Better Business Bureau Report for
Tree House Humane Society, Inc.

Better Business Bureau Report issued May 2011
Better Business Bureau Report expires May 2013


Does not meet one or more standards
This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: Tree House Humane Society, Inc.
Address: 1212 W Carmen Ave
  Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: 773-784-5488
Web Address: http://www.treehouseanimals.org
Back To Top

Better Business Bureau Comments

Year, State Incorporated:
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: Tree House is a humane organization that promotes the inherent value of every animal and strives to educate the public about proper and responsible animal care, with a focus on the care and placement of stray cats with special physical and emotional needs. We are committed to finding every healthy and treatable animal a home and to helping lead the way to a no-kill nation.

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

              

Tree House Humane Society, Inc. does not meet the following 2 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 6: Board Policy on Effectiveness - Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Tree House Humane Society, Inc. does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7: Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness - Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

Tree House Humane Society, Inc. does not meet this Standard because:

  • It did not produce a written report outlining the results of its most recent effectiveness assessment.
Tree House Humane Society, Inc. meets the remaining 18 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

              

Tree House was founded in 1971 and since that time we have expanded and enhanced our programs and services to become the largest, no-kill, cageless shelter for sick, injured, abused and neglected cats in the Chicagoland area. To date we have found homes for nearly 15,000 cats. In addition to our focus on the rehabilitation and adoption of stray cats, we offer many other valuable programs and services, including our Free Spay/Neuter Program, Pet Loss Grief Support Group, Humane Investigations Team, Youth Volunteer Program, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Behavior Hotline, Pet Food Pantry, and Education Outreach Program. In 2007, we acquired a new building in the Bucktown neighborhood, which will house our new, state-of-the-art high-volume, low-cost Spay/Neuter Clinic. The new clinic opened in the Spring of 2009. In 2008, Tree House performed approximately 900 cat spay/neuter surgeries, and with the new Clinic we have been able to spay and neuter more than 4,000 dogs and cats in 2010. As part of our continued effort to transform Chicago into a no-kill city, Tree House is also working as the lead Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance (CASA) agency to secure the Maddie’s Fund Community Grant, a collaborative effort between the city’s shelters and veterinary hospitals to provide a home for every adoptable animal, and ultimately reduce Chicago’s euthanasia rates.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, Tree House Humane Society, Inc.'s program expenses were:

  
Medical 856,696
General 515,958
Adoption 143,228
Other outreach 94,321
Educational/Counseling 88,425
Total Program Expenses: $1,698,628
Back To Top

Governance

              

Chief Executive :
Compensation*: 

Chair of the Board: Colleen Currigan, DVM
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Veterinarian

Board Size: 6

Paid Staff Size: 50

*Compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

direct mail, invitations to fund raising events, print advertisements, television, grant proposals, planned giving arrangements, cause-related marketing, membership
Fund raising costs were 11% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $2,286,278, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
Back To Top

Tax Status

              

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
Back To Top

Financial

              

The following information is based on Tree House Humane Society, Inc.'s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 1,118,211
Bequests 978,199
Assest released from restrictions 425,650
Grant 151,810
Special events 38,058
Miscellaneous income 14,409
Total Income $2,726,337


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 82%  Fund Raising: 13%  Administrative: 5% 

Total income $2,726,337
Program expenses $1,698,628
Fund raising expenses 261,474
Administrative expenses 105,114
Total expenses $2,065,216
Income in Excess of Expenses 661,121
Beginning net assets 3,083,498
Ending net assets 3,439,519
Total liabilities 27,788
Total assets $3,467,307


Back To Top

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

Send to:



What is an Accredited Charity