Muttville

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
260416747
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4152724172
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,843,087
Expenses
$6,693,830
Assets
$63,323,926
Liabilities
$10,053,613

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RHONDA VITANYE (PRESIDENT)
  • MYRA ROTHFELD (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SHERRI FRANKLIN (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • SHERRI FRANKLIN (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $275,129 total reported compensation
  • LAURA KENNEDY (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $217,150 total reported compensation
  • SHARI O'NEILL (VETERINARIAN): $169,292 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Senior dogs have historically been the least likely to be adopted and the most likely to be euthanized. Muttville, one of the first senior dog rescues in the country, rescues older dogs from death row at shelters and other dire circumstances, finds them forever homes, and advocates for their welfare. Muttville has grown from rescuing 27 dogs in 2007, our first year, to 1,217 dogs in 2023. We have special programs to introduce our dogs to children and to senior citizens, and we actively promote the joys of adopting senior dogs. Muttville is currently building up a financial reserve for the construction of a headquarters facility.

What it reported doing in 2024

Seniors for seniors: companion animals provide psychological and physiological benefits to senior citizens, providing relief for loneliness and encouraging social and physical activity. Senior dogs, with their laid-back personalities and lower activity levels, are perfect matches for senior citizens. Therefore, to promote adoption and interaction, muttville offers the seniors for seniors program where we provide customized adoption matchmaking services to ensure the senior citizen finds a dog that will be suitable for their lifestyle and needs. Muttville waives the adoption fee for senior citizens and provides them with a "welcome home" kit consisting of food, medication, and other supplies. For seniors unable to adopt due to housing restrictions or an inability to care for a dog, muttville hosts weekly cuddle club events. Cuddle clubs are social get togethers where seniors visit muttville headquarters to snuggle with our dogs, go on guided neighborhood walks with dogs, and make new friends.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% 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 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: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 78
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 42.3%; rating input score 42
  • Program expense ratio: 67.5%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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; 66th 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: 38.3%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.46; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.7% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26.1% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 42.3% of revenue deployed · 67.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $4.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $275K · 23 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $278K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.