Wolf Trap Animal Rescue

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
475126237
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Fairfax, VA, USA
Phone
4437170812
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,890,117
Expenses
$1,600,737
Assets
$1,925,491
Liabilities
$41,979

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MEAGHAN JOHNSON (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • AMBER BURTON (DIRECTOR OF VETERINARY OPE): $180,000 total reported compensation
  • JESSE MARSH (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE): $82,500 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Wolf trap animal rescue is a northern Virginia-based foster and rescue organization dedicated to saving vulnerable companion animals from overcrowded and underserved shelters in the rural south. Originally developed to support the corinth-alcorn animal shelter in corinth, Mississippi, wtar provides lifesaving foster care, transportation, medical support, and adoption services for animals in need. Through a network of volunteers, foster families, and community partnerships, rescued animals are transported from Mississippi and neighboring southern states to Virginia, where they are cared for in loving foster homes until they find permanent families through adoption events and partnerships with organizations such as petsmart charities and petco. Wtar is committed to creating second chances for animals while strengthening the human-animal bond throughout the communities we serve.

What it reported doing in 2025

Since its founding in september 2015, wolf trap animal rescue has saved more than 16,000 animals through rescue, foster care, transportation, adoption, and community outreach efforts. In 2025 alone, wtar successfully rescued and adopted more than 900 dogs and over 500 cats, continuing its mission of relocating vulnerable animals from overcrowded and underserved shelters in the rural south to loving homes throughout northern Virginia and the Washington, dc region.wtar has continued to strengthen and expand its rescue and transport partnerships and now collaborates with shelters and rescue organizations across Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. Through a dedicated network of volunteers, foster families, veterinary partners, and adoption supporters, thousands of animals have been given a second chance at life in safe and nurturing homes.in addition to rescue and adoption efforts, wolf trap animal rescue has expanded its low-cost spay and neuter program for the public, providing affordable veterinary services that help reduce pet overpopulation and increase access to preventative care for families in the community. The program continues to grow through increased surgery capacity and expanded clinic services. By making veterinary care more accessible, wtar is helping keep pets healthy, in their homes, and out of overcrowded shelter systems. Wtar has also broadened its community engagement initiatives through its puppy therapy program, which promotes emotional wellness, community connection, and animal advocacy through interactive events and partnerships. These programs include collaborations with local venues, conferences, businesses, music artists, and professional sports organizations, helping raise awareness and support for rescue animals while connecting more people to the mission of adoption and animal welfare.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 71% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.5%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 90.4%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 15.3%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.2; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.4%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.2% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.5% of revenue deployed · 90.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $180K · 5 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.