Executive Compensation at the ASPCA (2020)

The ASPCA is a non-profit tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) based in New York City, New York. As such, the organization submits a Form 990 to the IRS annually and makes a copy available to the public. The most recent IRS Form 990 (2020) reports the ASPCA:
- Raised $325 million in 2020, mostly through contributions, gifts, and grants
- Spent $268 million in 2020, allotting $57 million to the general fund
- Has $407 million in net assets
- Spent $104 million (32% of revenue) to compensate the 1,252 staff
- Spent nearly half of revenue ($157 million) on compensating staff, office-related expenses, and travel and conferences
- Spent $64 million on advertising and promotion (does not include professional fundraisers)
- Spent $12 million on veterinary medical services and operating supplies
- Spent $13 million on grants to other animal rights organizations
In terms of compensation, the average compensation was $83,000 ($104 million/1,252 staff). The 13 most highly compensated employees were:
- $966,004: Matt Berdshadker, President and CEO
- $448,062: Elizabeth Estroff, SVP, Communications
- $409,693: Todd Hendricks, SVP, Development
- $403,278: Beverly Jones, SVP, Chief Legal Officer
- $398,595: Bert Troughton, SVP, Shelter and Veterinary Services
- $386,575: Cheryl Bucci, SVP, Ops and People
- $367,589: Bill Lee, SVP and CFO (to 10/9/20)
- $363,000: Stacy Wolf, SVP, Policy, Response, and Engagement
- $348,482: J’Mai Gayle, Director, Surgery
- $309,038: Nancy Perry, SVP, Government Relations
- $292,026: Jennifer Chin, VP, Legal Advocacy/Investing
- $283,870: Camille Declementi, VP, ASPCA Animal Hospital
- $260,569: Sarah Levin Goodstein, SVP, Operations and Strategy (to 3/1/20)
As illustrated above, the 13 most highly compensated employees received $5.3 million in compensation. 9 of the 13 most highly compensated employees are female while 4 of the 13 are male.
In 2020, the ASPCA adopted a 457 (F) Deferred Compensation Plan for the President/CEO. The plan accrues an annual employer-provided amount of $50,000 that is vested after a 5-year employment term, at which point the plan renews in 5-year increments conditioned on continuous employment.
116 independent contractors received more than $100,000 in compensation. The five most highly compensated were reported to be:
- $40.4 million: Eagle-Com, Inc., of Ontario, Canada for “donor acquisition” (fundraising)
- $ 8.7 million: Laughlin Constable, of Milwaukee, WI for “donor acquisition” (fundraising)
- $ 6.6 million: Edge Direct, of Baltimore, MD for “donor engagement” (fundraising)
- $ 5.7 million: Google, of Mountain View, CA for advertising (fundraising)
- $ 4.1 million: Patton Kiehl, of Woodford, VA for “donor engagement” (fundraising
In summary, the ASPCA raised $325 million and spent $268 million in 2020 with the largest expense reported to be compensation. 1,252 employees received $104 million in compensation with the 13 most highly compensated employees receiving more than $5 million. During this same period (2020), the ASPCA spent $12 million on veterinary care and operating supplies and $13 million on grants, primarily to other non-profits while spending $64 million on fundraising.
To read the IRS Form 990 (2020), click here.