Animal Cancer Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ANIMAL CANCER FOUNDATION IS DEDICATED TO FINDING NEW TREATMENTS AND EVENTUAL CURES FOR CANCER BY FUNDING RESEARCH IN AND INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF COMPARATIVE ONCOLOGY, THE STUDY OF NATURALLY OCCURRING, SIMILAR CANCERS IN PEOPLE AND IN COMPANION ANIMALS.
- Income
- $318,293
- Spending
- $825,963
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 82%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $74,000, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 159% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 44 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a 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 June 30, 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 (1)
- $632,172 spent. ANIMAL CANCER FOUNDATION HAS EMBARKED ON THE CANINE CANCER GENOME PROJECT ("CCGP") SPONSORED BY BLUE BUFFALO FOUNDATION TO ENABLE A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONAL COLLABORATION TO MAP CANINE CANCER GENOMES FROM SAMPLES DONATED TO ACF BY THE CANINE CANCER ONCOLOGY GENOMICS CONSORTIUM (CCOGC) AND TO PLACE THOSE DATASETS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN FOR USE BY ALL CANCER RESEARCH. THIS MULTI-YEAR PROJECT WILL ENABLE CANCER SCIENTISTS TO BUILD MORE ROBUST COMPARATIVE DATASETS AND TO FURTHER CANCER RESEARCH IN PETS AND PEOPLE. AFTER A COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS, THE TRANSLATIONAL GENOMICS RESEARCH INSTITUTE WAS SELECTED AS THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS FOR THIS PROJECT.ACF PAID $410,000 IN SEPTEMBER 2024 AND $100,000 IN JUNE 2025 FOR CCGP. AN ADDITIONAL $200,000 IS COMMITTED TO CCGP.ACF COMPARATIVE ONCOLOGY GRANTS AWARDS ARE RESEARCH GRANTS OF $50,000 FOR ONE TO TWO YEAR COMPARATIVE ONCOLOGY RESEARCH THAT IS IDENTIFIED BY A SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COUNCIL AS BEST-IN-FIELD EARLY DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL HAVE RESULTS POISED TO ATTRACT FURTHER GOVERNMENT AND LARGE INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING AND THAT ENCOURAGE OPEN SHARE DISCOVERY TO SPEED NEW SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION AND TREATMENT TO THE CLINICAL SETTING. THESE RFPS ARE OPENED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ACF BOARD OF DIRECTORS.ACF SUPPORTS WORKSHOPS, SYMPOSIA AND CONFERENCES FURTHERING COMPARATIVE ONCOLOGY THAT INCLUDE THE VETERINARY CANCER SOCIETY ("VCS") ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 June 2025.
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 December 1999.
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.