- Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 9 not reported.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 31/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.