Tails from the City
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 320324676
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2022–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021, Form 990-N 2015
- Location
- Cleveland, OH, USA
- Phone
- 3305717946
- Rating
- 88
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Animal Protection and Welfare
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $201,603
- Expenses
- $197,286
- Assets
- $294,397
- Liabilities
- $74,347
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
5 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- MICHELLE WHEADON (PRESIDENT)
- MICHELE COYNE (VICE PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- NICOLE ELLIOTT (DIRECTOR)
- MICHELLE WHEADON (PRESIDENT)
- MICHELE COYNE (VICE PRESIDENT)
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
No-kill all volunteer cat and dog rescue that cares for abandoned, neglected or homeless animals until we can find them permanent loving homes.
What it reported doing in 2024
We take in cats and dogs that are homeless, get them the proper veterinary care they need (including spay/neuter) before finding them permanent homes. We house all dogs in foster homes and all cats in foster homes or a facility in cages where they receive daily care and maintenance. We attend adoption events and host fundraisers throughout the year so we have enough money to properly care for the animals as well as help people meet them that may be interested in adopting them. In 2024, we took in 78 canines and 732 felines, and we placed 81 canines and 749 felines. While in our care, these animals receive enrichment, and if training is necessary, it is provided. All animals are microchipped and therefore registered to the rescue in case they are ever lost/found. If for some reason any of our placed animals cannot stay where they have been placed, we take them back into our rescue. We also educate adopters on how to properly care for their adopted animals, and remain as a resource to adopters for the life of the animal.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- 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
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: 88
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 46
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 98.8%; rating input score 99
- Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
- 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: 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 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 2.1%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.49; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 28.9% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 98.8% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $197K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
- Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.