The ASPCA says approximately 74.6 cents of every dollar goes to its lifesaving programs and services, so the short answer is about 75%.

What that means

  • The ASPCA’s own FAQ says that approximately 74.6 cents of every dollar it spends advances its mission through lifesaving programs and services.
  • A separate ASPCA funding page says the majority of every dollar it spends supports mission-related work, including rescue, rehabilitation, public education, and policy/response efforts.

Why people see different numbers

  • Some older news coverage and watchdog-style reports have argued that the share going directly to shelters or grants is much lower, with one CBS report saying the ASPCA spent about 7% of funds raised in grants to local animal welfare groups over a long period.
  • That lower figure is about grants to local groups , not the full set of ASPCA mission spending, which is why it can differ from the ASPCA’s broader “money spent on mission” figure.

Bottom line

If you mean “what percent of ASPCA spending goes to animal-related mission work?” , the ASPCA’s published figure is about 74.6%.

If you mean “what percent goes as cash grants to local shelters?” , some reporting has put that much lower, around 7% over a long period.

If you want, I can also break down exactly where a $100 ASPCA donation goes.