Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER PROVIDES QUALITY MEDICAL CARE AND REHABILITATION FOR ALL INJURED, SICK AND ORPHANED WILD ANIMALS AND SHARES ITS KNOWLEDGE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEM.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $3.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- -3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 56
- Volunteers
- 619
- Highest pay
- $141,662, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 22% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 0% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $2.6 million spent. WRC EXPERIENCED A 15% INCREASE IN PATIENTS THE HIGHEST INCREASE SINCE THE "COVID BUMP" FROM 2019 TO 2020. IN 2025, WRC ANTICIPATE TREATING MORE THAN 22,000 PATIENTS, SOLIDIFYING OUR POSITION AS ONE OF THE BUSIEST WILDLIFE HOSPITAL IN THE WORLD. IN OTHER SIGNIFICANT NEWS, DESPITE THE 15% INCREASE IN PATIENTS, WRC MANAGED TO TRIM OUR EXPENSES TO $2.5 MILLION, VS THE $2.8 MILLION BUDGETED. INDIVIDUAL GIVING THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE GRANTS, BEQUESTS, ETC., SURPASSED BUDGET FOR A 13.2% INCREASE COMPARED TO 2023. WRC ALSO HAD ONE OF THE BEST PATIENT OUTCOMES YEARS IN RECENT HISTORY. OF THE PATIENTS IN CARE, 68.8% WERE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED AND RELEASED. THE MAMMAL NURSERY, WHICH IS THE BUSIEST SEGMENT OF OPERATIONS, BROKE 10,000 PATIENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WRC'S 46-YEAR HISTORY. WRC ADMITTED 201 UNIQUE SPECIES IN 2024, INCLUDING THE SECOND VESPER SPARROW IN OUR HISTORY AND THE FIRST RED-BACKED VOLES. THE FULL SPECIES LIST IS ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT (WWW.WRCMN.ORG). PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, WRC PROVIDED FREE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO MORE THAN 45,000 PEOPLE WHO CAME TO US FOR HELP WITH WILD ANIMALS. THROUGH OUR EMAIL, PHONE AND IN-PERSON SUPPORT, WE HELPED PEOPLE DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ANIMALS NEEDED TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL, HOW TO REUNITE YOUNG ANIMALS WITH THEIR WILD FAMILIES, AND HOW TO FIND WAYS TO CO-EXIST WITH WILDLIFE. WE ARE NOW SEEING THE SECOND GENERATION OF CLIENTS BRINGING IN THEIR CHILDREN. THIS IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND PERSONALLY MOTIVATES ME TO DO ALL WE CAN TO HELP BOTH PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. OUR WORK INSPIRES GENERATIONS OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1997.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.