Matthew E. Bershadker was named president and CEO of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in May 2013 and serves on the Global Animal Partnerships Board of Directors. We thank Ed Sayres for all he has contributed to this organization and the welfare of animals. [2] He holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School [3] and a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Ohio University. BUT WHEN A NON-PROFIT IS SO UNMINDFUL OF THE BOTTOM LINE TO FORGET ABOUT THEIR PURPOSE NO THANKS. After I earned my MBA in 2001, I applied for a job at the ASPCA. Upon launching ANIMALS 24-7, in 2014, Beth & I initially hoped to continue this project in an online format. If they truly care about their work, they shouldnt need to live rich while doing it. HOW MANY ANIMALS CAN BE SAVED WITH THE EXCESSIVE SALARY PAID TO THE CEO? Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info. It is because people including yourselves and ourselves, legions of eight-dollar-a-month donors and $9.70 an hour workers and volunteers, together built a movement. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Top Dems push Fox News to stop promoting "propaganda" about 2020 election, National animal welfare nonprofit ASPCA faces spending criticism, Lawsuits claim dental device wrecked teeth, Pandemic-era SNAP benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise, Eye Opener: Millions face deadly winter storm. and advocating for animals through the political process. There are plenty of good, small time organizations, the kind that are still in the movement phase and that cant afford any slick PR campaigns or TV commercials ones like SHARK, UPC, Center for Biological Diversity, local wildlife rehabilitators and this publication for example. Boggles my mind how long they have gotten away with this. What they pay their CEO is outrageous. Alleging unfair and deceptive fundraising practices which harm local humane societies and SPCAs, the State Humane Association of California in May 2011 filed a consumer protection complaint against the ASPCA with the California Office of the Attorney General, then headed by current U.S. vice president Kamala Harris. ), On April 16, 2020, for instance, ANIMALS 24-7 decried leaders, who despite leading the humane cause blindly in the wrong direction time and again, nonetheless take home more money per year than the total annual budget of your local humane society, and remain quite unabashed about asking for even more money through pop-up ads that obstruct just about every online search for anything pertaining to dogs, cats, or the words humane and SPCA.. Under Mr. Bershadker's leadership, the ASPCA has risen to new heights in its response to cruelty and natural disasters. The staff was dedicated, but they simply didnt have the resources they needed to place more of their dogs and cats into loving homes. I immediately accepted and eventually moved on to other roles. This puts tremendous stress on veterinarians who must balance their commitment to help a wide range of pets with their need to sustain their professional practices, which is why supporting themand their commitmentis critical. Jonathan Kaufelt is a former Humane Society of the U.S. board member. "I wish that they could do some soul searching within the organization and understand that their massive efforts to draw support from around the country to support their own efforts and the issues that they wish to focus on, does hinder the ability for local organizations like ourselves to do the good work that we do. We are not here to argue about what Matthew Bershadker is worth, or any other individualsbut if the top-paid individuals & organizations in animal advocacy are worth anything approaching $966,004 per year, surely we are worth a higher priority when eight-dollar-a-month donors have to choose which animal charities to help. Axelrod, Towey, and Bailey introduced former ASPCA executive vice president Jo Sullivan, who helped to create the Sarah McLachlan commercials for the ASPCA. The rest goes toward fundraising, image-building, fundraising and image-building done in the name of public education, and management expense. Beth & I together founded and built ANIMALS 24-7, reaching six times more people per year than any of those previous periodicals ever did. Matthew Bershadker is currently associated with two companies, according to public records. Chief executive Matthew Bershadker took home $966,004 in pay for the year, including $856,673 from the ASPCA itself and $109,331 from ASPCA subsidiaries--which most donors would consider an excellent annual income by itself. In that partnership, the NYPD leads in responding to all animal cruelty complaints in the five boroughs, while the ASPCA provides direct care for animal cruelty victims and assists law enforcement officials with forensics work and prosecutions. A lifelong animal lover, he first joined the nation's first animal welfare organization in 2001, serving most recently as Senior Vice President of the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Group, the division responsible for programs that confront animal cruelty and suffering across the country. But its clear that modern shelters need to look broadly at the needs of people and pets in their communities versus just the needs of animals in their facilities, focusing more on the causes of animal homelessnesslike financial strain and barriers to resourcesversus the consequences of animal homelessnessnamely, ending up in a shelter or worse. With over 1,000employees, Axelrod mentioned, the ASPCAs mission is to rescue, protect and carefor animals in need through a wide range of activities like animalrelocation, advocacy, training, legislative and veterinary services.. Just us. It is also exasperating that the ASPCA meanwhile does not support, and even essentially opposes, animal-free vegan eating and instead puts donor money into falsely promoted humane poultry/animal production. The salaries paid to the people in charge earn are the reason I do not donate as much as I might. are aware that i was a cofounder of the group, in 1959, that we registered in 1964 as the Blue Cross of India. Hello, SERIOUSLY, that is an UNMITIGATED DISGRACE if the head of the ASPCA gets that much money. https://www.animals24-7.org/2015/08/29/how-to-be-great-at-doing-good-why-results-are-what-count-and-how-smart-charity-can-change-the-world/. Matthew E. Bershadker, better known by her family name Matthew E. Bershadker, is a popular American President and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). THAT MONEY COULD SAVE A LOT OF ANIMALS! Using either the name SPCA or humane society implies no relationship whatever with any other organization. