Charity Navigator downgrades HSUS' ranking

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Charity Navigator downgrades HSUS' ranking

Recently the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom pointed to a newly downgraded rating from Charity Navigator as evidence that The Humane Society of the United States is not adequately fulfilling its stated charitable purpose. On Thursday Charity Navigator slashed the rankings for HSUS and the Humane Society International, the international arm of HSUS.

Charity Navigator now gives HSUS a lower level of trustworthiness than the notoriously radical People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The American Institute of Philanthropy also rates HSUS very critically, giving the organization a "C-minus" grade overall.

HSUS's 2008 tax filing shows that the group spent less than one percent of its collected donations on grants to hands-on pet shelters. It put five times as much into its executive pension plan during that year.

David Martosko, CCF's director of research and the editor of HumaneWatch.org, released the following statement on HSUS's new ranking:

"Charity Navigator's downgrading of The Humane Society of the United States and its international arm sends a clear message: Animal charities can't stuff donor dollars away in pension plans, shortchange pet shelters, and expect that no one will notice.

HSUS raises tens of millions of dollars a year from Americans who believe their money is trickling down to local pet shelters. Instead, their contributions fund a bloated staff of well-paid lawyers and lobbyists, PETA-style propaganda campaigns, and a hefty executive pension plan."

For more information, visit HumaneWatch.org. The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit watchdog organization that informs the public about the activities of tax-exempt activist groups. It is supported by American consumers, business organizations, and foundations.

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Reader Comments

dk9 — 04/16/2010 10:04:49

To Humanesarah -- Yeah, right, nice spinning......

Reader Comments

hillary — 04/16/2010 08:04:22

It took two weeks for Pacelle and crew to come up with a scripted response to Charity Navigator's downgrading of HSUS's fundraising efficiency from three stars to one and Humane Society International's overall grade from three to one star.
Read between the lines. BBB discovered widespread misrepresentation on their IRS 990s and told HSUS that unless they stop miscategorizing millions of dollars of fundraising expenses as "charitable programs", they would not pass the BBB report. Charity Navigator used the somewhat more accurate 2008 figures in its latest review and slashed the Humane Society's ratings. Meanwhile, the highly-respected rigorous watchdog, the American Institute of Philanthropy, has consistently given HSUS D and C- grades for its wasteful financial practices.

Spin, spin, spin. Attack, Attack, Attack. Still no integrity or accountability.

Reader Comments

Babalou — 04/16/2010 02:04:11

The CCF, source of this information, doesn't get ANY rating from Charity Navigator or AIP, or any rating agency. Is it a rating agency itself?

Reader Comments

humanesarah — 04/16/2010 02:04:34

The HSUS has received the top rating (four stars) from Charity Navigator for four of the past five years. This year, The HSUS received the second-highest rating -- three stars -- rather than four. The three-star rating was based on our 2008 financial assessments and came because The HSUS intentionally reduced its program costs, as a percentage of total expenditures, from 83% to 72%, and increased its fundraising costs as a percentage of total expenditures from 14% to 24%, in accordance with the guidelines of the Better Business Bureau. This was a conservative accounting adjustment reflected in our Form 990 filing with the Internal Revenue Service.

The three-star rating, according to Charity Navigator, means that The HSUS “exceeds or meets industry standards and performs as well as or better than most charities in its cause.”
It’s a rating that The HSUS is proud to share with other prominent animal protection organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute, and with peer charities in the Chronicle of Philanthropy 400, like Heifer Project International, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. The HSUS also meets all standards of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, and was recently named by Worth magazine as one of the nation’s top ten most fiscally responsible charities.

Charity Navigator properly cautions its users not to use its ratings as the only factor in deciding whether to support a particular organization, but to examine outcomes and program achievements as well. In this arena, The HSUS has no peer, and there is a list of accomplishments during 2009 on our website. http://www.humanesociety.org/about/overview/2009_accomplishments.html. The HSUS is leading the fight against cruelty to animals throughout America today, working to combat animal fighting, puppy mills, factory farming, commercial trapping, and a wide range of other animal cruelties.

At the end of the day, it costs money to raise money, and many of the forces we are fighting are well-funded corporate interests who profit from their cruelty to animals. That's why we will continue to work with our millions of supporters to raise the resources needed to represent and defend animals at every level.

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