Why are unrestricted funds important to the AKC Canine Health Foundation?
Unrestricted funds help CHF pay for overhead costs. Currently, we receive in-kind donations of space and services from the American Kennel Club which total more than $150,000 annually. Our alliance with Nestlé Purina PetCare Company also provides us with unrestricted dollars. However, these are not enough to cover the expenses we incur by providing educational programs, visiting clubs for presentations, and all the other things it takes to keep CHF running. Operating expense is generally calculated from the 990 (the tax form that charities must submit to the federal government). As of our last completed 990, our operating expense was 14.37%. In other words 86 cents of every dollar goes to support canine health research. Based on industry standards it is considered good to a have operating expenses of less than 20%.