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This means Bershadker's pay is more than 6 times the average nonprofit CEO. ITS A SHAME ! Just wondering how much of his salary, and the other executives, they donate to the ASPCA to help those suffering animals. We dont like running deficits, even after squeezing and trimming all that we can. About the ASPCAFounded in 1866, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) was the first animal welfare organization to be established in North America and today serves as the nations leading voice for vulnerable and victimized animals. He holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Ohio University. Source and destination shelters are collaborating with each other and with a wide range of logistical and animal welfare partners more than ever to make these lifesaving transfers happen, and I look forward to continuing that momentum with even more determination after the pandemic. The ASPCA says the vast majority of donor dollars go directly toward its mission, but a CBS News investigation found there are questions about whether the money is going where donors expect. Matt: My inspiration comes from the animals and the dedicated animal welfare professionals and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect them. I cant even use the words that apply here to properly paste this #@&^%(. Last season there were hundreds of them smashed all over the road. Mr. Bershadker helped form the Field Investigations & Response team to provide skilled support to state and federal agencies during large-scale puppy mill busts, dog fighting raids, animal hoarding cases, and other instances of animal cruelty as well as natural disasters such as the Joplin, Mo. These trees are where hundreds of egrets like to sleep. Chair of the Board Tim F. Wray stated: "Matt is far and away the most outstanding choice to be the next leader of the ASPCA. The ASPCA assists animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources. Later, as the audience expanded enough to sustain independent media covering the rising animal advocacy cause in breadth and depth, I served as news editor of one of the periodicals that helped to bring it all together into a movement. I, along with the rest of the Board, look forward to working with him in his new role. The ASPCA says $192 million of the current net assets is properly held in reserve for 9-months operating expenses, in case of emergencies. It is not because of anything Matthew Bershadker did, nor because of anything his predecessors did, nor because of anything his counterparts at the other big national animal charities didcertainly not by themselves. I do not need address labels or anything else. fr*****@aspca.org +1*****00. The group is an advocacy organization that seeks to prevent cruelty toward animals. he is one of famous President and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) with the age years old group. That increase in interest and activity is very good news for shelters, animals, and communities. I WAS GOING TO DONATE TILL I READ THIS. He is a 12-year veteran of the nation's first animal welfare organization, serving most recently as senior vice president of the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Group, the division responsible for programs and initiatives that confront animal cruelty and suffering on all levels across the country. Even after taking a pay cut of $91,975, which happens to be more than the top salary paid by most local humane societies around the U.S., ANIMALS 24-7 noted, Bershadker remained the highest paid person in the history of the humane movement, by a considerable margin.. According to its own 2017 survey, ASPCA said 84% of its donors also donated to a local animal charity. They should at least spend all the revenue they take in. Matthew Bershadker is president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the first animal welfare organization in America and a national leader in the rescue and protection of at-risk animals. We do need to have national and global organizations, but they need to operate ethically and effectively and reconsider their top-heavy and overpaid management. Oh I forgot, this the ME GENERATION. According to a 2019 national contract with Ascenta Group US, each solicitor was paid $40 a day by Ascenta to solicit donations on behalf of the ASPCA. There is no mystery or mumbo-jumbo about what we do, how we do it, and what results we get. Matthew's ethnicity is Native American, whose political affiliation is currently a registered Democrat; and religious views are listed as unknown. Nobody answered and NOBODY EVER called me back. The State Humane Association of California complaint was dropped after the Better Business Bureau National Advertising Division in April 2013 issued an opinion favoring the ASPCA. You see our work almost every day. A year later, at the end of 2018, the ASPCA claimed $283 million in assets. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, was established to stop people from mistreating and harming animals in the United States. The term SPCA is generic. All of our work, including collaborations with local animal welfare organizations, rescue groups, law enforcement agencies, policy makers, and many others, is aimed at rescuing, protecting, and caring for animals in need. HSUS paid over $11 million in the same case after a decade of misguided expensive legal wranglings. Since 2008, the ASPCA has raised more than $2 billion for animal welfare, Axelrod summarized. NOBODY!!! We often put in 15-hour days. working in an organization, that is funded by compassionate donations, is worth this level of payNOBODY!! On January 10, 2019, ANIMALS 24-7 discovered from the ASPCA filing of IRS Form 990, and promptly pointed out, that Bershadker took home $804,372 in pay for 2017, including a bonus of $276,000, and received benefits of $47,859, for total compensation of $852,231more