How is the Ontario SPCA funded?

This year, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is celebrating its 150th anniversary! As we reflect on this milestone anniversary, we are sharing some fun details and explaining what the organization does and how it operates. In this blog, we are explaining how the Ontario SPCA is funded and outlining our revenue streams.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that relies on the generosity of our supporters to operate.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (“Ontario SPCA”) was founded as a registered charity in 1873 and was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1919. The mission of Ontario SPCA is to facilitate and provide for province-wide leadership on matters relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of animal welfare. Ontario SPCA strives to be a strong, unified and collaborative charitable organization dedicated to the cultivation of a compassionate society for all animals. 

The Ontario SPCA recognizes revenue from fundraising efforts, donations, legacies and from shelter and veterinary operations when funds are received. 

Donations and Fundraising 

75% of the Ontario SPCA’s revenue is from the generosity of our donors. As Ontario’s animal welfare charity, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is able to deliver core programs and services, thanks to donations from caring donors like you.

Your donations demonstrate your trust in our volunteers and team members to carry out this critical work. And, in return, we are committed to transparency regarding how your donations are put into action. Donations contribute to a number of programs and services we provide, including:

• • Sheltering and adoption of animals at locations across the province
• • Reuniting lost pets with their owners
• • Service to the North
• • Community outreach programs for municipalities, community cat colony managers and animal rescue groups
• • Humane education for all age groups

To donate to the Ontario SPCA you can donate online, become a monthly donor, leave a gift in your will, and more.

If you are not in a position to donate, you can help the Ontario SPCA raise funds by hosting a fundraising event.

Grants and Corporate Partners

The Ontario SPCA submits applications to private, public, community and corporate grants to support our ongoing efforts to assist animals. We also receive invitations to certain private grants to apply and we receive unsolicited grants and foundation money from a wide range of foundations from across the province.

The funds help us continue to run our programs across the province to support animals in need.

Legacies Make an Impact

Those of us who have companion animals can’t imagine what life would be like without them. Their love and dedication bring us joy unlike anything else. The Ontario SPCA provides the opportunity to help your animal to live on with a gift in your will.

Leaving a legacy for animals in your will helps to ensure that animals continue to find their forever homes, rescuing animals during crisis situations like fires, floods or hurricanes. This gift extends a safety net for animals who need a temporary guardian in situations of domestic violence or tenant evictions.

Charitable bequests from legacy donors go directly to our programs. Donors can also choose to dedicate their gift to a particular area of the work they care the most about.

By remembering the Ontario SPCA in your will, you can:

• • Provide funding for animal care while pets wait for their forever families
• • Spay/neuter animals to prevent pet overpopulation
• • Fund the medical and enrichment needs of the animals while in our care, keeping them as comfortable as possible
• • Assist caretakers in managing feral cat colonies
• • Reduce overpopulation in the North by transporting animals in need of homes to centres around the province where they can be adopted
• • Ensure that our education programs continue, teaching compassion and empathy to the next generation

To learn more about creating your legacy for animals in need, click here.

All of the support we receive from the public is what helps us continue to do the essential work we do every day. On behalf of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society and the animals that we care for, thank you for your ongoing support.