Program 1 · 29.3% of program spending · $185K in grants $39.2M
Animal Care Activities (Sanctuary)
The 990 read · EIN 23-7147797 · UT · Fiscal year FY ending Sep 2025
Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society: CEO salary, finances and where donations go
In its own words
“Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill.”
Data only Figures straight from the filing, screened by our rules. Not yet reviewed in depth by a CPA.
Methodology by Amir Arani, CPA, CA · Updated
- Top pay
- $536K Julianne Castle, 0.3% of spending
- Revenue
- $173.8M 95.5% from donations and grants
- Spent
- $175.7M 76.2% on programs, as reported
- Net assets
- $137.4M end of FY ending Sep 2025
- Savings
- 9.4 months of spending, net assets ÷ spending
- People
- 1,119 employees, 14,000 volunteers
01 · Red flags
1 thing to look at.
We screen every filing against twelve rules. A flag is a prompt for a closer look, not a finding of wrongdoing.
low
Business transactions with insiders or their companies
Part IV line 28a, 28b answered yes.
Form 990 Part IV, lines 28a–28c; Schedule L Part IV02 · Where $1 goes · FY ending Sep 2025
Of each dollar it spent, 76.2¢ went to programs, as reported.
The split the charity filed.
Moves the $1.6M of joint mail and ad costs booked as programs into fundraising.
76.2¢
Programs, $133.8M
17.3¢
Fundraising, $30.3M
6.6¢
Admin, $11.5M
75.3¢
Programs, $132.2M
18.2¢
Fundraising, $31.9M
6.6¢
Admin, $11.5M
Cost to raise $1
18¢
as reported
19¢
counting the shared mail
For each dollar donated, Best Friends Animal Society spent 18¢ on fundraising, or about 19¢ counting joint costs.
Fundraising ÷ $166.0M contributions · Form 990 Parts VIII, IX03 · What it does
What it told the IRS it spent on.
The charity's own description of its largest programs, with what each cost.
04 · The savings
Net assets: $65.5M to $137.4M in 11 years.
Net assets at each fiscal year end, 2013 to 2025.
66
69
79
85
109
102
99
92
123
121
152
137
05 · Who gets paid
The 8 highest-paid people.
Reportable pay in FY ending Sep 2025, from the charity and related organizations.
Julianne Castle
Board Member/Chief Executive Officer
$536,370
Stephen Howell
Chief Operating and Financial Officer
$458,692
Joseph Angelo
Chief People and Culture Officer
$299,830
Susan Citro
Chief Experience Officer
$295,941
Karen Gallardo
Sr Director, Major & Planned Giving
$284,089
Valerie Dorian
Chief Development Officer
$283,734
Rebecca Huss
General Counsel
$248,254
Holly Sizemore
Chief Mission Officer
$236,256
Largest outside contractors
| Contractor | Service | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Pmx Agency LLC One World Trade Center | Advertising and promotion | $1,687,050 |
| Griffin Communications LLC | Advocacy consulting | $703,319 |
| Casanova Publicidad LLC | Advertising and promotion | $594,639 |
| Endless Events | Event planning | $589,138 |
| H&c Development LLC | Construction | $440,049 |
06 · Questions
The questions people ask about the Best Friends Animal Society.
Short, sourced answers. Each one stands on its own.
How much does the Best Friends Animal Society CEO make?
Julianne Castle, Board Member/Chief Executive Officer, received $536,370 in reportable compensation in FY ending Sep 2025, 0.3% of Best Friends Animal Society's $175.7M in spending.
Form 990 (FY ending Sep 2025), Part VIIWhat percentage of Best Friends Animal Society donations go to programs?
Best Friends Animal Society reported 76.2% of FY ending Sep 2025 spending as programs, 17.3% as fundraising and 6.6% as management. That includes $1.6M of joint mail and ad costs counted as programs; without them, programs were 75.3%.
Form 990 (FY ending Sep 2025), Part IXHow much money does Best Friends Animal Society have?
Net assets were $137.4M at the end of FY ending Sep 2025, about 9.4 months of spending.
Form 990 (FY ending Sep 2025), Part XDoes Best Friends Animal Society have any red flags in its filing?
Its latest Form 990 triggered 1 of our twelve screening rules: business transactions with insiders or their companies. A flag is a prompt for a closer look, not a finding of wrongdoing.
Form 990 (FY ending Sep 2025)07 · Sources and citing
Every number, traced.
- Best Friends Animal Society Form 990, FY ending Sep 2025 (IRS e-file)
- Best Friends Animal Society Form 990 history (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
Cite this page
Amir Arani, “Best Friends Animal Society: CEO salary, finances and where your dollar goes,” Charity Math, updated 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/charities/best-friends-animal-society/