$500K Shortfall At Hinsdale Shelter In 2021

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale Humane Society recorded a deficit of more than a half million in 2021, at a time when it was paying two executive-level salaries.

On Wednesday, the society posted online its 2021 IRS tax form, a document required of nonprofit organizations.

The document shows the society's 2021 income was $1.9 million and spending was $2.5 million.

Because of a change in fiscal years, 2019 was the last equivalent period. In 2019, the group pulled in $1.2 million and spent $2 million, with a shortfall of more than $700,000, according to tax records.

In 2018, income was $2 million and spending was $1.6 million, with a surplus of more than $300,000.

The spending in 2021 included the $83,000 salary for chief executive Tom Van Winkle, who had been promoted from executive director.

During that same time, Jacki Rossi was the executive director, making $75,000.

Rossi remains in her job, while Van Winkle left last spring, with no plan to fill the position.

"After the CEO's departure, the Board felt it was an opportune time for a hard look at shelter operations and a restructure of the organization," Robin Carroll, the society's director of marketing, said in an email to Patch.

The society determined that existing employees, along with additional hires in development and the "exemplary leadership" of Rossi, would put the group in the best position during a difficult time, Carroll said.

That resulted in 1,865 adoptions of animals in 2022, breaking a record, she said.

Explaining the higher spending, Carroll pointed to the new, much larger building on Salt Creek Lane.

"It allows us to save many more animals (the last year in our old building, we adopted out 1,000 compared to 1,865 in 2022)," she said, "but that means a much larger staff, caring for hundreds more animals and having many more expenses, which through inflation alone in the last 5 years, has obviously grown quite a bit."

In 2022, Carroll said, the society cut its spending and increased its income. In addition to adoptions, the society also had a record-breaking year for spay-neuter procedures, she said.

According to the society, 3,002 such procedures were performed. They were for shelter animals as well as those from other rescue groups, which paid a reduced fee amid a veterinarian shortage, Carroll said.

"All of this (happened) while also dealing with a nationwide animal welfare crisis, dwindling donations, rising costs, inflation and the aftermath of a Covid shut down which kept our shelter closed to the public for most of 2020 and 2021," Carroll said. "We are very proud of what we have achieved and thank the public for their continued support."

In October, the society launched a big fundraising push. It said it was struggling financially and needed more money to keep the shelter open.

In an email, Rossi, the executive director, said, "Our programming revenue grew substantially in 2022 and our year-end numbers are impressive in that regard. That income is providing a path to sustainability, along with our Operational income and our Medical revenue from supporting other rescues that need our medical help."

Here are the society's tax forms from the last few years:

2021

2020 (two-month period)

2019

2018

2017

2016