Myth: HSUS pays its employees lavish salaries

Claim: The HSUS pays its employees lavish salaries and benefits.
Claim: HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle receives an astronomical salary.
Status: False.

Part of the smear campaign against the HSUS is an attempt to convince donors that their donations are being squandered or misappropriated by wealthy executives who laugh while they have money-fights in the boardroom.

Compensation for HSUS employees is modest, and well below most national nonprofit organizations. We have analyzed the HSUS Form 990s, and compared them to the tax returns of 7 comparable nonprofit organizations. The results clearly show that HSUS compensation is not excessive.

Similarly, Wayne Pacelle’s compensation is not only comparable to the CEOs of other national nonprofits, it’s far below the average. Compare Pacelle’s salary to other nonprofits and for-profit corporations for an accurate perspective.

Sources:
HSUS Financial Statements
Charity Navigator 2010 CEO Compensation Study

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