2008 Donation money- ASPCA?

So I'm considering donating to the ASPCA this year, to spend my donation fund towards their organization. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I have never donated to them before and I want to make sure my donation dollars are well spent.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

I'm pretty certain that the ASPCA uses all it's money well. Most of the investments go into training new inspectors, educating the public, providing medical care and food etc for shelters... I don't think there is any aspect of their work - or indeed that of a vast majority of animal welfare groups - I wouldn't happily pay for.

Thanks for thinking of them

http://tfcny.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php

You can search the spending of most US charities and see how they spent their money using that

The ASPCA is based in NY not the one in OH which is a different charity

I just joined, doing the monthly contribution.

There are a lot of non profit organizations that help pets in countless ways. So many of them are worthy of donations, but I donate to the organizations that follow my philosophy. I'm personally a fan of No More Homeless Pets and a few local rescue groups in my area.

Search their website and learn about what they are about. If it feels right to you, then donate to them.

I also prefer to give locally.

I have found that, in many cases, they money is better spent in smaller or local groups as they don't have CEOs expecting big salaries or compensation

IMO I would donate locally also. More of the money will go straight to the care of animals.

I do both but in honestly our shelter is not very good right now. They are quarreling about who is going to be what and why this person got kicked out and stupid piddly things like that. All childish stuff IMO. But we still give everything on their list each year (or most anyway) but when we go and give it to them, they seem ungrateful, and not very helpful. Last year we gave them three boxes FULL of stuff they asked for on a list they send out, they didn't even get up to hold the door opened for us! DH was HOT! I mean the very LEAST they could've said was thank you and have a great Christmas, but even that was to much for them. If the animals wouldn't suffer, I'd never give them another dime. But I know that'd only hurt the animals not the people so I still do.

does the ASPCA - although based in NY - do any other services in other areas? As in, the NY is just a headquarters?

If so, in the commercials they should be more clear about that.
Any charity I consider I check out - http://www.charitynavigator.org/inde...ary&orgid=3286

As a rule, I do not donate to orgs that pay their COO's a huge sum - like this one - nearly $400,000 a year. They do not need my donations obviously if they can pay him that kind of salary. (I just find it disgraceful - overpaying for a supposedly nonprofit "help unfortunate animals" charity).

I'm donating my car this week to the local SPCA. They have a good rating at charity navigator. I reviewed a whole bunch of charities lately since my car is ready to be let go.