The American Anti-vivisection Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
230341990
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Jenkintown, PA, USA
Phone
2158870816
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,097,874
Expenses
$2,775,874
Assets
$40,037,437
Liabilities
$1,959,292

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LUKE KLEIN AFTER 42025 (PRESIDENT, CEO)
  • SUE A LEARY UNTIL 42025 (PRESIDENT, CEO (RETIRED))
  • JOSEPH LUDWIG (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LUKE KLEIN AFTER 42025 (PRESIDENT, CEO): $126,016 total reported compensation
  • SUE A LEARY UNTIL 42025 (PRESIDENT, CEO (RETIRED)): $58,791 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Since our founding in 1883, the mission of aavs has been to unequivocally oppose and work to end the use of animals in science and to oppose all forms of cruelty to animals. We achieve our mission by monitoring and investigating scientific uses of animals, exposing the inherent cruelty in animal experimentation. We then present reliable information and an informed viewpoint for advocating public policy changes. We provide resources to students, parents, educators, other nonprofit organizations, the media, policy makers, and members of the scientific community to advance the use of alternative, non-animal methods in schools and laboratories worldwide.

What it reported doing in 2025

Activities include legal, public policy, and educational advocacy to help animals used in laboratories, along with publications and action alerts that provide members and supporters with timely analysis and effective advocacy tools. In 2025, aavs engaged in research, analysis, and action on issues involving animal experimentation, federal oversight and enforcement, and the advancement of human-relevant, non-animal methods, especially in federally funded biomedical research. This work included public policy advocacy and analysis concerning birds and other animals used in research who have historically received inadequate legal protection, as well as scrutiny of government implementation and enforcement of animal welfare requirements. A quarterly magazine, a-v, and a monthly online newsletter distributed to members and supporters provided reliable information, unique insights and analysis, and opportunities for public engagement. In 2025, aavs also provided substantial grants to sanctuaries to expand capacity and care for animals released from laboratories. This critical support included additional funding to help offset rising veterinary costs. An annual grant was also made to support lifetime care for young chimpanzees released from a laboratory when babies, now living at chimp haven. Aavs continued its membership in world federation for animals and its involvement in international efforts to advance protection for animals. Note that the grants expense above includes grants paid in 2025 ($ 392,211) plus a grants payable liability adjustment of ($25,735) related to a long-term funding commitment to provide lifetime care for young chimpanzees released from a laboratory when babies, now living at chimp haven.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 78% for direct work, and 22% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 67%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.7%; rating input score 97; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 32.3%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 14.42; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.9%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.6% of revenue deployed · 67% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $126K · 8 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $195K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 33 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 21 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 20 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.