than any two other animal welfare executives in one year ever. For 23 years I did exactly what Anthony suggests, as editor of annual reviews of major animal charities published from 1991 through 2013. Privacy Policy Legal Info, Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. I love ANIMALS 24-7 and the great work you do to save animals. Thank you for what you do!!!!! As a volunteer at the North West SPCA, in Oroville, California, Ive frequently had people tell me, I give money to you guys all the time. Chief executive Matthew Bershadker took home $966,004 in pay for the year, including $856,673 from the ASPCA itself and $109,331 from ASPCA subsidiarieswhich most donors would consider an excellent annual income by itself. We are fortunate that even today we have a group of professionals who donate their time and efforts on a purely honorary basis to look after much of the administration and special projects and rescues, thus ensuring that donations received by us go into helping animals without being eroded by administrative expenses. I am exasperated each time a lengthy holiday ASPCA fundraiser appears on television. New York is where it started. "It is frustrating on this side of the table to realize that a bulk of our time and our staff time is spent trying to explain the difference between national and local," Sullivan said. Again I really appreciate your hard work and support for the animals. All of them thinking their money was going to help a animal!!!! (See New York Police Department eclipses ASPCA humane law enforcement stats in first full year on the beat.). Does he or did he donate any of that money back to help the animals? Frank Raven, Im curious as to why you conclude that animals would suffer if a CEO was not paid an absurd salary. Held live in . Why is the ASPCA stonewalling about the deaths of 20 dogs in transport? SHAMEFUL!!!!!!!! Otherwise were just morally objecting to non-profits paying for qualifications. Matthew received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University and a Master of Business Administration from . Do you know how much the ASPCA spends on advertising? Opinion contributor. Neither is any local SPCA across the country. The national and local orgs are different. In 2019, the ASPCA's CEO Matt Bershadker made more than $840,000. Created on April 10, 1866, the ASPCA. Matt continues to lead the ASPCA on a variety of other critical animal welfare fronts, including field rescue and care for natural disaster and large-case animal cruelty and animal fighting victims; the establishment of community veterinary clinics in Miami and New York City that provide accessible and affordable services; advocating for stronger state and federal legal protections; helping vulnerable U.S. horses find safe homes and careers; and fighting widespread farm animal cruelty through legislation, industry influence, and consumer advocacy and food label education. Its a no win situation. / CBS News. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and much more. The ASPCA loves me! When I inquire, gently, whether they gave money to the NW/SPCA or the ASPCA, they are always confused as to the differenceand dismayed, and sometimes angry, when I explain that none of any money they sent to the ASPCA has ever made its way to the shelter they are standing in.. After those iconic [Sarah McLachlan] commercials debuted more than a decade ago, Axelrod said, the ASPCAs revenues tripled going from $85 million in 2007to nearly $280 million in 2019. The ASPCA is not an umbrella organization for local organizations with SPCA in their names a fact the ASPCA says donors know. That visit changed the course of his career. A big part of that ongoing series of scoops included covering why the big animal charities that existed even thenlike the ASPCAwere not managing to make much headway against the entrenched animal use industries, nor even in promoting spay/neuter and adoptions, so distracted were they with their then-focal role of killing tens of millions of cast-off and stray dogs and cats each year. Explained State Humane Association of California executive director Erica Gaudet Hughes when the 2011 case was filed, The complaint alleges that ASPCA capitalizes on, and intentionally reinforces, the widely held mistaken belief that it is a parent or umbrella organization to the thousands of humane societies and SPCAs across the country. Matt is a national thought leader in modern animal welfare, and his vision and commitment have catapulted the ASPCA into a leadership position advancing the fields evolution and national impact. Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy, 2023American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Maybe the compensation numbers are a little high. According to tax returns, ASPCA CEO Matthew Bershadker received $852,231 in 2019 and the ASPCA had over $20 million in offshore accounts! When I was a little kid, my life was filled with a range of pets, including newts, lizards, birds, gerbils, and turtles. 0. A professor in a university animal ethics course, who indicates that her students include everyone from ranchers to vegans, near universally weep in class when she plays the ASPCA commercial. A major source of inspiration for me has been witnessing the growing understanding and application of behavior sciences in animal welfare and the lifesaving impact behavior rehabilitation has on shelter animals, specifically on victims of cruelty and neglect. These services also help pet owners keep their pets at home, which is typically the safest place they can be. That means ASPCA's COE is paying more than six times the average non-profit CEO! As a business man, I know we have to pay serious money for special talent but close to a million USD to head a charity??? Just look at the ASPCA. As electronic social media exploded in use and influence, that project went the way of the dodo and all newsprint media. In 2020, under Matts leadership, the ASPCA launched a series of programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on pets, owners, and communities. Great egrets, snowy egrets, and cattle egrets are all protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, but while great egrets and snowy egrets are relatively rare, cattle egrets are abundant in both the Old World and the Americas, and are