This is the Form 990 (tax return) filed by the Humane Society of the United States for the tax year 2010. It was filed with the IRS on September 2, 2010. At 146 pages, this tax return covers most financial aspects of HSUS, and provides accounting details unavailable anywhere else.

According to this tax return, less than 1 percent of the HSUS budget in 2010 consisted of grants to real "humane societies" and other hands-on pet shelter groups in the United States.

Here are some other highlights:

• Total revenue: $148.7 million
• Total expenses: $126.4 million
• Net assets as of December 31, 2009: $187.5 million
• Fundraising expenses: $24.3 million
• Salaries and benefits: $36.2 million
• Pension contributions: $2.6 million
• Total grants to other groups: $5.3 million
• Grants to ballot-initiative political front groups: $1.75 million
• Funds passed through to the HSUS-affiliated "Humane Society International": $1.7 million

 This is the Form 990 tax return that the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust filed with the IRS for fiscal year 2003.  

Total revenue: $4,109,230

Total expenses: $3,740,704

Net assets and end of year: $2,699,112

 This is the Form 990 tax return that the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust filed with the IRS for fiscal year 2002.  

Total revenue: $3,934,632

Total expenses: $3,569,430

Net assets and end of year: $2,330,586

 This is the Form 990 tax return that the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust filed with the IRS for fiscal year 2001.  

Total revenue: $3,541,995

Total expenses: $3,392,486

Net assets and end of year: $1,965,384

 This is the Form 990 tax return that the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust filed with the IRS for fiscal year 2000.  

Total revenue: $4,751,650

Total expenses: $4,625,261

Net assets and end of year: $1,815,875

 This is the Form 990 tax return that the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust filed with the IRS for fiscal year 1999.  

Total revenue: $3,216,953

Total expenses: $3,207,985

Net assets and end of year: $1,673,743

 This is the Form 990 tax return that the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust filed with the IRS for fiscal year 1998.  

Total revenue: $3,527,415

Total expenses: $3,326,811

Net assets and end of year: $1,313,819

On this page are links to the federal income tax returns filed by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) from its inception in 2005 through the end of 2009.

GAP was originally founded by Whole Foods Market as the "Animal Compassion Foundation." After a later name-change, it added Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle to its board and hired HSUS Vice President away to be its Executive Director.

Because GAP was organized as a "private foundation," it files a tax return (Form 990-PF) that discloses where its funding comes from. Through the end of 2009, Whole Foods contributed $1.42 million to GAP, amounting to 77 percent of all reported donations. (Most of the remainder came via a $380,000 contribution in 2009 sent through a "donor-advised fund" that masked the money's source.

In 2010 Whole Foods announced that it would begin implementing a 5-tier animal welfare rating system administered by GAP.

This document is a December 2, 2010 campaign contributions report from the "Misourians for the Protection of Dogs" ballot committee, as filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Since it was submitted nearly a month after the 2010 election (in which the committee's "Proposition B" was approved by a 3-percent margin), this report is likely the final assessment of donation levels for many contributors. Amounts listed next to each donor are "aggregate" amounts.

While this report is not exhaustive, it does show contribution totals for five notable animal organizaitons:

This document shows the schedule of outgoing grants filed by HSUS along with its 2009 federal income tax return. Entries marked with a highlighter indicate grants to organizations whose function includes the hands-on rescue, care, and adoption of dogs and cats. (Horse and rabbit sanctuaries were also included.)

This is a copy of the Form 990-T (Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return) that HSUS filed for fiscal year 2007. According to the IRS, "Any domestic or foreign organization exempt under section 501(a) or section 529(a) must file Form 990-T if it has gross income from a regularly carried on unrelated trade or business, of $1,000 or more."

For 2007 HSUS reported $135,373 net income from advertising. After deductions, its total unrelated business taxable income was -$100.

This is a copy of the Form 990-T (Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return) that HSUS filed for fiscal year 2008. According to the IRS, "Any domestic or foreign organization exempt under section 501(a) or section 529(a) must file Form 990-T if it has gross income from a regularly carried on unrelated trade or business, of $1,000 or more."

For 2008 HSUS reported $62,440 net income from advertising. After deductions, its total unrelated business taxable income was -$100.

This is a copy of the Form 990-T (Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return) that HSUS filed for fiscal year 2009. According to the IRS, "Any domestic or foreign organization exempt under section 501(a) or section 529(a) must file Form 990-T if it has gross income from a regularly carried on unrelated trade or business, of $1,000 or more."

For 2009 HSUS reported $21,824 net income from advertising. After deductions, its total unrelated business taxable income was -$73,233.

This document contains a Consolidated Financial Report for the Humane Society of the United States, dated on December 31, 1995. It includes HSUS's balance sheet and statements of cash flows, functional expenses, and revenue, expenses, and changes in fund balances.

It was prepared by the Washington, DC public accounting firm of Thomas Havey & Company.

This document contains a Consolidated Financial Report for the Humane Society of the United States, dated on December 31, 2009.

It was prepared by the public accounting firm of McGladrey & Pullen. HSUS filed it with the West Virginia Secretary of State's office, as part of the process of renewing a fundraising license for the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust. It's now a part of the public record.

The Report discloses that the HSUS family of organizations had a combined net worth of $191.3 million as of 12/31/2009, including $148 million in investments ($66 million of which are in hedge funds). Its land and buildings are worth $17.4 million. It spent $34.2 million on salaries and employee benefits. Its pension funds are valued at $18.5 million (which is still $8.8 million less than the $27.3 million in obligations it owes its employees who will retire in the future..

HSUS's auditors report that the organization and its affiliates collectively spent $25.3 million on fundraising expenses (just 18.8% of their $134 million in total expenses). But Animal People News, the internal watchdog newspaper of the animal rights movement, has performed its own analysis that concluded HSUS spends fully 50% of every dollar on fundraising expenses.