Animal welfare charities, by the numbers.
7,474 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $14.0B between them. Only 46% of that went through shelters and animal-protection groups.
- 7,474
- charities filing a full Form 990, 1,636 spending $1M+
- $14.0B
- spent in their latest year, with $10.4B coming in as gifts and grants
- 19%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
“Animal charity” means more than shelters.
The IRS files zoos, aquariums, wildlife and habitat groups, and veterinary hospitals under animal welfare, next to shelters and rescues. When a charity calls itself an animal charity, it's worth asking which kind.
Spending in each charity's latest e-filed Form 990 (Part I, line 18), grouped by the NTEE code in the IRS master file.
The biggest 400 animal welfare charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Fish and Wildlife FoundationOur file Washington, DC · Wildlife and habitat · FY 2025 | $520.8M | 97% | 1¢ | 11 mo | $1.57M |
| 2 | Wildlife Conservation SocietyOur file Bronx, NY · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2025 | $456.0M | 88% | 5¢ | 23 mo | $1.50M |
| 3 | Zoological Society of San DiegoOur file San Diego, CA · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2024 | $391.4M | 85% | 10¢ | 26 mo | $1.99M |
| 4 | ASPCAOur file New York, NY · Shelters and animal protection · FY 2024 | $387.9M | 75% 56% CPA view | 20¢ 38¢ CPA view | 20 mo | $1.11M |
| 5 | Humane World for AnimalsOur file Washington, DC · Shelters and animal protection · FY 2025 | $204.1M | 71% 62% CPA view | 23¢ 34¢ CPA view | 30 mo | $670K |
| 6 | Best Friends Animal SocietyOur file Kanab, UT · Shelters and animal protection · FY 2025 | $175.7M | 76% 75% CPA view | 18¢ 19¢ CPA view | 9 mo | $536K |
| 7 | MSPCA-Angell Boston, MA · Shelters and animal protection · FY 2025 | $137.5M | 87% | 14¢ | 22 mo | $711K |
| 8 | Georgia Aquarium Atlanta, GA · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2024 | $125.5M | 79% | 33¢ | 45 mo | $937K |
| 9 | National Wildlife FederationOur file Reston, VA · Wildlife and habitat · FY 2025 | $125.0M | 86% 80% CPA view | 8¢ 15¢ CPA view | 13 mo | $530K |
| 10 | Monterey Bay Aquarium FoundationOur file Monterey, CA · Advocacy, research and support groups · FY 2024 | $123.5M | 81% | 7¢ | 79 mo | – |
| 11 | Trout UnlimitedOur file Arlington, VA · Wildlife and habitat · FY 2025 | $104.6M | 88% 88% CPA view | 4¢ 4¢ CPA view | 5 mo | $468K |
| 12 | The Animal Medical Center New York, NY · Veterinary care · FY 2024 | $96.4M | 77% | 18¢ | 24 mo | $652K |
| 13 | Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Missoula, MT · Wildlife and habitat · FY 2024 | $90.1M | 75% | 29¢ | 19 mo | $592K |
| 14 | Chicago Zoological Society Brookfield, IL · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2026 | $85.5M | 81% | 8¢ | 33 mo | $799K |
| 15 | Rewild Austin, TX · Wildlife and habitat · FY 2025 | $80.9M | 92% | 3¢ | 9 mo | $180K |
| 16 | People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsOur file Norfolk, VA · Advocacy, research and support groups · FY 2025 | $79.9M | 84% 76% CPA view | 11¢ 17¢ CPA view | 10 mo | $40K |
| 17 | Omaha Zoological Society Omaha, NE · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2024 | $79.8M | 93% | 1¢ | 47 mo | $662K |
| 18 | Columbus Zoological Park Association Powell, OH · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2024 | $79.4M | 83% | 4¢ | 44 mo | $635K |
| 19 | Woodland Park Zoological Society Seattle, WA · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2024 | $77.9M | 84% 84% CPA view | 10¢ 10¢ CPA view | 13 mo | $560K |
| 20 | San Diego Humane Society and SPCA San Diego, CA · Shelters and animal protection · FY 2025 | $73.4M | 86% | 17¢ | 16 mo | $479K |
| 21 | Shedd Aquarium Society Chicago, IL · Zoos and aquariums · FY 2024 | $72.8M | 77% | 15¢ | 113 mo | $874K |
| 22 | Denver Zoological Foundation Denver, CO · Advocacy, research and support groups · FY 2025 | $71.0M | 80% | 11¢ | 3 mo | $781K |
| 23 | Houston Zoo Houston, TX · Advocacy, research and support groups · FY 2024 | $70.3M | 86% | 18¢ | 57 mo | $691K |
| 24 | Great Lakes Fishery Commission Ann Arbor, MI · Wildlife and habitat · FY 2025 | $70.0M | 92% | 0¢ | 17 mo | – |
| 25 | Petsmart Charities Phoenix, AZ · Advocacy, research and support groups · FY 2026 | $68.9M | 93% | 4¢ | 16 mo | – |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for animal welfare.
Medians across 1,636 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 84%
- median program share, as reported
- 7¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 19 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 1,229 | $103K | 85% |
| $5–25M | 316 | $192K | 82% |
| $25–100M | 80 | $464K | 85% |
| $100M+ | 11 | $824K | 85% |
A shelter that spends half its budget raising money is out of line. A zoo with five years of net assets usually isn't: most of it is the zoo.
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of animal welfare charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Read in depth.
Every animal welfare charity we cover.
- Best Friends Animal Society
- Denver Dumb Friends League
- Humane World for Animals
- Johnny Morris' Ozarks Heritage Preserve
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- National Wildlife Federation
- Ocean Habitat and Wildlife Rescue
- Panthera
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
- Trout Unlimited
- Wildlife Conservation Network
- Wildlife Conservation Society
- Zoological Society of San Diego
Questions about animal welfare charities.
What is the largest animal welfare charity?
By spending, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (DC), at $520.8M in its fiscal year ending 2025, per its Form 990. The IRS classifies zoos, aquariums and wildlife groups as animal charities alongside shelters, so the biggest names are often not shelters.
How much do animal welfare charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a animal welfare charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $103K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $824K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to animal welfare charities goes to programs?
The median animal welfare charity spending $1M or more reported 84% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many animal welfare charities are there?
7,474 animal welfare organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 1,636 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Animal welfare charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/animal-welfare/