concerned a species of least concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. From those readers, I heard two consistent complaints: that I did not give charities an excessively simplistic thumbs up or thumbs down, to enable them to make decisions without having to think, and that at $25 a year, about 17 per charity listed, the reports cost too much of the money that purchasers preferred to give directly to the animals.. (See ASPCA spending may not be what donors expect, CBS News investigation finds. Its funny you mention the dodo, have you ever looked up the dodo on youtube? News on dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, zoonoses, & nature, Beth and Merritt with our friends(Beth Clifton collage). He holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Ohio University. ASPCApro: How did you develop an interest in animal welfare? Thinking beyond the shelter doesnt mean there isnt a need for sheltering animals in communities, especially when you consider animals seized by law enforcement, lost pets, pets belonging to victims of domestic violence, animals with owners facing illness or housing crises, and animals who need medical or behavioral rehabilitation before they can be adopted. For several years after that an ASPCA flagship program wasand remainscross-country translocation of dogs from southern and rural pounds to northern cities where they might have better chances of adoption. (Beth Clifton collage). Did Cleveland Amory write to Ann Landers? But maybe something can be done with more publicity on these matters. Seven other ASPCA executives received compensation ranging from more than $300,000 to more than $400,000, in the pay range of the chief executives of the four other most affluent U.S. humane societies. Data we released last August showed that more than 4.2 million pets were at risk of entering poverty as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, with the total number of pets living in poverty with their owners potentially rising to more than 24.4 million dogs, cats, and other pets. Matt: I see local animal control agencies moving toward a model that prioritizes helping owners responsibly care for the animals they have and working collaboratively with social services and shelters to support keeping pets at home with their families. How many people did it take to equal the amount of money this man was paid ????. Am I the only person that knew this was a fraud group since 1965? Matthew Bershadker was named President and CEO of the ASPCA in June 2013. And it's on top of Bershadker . The ASPCA provides educational services for animal owners, animal health services, anti-cruelty campaigns, community outreach . Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy, 2023American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA's privacy policy states that it may share some personal information, excluding financial information, with external parties. But why has the ASPCA been able to raise that kind of money in the first place, more than twice the combined annual budgets of every animal advocacy organization with a national presence back when we began reporting the news of the cause, back when the highest salary in the history of humane work was less than $100,000? Matt also oversaw the kickoff of the ASPCAs $25 million commitment to assist at-risk animals and pet owners in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, including a fully subsidized spay/neuter facility in South Los Angeles operated by the ASPCA and a dedicated campaign to encourage the fostering of local vulnerable kittens. All rights reserved.The ASPCA is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization. I just think everyone else should get proportionate consideration. As many of you know well, the consequences of povertys impact on dogs, cats, and horses are felt very intensely by community shelters and rescues. You might also have seen our IRS Form 990 filings, posted annually. We always will. Pathetic and mendacious! Cliftons, Born on in United States, Matthew E. Bershadker started his career as President and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) . I will donate money to whoever comes and helps these poor baby egrets. If donors are giving funds to an organization expecting something different, it's setting the stage for problems.". All this shows me is that ASPCA is just a money-making corporation disguised as a charity. I fully agree with you but then the animals suffer even more! The next year, 2018, Bershadker was paid $712,397, plus $57,129 in benefits, for total compensation of $769,526. CBS News found something else that donors might not be expecting. But by now the animal cause is hundreds of times larger, served by a wealth and multitude of electronic mediaand the more, the better. In cases like this, consideration for where the funds come from and for their intended use, should be a top consideration in whether it is ethical to make a millionaire out of its CEO. Already an animal lover, Bershadker became an animal rights activist and, in 2001, began working at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. President And CEO Of The American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (ASPCA), Nicholas Alexis Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, NetWorth & Know More, President and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). A few had received grants worth a few thousand dollars from the ASPCA, which they had applied for. (Incidentally, Cleveland Amorys Fund for Animals had donated most of the cost of our first large animal ambulance). The causes and effects of animal cruelty are complex, requiring us to employ a wide range of strategies to meet these multifaceted challenges. "We have made significant strides on behalf of animals around the country, but there is much more to do. With over 1,000 employees, the ASPCA's mission is to rescue, protect and care for animals in need through a wide range of activities like animal relocation, advocacy, training, legislative and veterinary services. Nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator gives the ASPCA three out of four stars overall, which is a "good" rating meaning that the charity meets or exceeds industry standards and performs as well or better than most charities in that cause.