Editorial Links : Quicklinks: May 1, 2009 Finance Cash Flow Avoiding the perils of a slow dip Whenever a four-legged friend is adopted from
the animal shelter in San Antonio, Texas, Executive Director Kathryn L. Bice counts on it being a win for the new owner and the pet but a money-losing proposition for the agency. Like many nonprofit organizations, the Humane Society of Bexar County faces a yawning gap between the actual cost of providing products and services — in this case, animal adoptions — and the revenues they generate.
At the Humane Society, for example, pet adoption fees range from $25 to $125 while the actual “investment in each animal vary from $25 to $500, sometimes more, plus overhead for staff, animal care and administration,” Bice said.