Foundation to Support Animal Protection (PETA Foundation)

Foundation to Support Animal Protection (PETA Foundation) is an animal liberationist non-profit established in 1993 that provides administrative support to PETA and other animal rights groups. 1

Read More

At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy
Website: www.petafoundation.org
Formation:

1993

Former CIO:

Robert Zangara

Former CIO’s Salary:

$125,0102

Location: Norfolk, VA View on map
Tax ID: 52-1842274
Most Recent Filing: 2023
Budget (2025): Assets: $44,790,024 Revenue: $30,958,377 Expenses: $21,752,297

Contents

    The PETA Foundation had extensive ties to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a group promoting veganism and animal liberation from a nominally medical perspective. Neal Barnard, the longtime head of PCRM, headed the Foundation to Support Animal Protection in the early 2000s, and Foundation to Support Animal Protection provided PCRM with over $500,000 in financial support. 34

    PETA Foundation is represented by the Raben Group lobbying firm. 5

    About

    Foundation to Support Animal Protection (FASAP) (PETA Foundation) was established in 1993 to provide administrative support to PETA and other animal-liberation groups. 1

    The organization has an undisclosed amount of staff and a board of directors, and makes reference to at least 17 attorneys in the foundation’s Legal Department. 6 A job listing with the PETA Foundation sought someone to work with these attorneys “to provide advice and assistance on a wide range of legal issues that arise in the course of PETA’s work to protect animals through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, and protest campaigns.” 7

    Ties to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

    The PETA Foundation had ties to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a health-oriented vegan advocacy group, through the early 2000s. Until 2005, Neal Barnard, the president of PCRM, served as the president of the PETA Foundation. The PETA Foundation gave Barnard’s group at least $592,000 in 1999 and 2000. 8

    According to its federal tax returns, PCRM gave Foundation to Support Animal Protection $62,299 and $55,851, in tax years 2001 and 2002 respectively, for “financial services.” 9

    People

    Staff

    Jeffrey Kerr serves as general counsel and senior vice president of corporate affairs at the PETA Foundation. Kerr formerly served in several capacities at the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, as president, chair of the legal panel, and chair of the policy committee. 10

    Lori Kettler has served as the PETA Foundation’s vice president and deputy general counsel for regulatory affairs since 2000. 11

    Scott Anderson is the PETA Foundation’s vice president of development, and lead’s PETA’s fundraising efforts. 12

    Steven Kehrli has been with the PETA Foundation since 2007, first as a development director, and currently as a vice president of development. 13

    Board of Directors

    Eilene Cohhn serves as secretary of the board, and formerly served as the secretary and treasurer of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Cohhn is an event planner and has worked as such with organizations like PETA, the Doris Day Animal League, In Defense of Animals, and Humane USA Political Action Committee. 14

    Ingrid Newkirk serves as president and treasurer of the board. Newkirk is the founder and president of PETA. 15

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $44,790,024 $30,958,377 $21,752,297
    2023 $37,253,278 $18,790,481 $19,000,957 View
    2022 $40,173,273 $22,975,177 $16,819,385 View
    2021 $40,579,709 $12,145,993 $16,969,093 View
    2020 $35,388,537 $16,377,725 $20,673,339
    2019 $39,580,840 $14,966,392 $16,504,003 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 290

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Jeffrey KerrCHIEF LEGAL OFFICER/ASST.$198,175
    Steven KehrliSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT$168,002
    Andrew CookVICE PRESIDENT$157,493
    Lori KettlerGENERAL COUNSEL$154,799
    Asher SmithDEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL$142,913
    Brittney PeetGENERAL COUNSEL – CAPTIVE ANIMAL LAW ENFORCEMENT$141,309
    Ingrid NewkirkPRESIDENT/TREASURER$41,353
    Eilene CohhnSECRETARY$26,900

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $18,042,891
    • Number of Grants: 37
    • Number of Funders: 12

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $2,991,0322022 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)ANIMAL PROTECTION
    $50,0002021 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)ANIMAL PROTECTION
    $20,0002024 The Captiva FoundationGENERAL
    $20,0002024 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)ANIMAL PROTECTION
    $10,0002024 The Gulitz Family FoundationPEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
    $10,0002023 The Captiva FoundationGENERAL
    $10,0002023 Dearie Family Charitable TrustPROTECTION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS.
    $10,0002022 The Captiva FoundationGENERAL
    $10,0002022 Dearie Family Charitable TrustPROTECTION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS.
    $10,0002021 Dearie Family Charitable TrustPROTECTION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS.
    $2,5002021 The Allene & Jerome Lapides FoundationGENERAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT
    $2,5002020 The Allene & Jerome Lapides FoundationGENERAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT
    $2552021 Sol & Hilda Furst FoundationGENERAL PURPOSE CONTRIBUTION.
    $1502020 Sol & Hilda Furst FoundationGeneral purpose contribution.
    $1002024 The Mcgrath Family Charitable FoundationCHARITABLE PURPOSES
    $1002020 Speyer Family FoundationTO FURTHER THE EXEMPT ACTIVITIES OF THE CHARITY.
    $1002020 Salesforce FoundationEnvironmental and animal protection
    $502023 The Mcgrath Family Charitable FoundationCHARITABLE PURPOSES

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $11,839,829
    • Number of Grants: 7
    • Number of Recipients: 3

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $4,810,3472020 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)General program exps
    $1,000,0002021 Center for Orangutan and Chimpanzee Conservation, Inc.CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT
    $27,7232022 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)GENERAL PROGRAM EXPS
    $16,6002022 Athens Land TrustEASEMENT EXPENSES
    $15,1592023 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)GENERAL PROGRAM EXPS

    Contact InfluenceWatch to report errors, suggest edits, or provide tips for additional profiles.

    Contact Us

    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Home.” PETA Foundation, 2020. Accessed April 25, 2020. https://www.petafoundation.org/.
    2. Foundation to Support Animal Protection, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
    3. “7 Things You Didn’t Know About PCRM.” Center for Consumer Freedom, October 17, 2008. https://www.consumerfreedom.com/articles/168-7-things-you-didnt-know-about-pcrm/.
    4. Center for Organizational Research and Education. “Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).” Activist Facts, June 11, 2020. https://activistfacts.com/organizations/23-physicians-committee-for-responsible-medicine/.
    5. “Lobbying Relationship.” Pro Publica, 2017. Accessed April 20, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/lobbying/r/300997465.
    6. “Meet PETA and the PETA Foundation Staff: Lori.” PETA, 2020. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://www.peta.org/about-peta/work-at-peta/jobs-employees/jobs-employees-lori/.
    7. “One-Year Law Fellowship.” PETA, 2020. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://www.peta.org/about-peta/work-at-peta/legal-fellowship-fsap/.
    8. Wadman, Meredith. “Profile: Neal Barnard.” Nature Medicine, June 1, 2006. Accessed April 21, 2020. https://www.nature.com/articles/nm0606-602.
    9. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2001, Schedule A, Part II.
    10. “Jeffery Kerr.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed April 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-kerr-0572a8157/.
    11. “Lori Kettler.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-kettler-0803a72a/.
    12. “Turning Dreams Into Reality: Meet Scott Anderson of the PETA Foundation.” PETA, 2019. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://www.peta.org/donate/planned-giving/meet_scott_anderson/.
    13. “Steven Kehlri.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/petasteve/.
    14. “Eilene Cohhn.” Activist Facts, 2020. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://www.activistfacts.com/person/3560-eilene-cohhn/.
    15. “Ingrid Newkirks’ Biography.” PETA, 2019. Accessed April 26, 2020. http://www.ingridnewkirk.com/.