Humane Society of the U.S. Rating is Downgraded Again

This has been a rough year for the Humane Society of the United States.  A third charity watchdog has downgraded HSUS.  CharityWatch lowered the Humane Society of the U.S. to a D rating in its most recent rankings, thanks in part to its highly inefficient spending practices.

The downgrade comes just a few months after HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle resigned following sexual harassment allegations against him that prompted an uprising from HSUS staff and donors.  Earlier this year, Charity Navigator downgraded HSUS, and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance revoked its accreditation of the Humane Society.

CharityWatch says it made the decision after learning that 48% of the HSUS budget is spent on overhead costs.  Humanewatch.org said, “The Humane Society cloaks millions of dollars in overhead as program costs.” Essentially, what HSUS is doing is counting fundraising material as educational costs. Back in February, Animal Charity Evaluators rescinded its HSUS recommendation because “ACE considers ethical leadership and a healthy work environment to be important components for an effective charity.”

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