Accountability

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is committed to operating to the highest standards of accountability, transparency and ethics. We earn the trust of our community by being transparent about how we operate and use donated dollars to achieve our mission. The following details reflect our commitment to donors, volunteers and the community we serve.

Internal and External Oversight

The Board of Directors who serve and oversee the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria help to develop and advance the interests of our donors in ways that go beyond just raising money. Good governance is more than just supporting the organization – it also means representing the community’s interests in what we do. Our Board of Directors has three fundamental fiduciary duties which apply to everything we do.

• Duty of Care: The amount of care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances. This describes the criteria our Directors must give to making decisions on behalf of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
• Duty of Loyalty: Keeping the interests of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria in mind at all times when making decisions on behalf of the organization.
• Duty of Obedience: Requires Board members to be faithful to our mission and consistent with the mission statement, Articles of Incorporation, bylaws and tax-exempt documentation.

Working in partnership with the AWLA’s professional staff, the Board of Directors also cooperates with key legal bodies and various independent organizations that evaluate charities on a number of factors, not the least of which is an organization’s degree of accountability and transparency.

Organizational & Financial Information

Legally Incorporated: The AWLA Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation provide details on how our organization is structured and managed.

Tax Exempt: We are recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The IRS Determination Letter confirms this information.

Volunteer Governance: Our Board of Directors provides internal oversight to the organization:

• Suzanne Goulden, Chair
• Mark Davis, Vice Chair
• Laura MacLean, DVM , Treasurer
• Tamela Blalock, Secretary
• Julie Conway
• Victoria Barnes
• Mary Mann
• Louise Salas
• Cynthia Young

Professionally Staffed: Our Executive Team guides and provides the services needed to achieve our mission.

• Stella Hanly, MPA: Executive Director
• Tony Rankin: Chief Operating Officer

Independently Audited: Our most recent Audited Financial Statement provides details on our use of donor funds and assets.

IRS-Verified: Our IRS Form 990 confirms the annual tax filing information we are required to maintain our tax-exempt designation.  The AWLA continues to focus on reducing expenses by increasing our efficiency and effectiveness in our work to care for animals in need.

Privacy Respected: The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria respects the rights and privacy of our donors. We do not sell or share donors’ personal information to any other entity. Donors are recognized in the organization’s annual reporting to the community. Donors wishing to remain anonymous should notify us of this at the time a gift is made. Please learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Inclusivity and Equitability: The AWLA is committed to building a sustainable, inclusive, equitable and resilient community.

Social Media: We believe social media is  a wonderful way to inform and connect with our community, but it is important that all replies and feedback we receive are appropriate.  Read our social media commenting policy to find out more.

Additional Documentation:

Conflict of Interest Statement – View PDF
Code of Ethics – View PDF
2023 Statistical Infographic
– 2023 Annual Report (click to read)

Mission-Focused

We value your investment in our mission. We spend more than 80 cents of every dollar donated to achieve our mission. Our initiatives to reduce expenses, increase revenue and improve efficiency are reflected in the results shown below.