Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Operation Catnip of Gainesville Inc

EIN 59-3522372 · Gainesville, FL

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair55 out of 100GovernanceGood84 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

Operation Catnip mitigates suffering for community cats and provides support for their caregivers through comprehensive programming.

Income
$1.1 million
Spending
$1.1 million
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
-2.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 83%
Employees
29
Volunteers
392
Highest pay
$65,589, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 32% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 34% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    9 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • No reported misuse

    0 of 10

    Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 (3)
  1. $609,789 spent. Creating Lasting Impact though Clinical Services In 2025 Operation Catnip provided programs and services that empowered individuals and the community to control the community cat population through affordable and accessible spay-neuter and vaccination services with a total of over 8,340 Spay-Neuter surgeries, of which 1,750 were through our Kitten Shelter Diversion Program. This program alone kept over 1,500 kittens out of the local shelters and rescues. Our Working Cat Program placed 145 unsocialized cats into working cat homes, saving them from euthanasia. Catnip also administered 16,093 vaccinations, including rabies vaccines.
  2. $226,422 spent. Building Humane Communities through Caregiver Support Programming that provides the resources Caregivers need to be successful in managing the cats in their care. These resources include trapping training, education, traps and trapping equipment loans, care for seriously ill or injured community cats, and trapping and transport for those unable to do so on their own. In 2025 we served 1,078 unique caregivers in 59 municipalities covering 17 counties.
  3. $67,654 spent. Transforming the Landscape with Volunteer Support and Student Training Operation Catnip provides proactive programs and services aimed at targeting cats that are frequently overlooked or unseen. This approach prevents issues from becoming problems, mitigates or eliminates unseen suffering, and trains the next generation of humane healers. During 2025 a total of 161 unique veterinary students performed 5,997 spay-neuter surgeries and performed or scrubbed in on most of the 76 enucleations, 24 amputations, 2 entropion repairs, and 4 dental procedures under the watchful eye of DVM coaches. This level of experience is not provided by most veterinary universities.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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 September 7, 2026.

  2. 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 September 30, 2026.

  3. 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1999.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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 7, 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.