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 Bershadker, 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.