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Animal Charity Evaluators

Helping People Help Animals

Financials

We are committed to transparency and are pleased to share our financial reports with you. If you would like more detailed information from any particular year, please contact us.

While this page is intended to document ACE’s finances, we are proud to play a role in influencing revenue in the animal advocacy movement. From 2014–2020, we estimate that we have influenced more than $34 million1 to our recommended charities, and we have raised $3.4 million for ACE Movement Grants, while only spending $4.1 million2 on our programs and operations.

Fig. 1: ACE’s operating expenses3 and estimates4 of donations we have influenced to our recommended charities and Movement Grants recipients

Note: Funds we have taken in and distributed to our recommended charities and Movement Grant recipients are not shown in the yearly reports below. The reports show only ACE’s revenue and expenses and those related to our Animal Advocacy Research Fund. We have also excluded in-kind Google Ad Grants.

2020

2020 Expenses
Research$332,577
Operations/Management$294,582
Communications$198,986
Philanthropy*$146,913
Animal Advocacy Research Fund grants† and expenses$139,977
Total$1,113,035

*A significant but indeterminable portion of philanthropy expenses are allocated to fundraising for ACE’s recommended charities and our Movement Grants program.

†Payments to our AARF Program Officer are included under “Research.”

2020 Revenue by Source
Individual giving$689,736
Foundational giving$497,491
Investment gains and interest earned$39,372
Corporate giving$34,260
Total$1,260,859

2020 Revenue by Restriction
Unrestricted*$1,138,899
Restricted
Gift restricted to Movement Grants program staff time$65,000
Gift restricted to Animal Advocacy Research Fund$52,400
Gift restricted to country prioritization research$4,560
Total$1,260,859

*Our unrestricted revenue includes gifts, investment gains, and interest earned.

In addition to the expenses and revenue tabulated above, we also regranted $262,500 of a restricted $350,000 donation we received for a project in collaboration with Vox Media’s Future Perfect.

For more detailed information, please see our 2020 Form 990 (coming soon) and audited financial statement.

2019

2019 Expenses
Research$384,263
Operations/Management$267,669
Communications$205,143
Philanthropy*$109,031
Animal Advocacy Research Fund grants and expenses$28,283
Total$994,389

*A significant but indeterminable portion of philanthropy expenses are allocated to fundraising for ACE’s recommended charities and our Movement Grants program.

2019 Revenue by Source
Individual giving$751,059
Foundational giving$273,351
Investment gains, interest earned, and in-kind gifts$75,882
Corporate giving$46,225
Total$1,146,517

2019 Revenue by Restriction
Unrestricted*$719,802
Restricted
Gifts restricted to Animal Advocacy Research Fund$375,715
Gifts restricted to Movement Grants program staff time$50,000
In-kind gifts$1,000
Total$1,146,517

*Our unrestricted revenue includes gifts, investment gains, and interest earned.

For more detailed information, please see our 2019 Form 990 and audited financial statement.

2018

2018 Expenses
Research$347,880
Animal Advocacy Research Fund grants$296,085
Operations$206,807
Communications$194,245
Philanthropy*$119,478
Total expenses$1,164,495

*A significant but indeterminable portion of fundraising expenses are allocated to fundraising for ACE’s recommended charities and our Movement Grants program.

2018 Revenue by Source
Foundational giving$753,170
Individual giving$465,942
Corporate giving$94,021
Investment gains (losses)*-$25,582
Total$1,287,551

*2018 had historical lows in investment returns.

2018 Revenue by Restriction
Unrestricted*$1,088,872
Restricted
Gifts restricted to Animal Advocacy Research Fund$178,679
Gifts restricted to advertising$20,000
Total$1,287,551

*Our unrestricted revenue includes gifts, investment gains (losses), and third-party revenue sources such as Amazon Smile.

For more detailed information, please see our 2018 Form 990 and audited financial statement.

