Washington Humane Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530219724
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2027235730
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$22,574,962
Expenses
$22,604,252
Assets
$43,098,259
Liabilities
$15,408,200

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREW WILLISON (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LISA LAFONTAINE (PRESIDENT AND CEO)
  • CHRIS SCHINDLER (VICE PRESIDENT OF FIELD SERVICES)

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA LAFONTAINE (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $400,068 total reported compensation
  • BOBBY MANN (CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $223,321 total reported compensation
  • ANDREW PLATOU (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $218,225 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 Washington humane society protects animals, supports families, and advocates for positive change to create a world where all animals can thrive. We enrich the humanity of our communities by promoting compassion and encouraging people to find joy, comfort and companionship through the love and appreciation of animals.

What it reported doing in 2024

Animal protection and humane law enforcement -whs's animal protection department protects animals and supports pet owners throughout the district of columbia through humane law enforcement and community-based services. In 2025, humane law enforcement conducted 2,703 investigations into suspected animal cruelty and neglect, while the animal support center responded to 9,891 calls from community members seeking assistance or reporting animal welfare concerns.the department also works to prevent animals from entering the shelter system by connecting pet owners with resources that help keep animals safe and healthy in their homes. In 2025, whs distributed 80,272 pounds of pet food to pet owners in need. Through enforcement, education, and direct community support, whs works to protect animals, reduce suffering, and strengthen the bond between people and their pets.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 60% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.8%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 72.8%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • 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: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.1%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.91; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.8% of revenue deployed · 72.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $16.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $400K · 20 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $632K reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 30/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.