HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
EIN: 86-0213263
Mission
To advocate for the welfare of cats by being a model cage-free sanctuary and no-kill shelter.
Ruling year
1965
Shelter Manager
Amber Nix
Main address
PO Box 13508
Tucson, AZ 85732 USA
EIN
86-0213263
Animal welfare
Population served
Adults
NTEE code
Animal Protection and Welfare (includes Humane Societies and SPCAs) (D20)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
We provide a safe haven for the abandoned and at-risk cats in our community, and southern Arizona. Not only do we rescue from the municipal shelter in our county (Pima), we also take in cats from the surrounding counties, as well as shelters, rescues and individuals around Arizona, San Juan Puerto Rico, San Marcos Mexico, and elsewhere. Our shelter is also an accredited sanctuary (under the American Sanctuary Association), and has been so, since 2013. We work hard to ensure these cats are provided with the best food, medical care, and mental and emotional stimulation while they are with us. Many of these felines come to us in need of a second chance at a loving home, and we work hard to find adopters who will provide them with the care they deserve. If they are not adopted, they remain with us until the end of their natural lives. We also work to promote the No-Kill Philosophy, advocating for an end to "kill shelters", and reserving euthanasia to end needless suffering.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Cat Shelter and Sanctuary - ADOPTIONS
We provide temporary shelter and long-term sanctuary to all the cats that come through our doors. We strive to see all our cats adopted; however, we serve as a sanctuary, a more permanent home, for cats who may never find an adopter. Our in-house medical suite enhances all the operations at The Hermitage. It enables us to: perform cost effective spay/neuter procedures; microchip and vaccinate all cats/kittens before adoption; assist our foster care volunteers in keeping vulnerable orphaned kittens alive and well; increase the number of cats at risk of euthanasian rescued and cared for each year; and enhance quality of life and longevity of our sanctuary and chronically ill residents.
Although we offer life-long sanctuary to all cats, our number one priority is to find them an adoptive home. We average 650 adoptions annually.
Food for People's Pets Pantry
We provide pet food for families in-need in our community, through our Food for People’s Pets pantry (FFPP). In 2020, this program celebrated 13 years of pet food support for members of our community, distributing donated pet food and kitty litter to senior citizens, un- and under-employed persons, and low-income families. FFPP, our longest-running community support program, has helped hundreds of cats and dogs, preventing their placement into shelters due to temporary financial constraints of their human guardian. We require proof of income, and alteration of the pets enrolled in our program. We partner with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona for pet food collection and distribution. In 2019 alone, we distributed over 15,600 pounds of dog food, and over 26,000 pounds of cat food, and over 6,700 pounds of kitty litter. We have about 150 client families in our community and average 45 visitors each week.
TNR Trap Depot
We rent out Trap Neuter Return (TNR) humane traps and provide information about local low-cost spay/neuter clinics to help reduce and protect community cat populations.
Meows for Military and Snuggles for Seniors
A “kitty ambassador” visits the VA hospital and various nursing homes around Tucson. The cats visit the Alzheimer’s and Dementia wards, providing snuggles, love, and animal-assisted therapy. We have found that the patients exhibit higher levels of contentment and lower levels of distress during and after these visits. These programs are currently on hiatus due to COVID-19 and funding.
Children's Programs
We hold monthly Kid’s Club meetings year-round and we hold Cat Camp for Kids in the summer. In both our children’s programs, the children learn about cat care, animal rescue, cruelty-free personal products, and how to be a better citizen.
We partner with Literacy Connect to promote our Read to the Cats program. This program provides a safe, non-judgmental, space for children to practice their literacy skills by reading to the cats of the shelter. These programs are currently on hiatus due to COVID-19, but we are working on ways to facilitate them virtually.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of animals rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Cat Shelter and Sanctuary - ADOPTIONS
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Our ability to intake cats varies by how quickly cats are adopted. We have a limited amount of space and fosters. Thus, when adoptions are down, intake are usually down as well.
Number of animal adoptions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Cat Shelter and Sanctuary - ADOPTIONS
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Total pounds of pet food and litter distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Food for People's Pets Pantry
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric relates to our Food for People's Pets Pantry and includes dog food, cat food, other animal food (chicken, goat, etc) and cat litter.
Number of animals spayed and neutered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Cat Shelter and Sanctuary - ADOPTIONS
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
All of the spay and neuter surgeries documented here were done in-house.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our vision: All cats deserve permanent, loving homes, and euthanasia of convenience is non-existent.
We work for the day when no cat is born unwanted, and when all companion animals are altered, microchipped and living in loving homes with educated and protective human guardians. We also work toward the day when No-Kill is the law of the land, when animals are not euthanized to "make room" at shelters, but only reserved to end needless suffering in cases of unmanageable pain. Our mission hinges on the fact that animals are worth saving, that they are sentient beings and deserve protection, and so our work will continue until the day that all companion animals are treated with the respect and love they deserve.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We actively practice No-Kill in our shelter, and advocate for it in our community, and county. We hope to spread this ideal throughout Arizona, and throughout the south west part of the US. We do this through education, classes, promotion of TNR (trap-neuter-return) and through alteration of our shelter cats, and promotion of alteration of all companion animals. We collaborate with other rescues to promote spay/neuter of all pets, and advertise vaccination and microchipping clinics to help promote healthier, happier pets.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are able to provide medical care for our feline residents due to our state-of-the-art medical suite. Doing much of our surgeries, and other medical care in-house allows us to move more quickly when a cat is ill, preventing stresses from travel, and allowing us to practice preventative medicine, as opposed to reactive medicine.