2017

2017 Expenses
Research$234,108
Communications$197,207
Animal Advocacy Research Fund grants$115,285
Events (Research Workshop and Symposium)$19,141
Operations$93,791
Fundraising*$81,722
Total expenses$741,254

*A significant but indeterminable portion of fundraising expenses are allocated to fundraising for ACE’s recommended charities.

2017 Revenue by Source
Individual giving$825,856
Foundational giving$468,450
Corporate giving$65,490
Other revenue*$24,856
Total$1,384,652

*Other revenue accounts for investment gains, workshop ticket sales, and third-party revenue sources such as Amazon Smile.

2017 Revenue by Restriction
Unrestricted*$1,011,797
Restricted
Gifts restricted to Animal Advocacy Research Fund$353,607
Gifts restricted to Research Workshop$16,684
Research Workshop ticket sales$2,565
Total$1,384,652

*Our unrestricted revenue includes gifts, investment gains, and third-party revenue sources such as Amazon Smile.

For more detailed information, please see our 2017 Form 990 and audited financial statement.

2016

2016 Expenses
Research$137,397.97
Communications$122,820.70
Animal Advocacy Research Fund grants$29,500.00
Events (Symposium)$11,600.00
Operations$50,382.59
Fundraising*$34,479.62
Total$386,180.88

* A portion of fundraising expenses were allocated to fundraising for ACE’s Top Charities.

2016 Revenue by Source
Individual giving$480,290.11
Foundational giving$104,550.00
Symposium ticket sales*$10,572.61
Total$595,412.72

*All ticket sales were 100% tax-deductible and received as unrestricted donations.

2016 Revenue by Restriction
Unrestricted$460,412.72
Restricted
Gifts restricted to Animal Advocacy Research Fund$92,000.00
Gifts restricted to advertising & digital media$53,000.00
Total$595,412.72

For more detailed information, please see our 2016 Form 990 and audited financial statement.

2015
2015 Expenses
Research$65,327.00
Communications$38,441.60
Operations$26,839.00
Fundraising$8,466.40
Total$139,074.00
2015 Revenue by Source
Individual Giving$240,400.24
Foundational Giving$117,727.76
Total$358,128.00

Note: All 2015 contributions were unrestricted.

For more detailed information, please see our 2015 Form 990 and audited financial statement.

2014
2014 Expenses
Research$40,893.91
Education & Advocacy$17,647.70
Communications$11,122.86
Operations$18,419.03
Fundraising$2,461.50
Total$90,545.00
2014 Revenue by Source
Individual Giving$168,320.79
Foundational Giving$1,700.21
Total$170,021.00

Note: All 2014 contributions were unrestricted.

For more detailed information, please see our 2014 Form 990-EZ.

2013
2013 Expenses
Research$11,525.84
Communications$12,806.48
Education & Advocacy$7,683.89
General Admin$10,672.07
Total$42,688.28
2013 Revenue by Source
Individual giving$49,632.30
Corporate giving$11,097.91
Foundational giving$924.83
Total$61,655.03

Note: All 2013 contributions were unrestricted.

For more detailed information, please see our 2013 Form 990-EZ.

  1. This estimate is the sum of donations that we have accepted for our Top and Standout Charities and Recommended Charity Fund, plus donations made directly to our recommended charities which the charities and/or donors have reported as ACE-influenced. In order for our recommended charities to decide whether to report a donation as ACE-influenced, we advise them to consider whether the donor identifies as an effective altruist and whether the charity would lose the donor if they lost their recommendation status. 

  2. We do not include grants from the Animal Advocacy Research Fund, as this is a privately funded program. We have also excluded in-kind Google Ad Grants. 

  3. We have excluded in-kind Google Ad Grants from our operating expenses. 

  4. This estimate is the sum of donations that we have accepted for our Top and Standout Charities and Recommended Charity Fund, plus donations made directly to our recommended charities which the charities and/or donors have reported as ACE-influenced. In order for our recommended charities to decide whether to report a donation as ACE-influenced, we advise them to consider whether the donor identifies as an effective altruist and whether the charity would lose the donor if they lost their recommendation status. 

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