Women's Humane Society for the Preventio N of Cruelty to Animals Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231352585
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Bensalem, PA, USA
Phone
2157505252
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,696,973
Expenses
$4,516,641
Assets
$17,028,537
Liabilities
$1,141,915

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CATHERINE MALKEMES (CEO)
  • KAREN ROBBINS (PRESIDENT)
  • SUSAN L ANDERSON ESQ (VICE-PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • CATHERINE MALKEMES (CEO): $202,481 total reported compensation
  • MICHELE DICKEY VMD (MEDICAL DIRECTOR): $159,660 total reported compensation
  • THERESE LANGAN (VETERINARIAN): $129,545 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

With compassion and caring as our foundation, women's animal center saves the lives of animals and improves the health of pets through sheltering and adoptions, veterinary services, community programs, educational resources and advocacy. Founded in 1869 (see schedule o) as america's first animal shelter, we honor the legacy of our founders and ensure that animals are treated humanely and with kindness.

What it reported doing in 2025

Hospital services: the veterinary hospital at wac provides medical care for animals residing in the wac animal shelter and is also dedicated to providing affordable quality health care for family pets in the community. The wac veterinary hospital obtained the distinction as an american animal hospital association (aaha) accredited hospital and completed a rigorous evaluation process to meet the aaha standards of accreditation, which include the following areas: patient care; diagnostic imaging; laboratory; pain management; surgery; client service; anesthesia; continuing education; dentistry; leadership; and urgent care. (see schedule o)to maintain accredited status hospitals undergo comprehensive on-site evaluations every three years, which ensures that hospitals are in compliance with the aaha mandatory standards. Pet owners in the community can obtain services for family pets at wac's veterinary hospital that include: client education and preventative well visits; sick visits and chronic disease management; lab, radiographs and ultrasound diagnostics; dental prophylaxis; surgery to resolve chronic or life-threatening issues; and spay/neuter surgery. In 2025, over 20,000 patients were treated in the veterinary hospital by one of wac's licensed veterinarians. The hospital staff completed approximately 2100 spay/neuter surgeries and 2318 life enhancing/lifesaving surgeries in addition to sick and wellness exams. Providing veterinary services for the community is a fundamental aspect of our mission as a humane society to ensure that pets receive humane treatment and regular veterinary care so they can live healthy lives. In 2025, wac provided $135,000 in financial assistance, in the form of discounted service fees, for patients in need through the wac community benefit fund.

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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.8%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 76.1%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.41 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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; 63rd 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: 3.8%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.77; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.7%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 97.8% of revenue deployed · 76.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $3.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $202K · 19 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $241K reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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 12/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 39/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.