Our staff is highly trained and motivated, and works hard to promote the other aspects of our mission of No-Kill through active education of visitors, volunteers, supporters, and adopters. By working to spread education, we know we are able to do much more for the needy cats in our community, than if we attempted to do the work ourselves. We also actively collaborate with other shelters and rescues in our area, creating a safety net for the cats and the humans in need.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2017 we completed a renovation of our shelter, a much needed project that allowed us to build a medical suite, and reconfigure our square footage to best care for the cats in our shelter. We have consistently worked to ensure best practices with our cat-care, and are always seeking better education for ourselves as staffers, and for our volunteers. We have also consistently been able to rescue and find homes for more cats every year. Many of our special needs cats are also adopted, and provided a loving home where their medical needs are provided for, and they are able to enjoy "owning their own human" for as long as they live.
We have worked hard to educate ourselves and our community, promoting No-Kill practices and advocating for the cats in our community who have no voice of their own.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve pet adopters through our adoption services. Some cats have special needs, and we remain a resource for all of our adopters to ensure a smooth transition and a permanent home for the kitty. We also work to educate our adopters on cat behavior, how best to care for them, and other cat-centric needs. Secondly, we serve pet owners in need through our Food for People's Pets program. This pet food bank provides food for needy families who are un-/under- employed, seniors, disabled persons and other needy families.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Our adoption process has been shortened due to feedback. During the 2020 shutdowns we instituted "appointment only" visits, and because of the upheaval we changed our adoption application and how we used the information we collected. Moving toward a more open adoption process (we are placing more and more emphasis on talking to/interviewing the adopters versus "what they look like on paper") we have changed our interviews and reference checks. This has shortened the application from 5-7 days to fewer than 3.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
41.49
Months of cash in 2021 info
19.5
Fringe rate in 2021 info
39%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $1,007,884 | -$64,459 | $88,464 | $115,556 | $1,155,005 |
| As % of expenses | 111.8% | -7.9% | 12.1% | 16.7% | 127.3% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $982,267 | -$120,146 | $28,313 | $115,556 | $1,155,005 |
| As % of expenses | 106.0% | -13.9% | 3.6% | 16.7% | 127.3% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,090,854 | $822,276 | $820,776 | $831,742 | $2,039,693 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -11.5% | -24.6% | -0.2% | 1.3% | 145.2% |
| Program services revenue | 6.9% | 11.4% | 15.8% | 9.5% | 3.5% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 93.0% | 88.5% | 82.8% | 76.3% | 96.5% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 14.2% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $901,353 | $811,575 | $729,057 | $693,631 | $907,244 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 10.9% | -10.0% | -10.2% | -4.9% | 30.8% |
| Personnel | 52.1% | 56.1% | 51.0% | 52.0% | 54.3% |
| Professional fees | 2.5% | 1.4% | 4.5% | 2.0% | 4.3% |
| Occupancy | 2.3% | 6.2% | 5.0% | 7.2% | 0.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 42.5% | 36.3% | 39.5% | 38.8% | 41.4% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $926,970 | $867,262 | $789,208 | $693,631 | $907,244 |
| One month of savings | $75,113 | $67,631 | $60,755 | $57,803 | $75,604 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $4,437 | $3,517 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $1,437,490 | $0 | $0 | $10,018 | $42,417 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $2,439,573 | $939,330 | $853,480 | $761,452 | $1,025,265 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 2.9 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 6.4 | 19.5 |
| Months of cash and investments | 2.9 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 6.4 | 19.5 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 5.7 | 19.1 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $217,476 | $189,052 | $248,710 | $370,491 | $1,470,728 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $560 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $1,852,094 | $1,636,222 | $1,655,563 | $1,665,581 | $1,707,998 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 8.6% | 5.4% | 8.3% | 8.2% | 8.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 3.0% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $1,836,006 | $1,715,860 | $1,744,173 | $1,859,729 | $3,014,734 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $42,409 | $18,505 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $42,409 | $18,505 | $21,760 | $44,316 | $21,760 |
| Total net assets | $1,878,415 | $1,734,365 | $1,765,933 | $1,904,045 | $3,036,494 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Shelter Manager
Amber Nix
Amber joined the Hermitage staff in August of 2017. She was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona and began working full time at the age of 18. Amber lived in Arizona until the age of 25 when she moved to Ketchikan, Alaska and started her family. Amber has worked for non-profits in education and medical and is excited to now be working in the animal welfare sector. Amber states, “I am thankful to wake up and go to a job I can feel good about doing every day. I know my effort at the shelter impacts and improves the lives of the kitties and it is an awesome way to earn a living!”
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
HERMITAGE NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
Board of directorsas of 04/17/2023
Board of directors data
Kristen Vann
University of Arizona
Term: 2019 - 2023
Cathy Peterson
Jean Parker
Kim Olson
VCA Valley Animal Hospital and ER Center
Katie Foust
Pima Medical Institute Veterinary Programs
Natalie Meier
Pima Medical Institute Veterinary Programs
Sandi Fox
Linda Updike
Andy Kiel
Optimize Investments
Kevin Sanders
Raytheon Missiles and Defense
Katie Filous-Malka
Ferguson Hill Filous. PLLC
Kate Durfee
Charles R Smith, PLLC
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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