Faith-based, nonprofit & membership orgs
Books and taxes for animal rescues and shelters.
Adoption fees, a foster family reimbursement, an emergency vet bill that blows past the budget, and a grant from an animal welfare foundation. Your own bookkeeper keeps it sorted, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
June came in at $3,500 after expenses. The emergency surgery for the dog hit by a car came out of the medical emergency fund, not the regular vet budget, the way the board set it up.
- Adoption fee batch, PetFinderAdoption fees
- Maddie's Fund grantGrant funding
- Riverside Animal HospitalVeterinary care
- Foster reimbursement, K. AlvarezFoster program
- Transport van fuelTransport
Why your books are different
A rescue's books go wrong in the same recurring places.
A generalist sees adoption fees and calls it done. Your organization runs on a network of fosters who front costs and get reimbursed, vet bills that can spike without warning, and donations that sometimes arrive as bags of food instead of cash. Miss that and nobody can tell if the rescue is actually keeping pace with what it costs to save an animal.
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1
A vet emergency blows up the monthly number
A single emergency surgery can cost more than a typical month of routine vet care, and without separating it out, one bad month for an animal's health looks like the whole organization is in trouble.
What we doFlags large emergency vet bills apart from routine care, and tracks spending against a medical emergency fund if the board has set one up, so a hard month reads correctly. -
2
Foster reimbursements get treated like a bill payment
A foster who buys food, litter, or medication for animals in their care and gets reimbursed later looks like any other vendor payment on the bank statement, with no record of which animal or foster the money was for.
What we doKeeps foster reimbursements in their own category with a note on which foster and which animal, so the program's real cost is visible. -
3
Donated pet food and supplies never make it into the books
A pallet of donated dog food or a case of flea medication moves through the rescue the same as a cash gift, but because no money changed hands, it often goes unrecorded, understating what the organization actually received and used.
What we doKeeps a running log of in-kind donations the owner reports, so the value shows up in the books at what the accountant says it is worth. -
4
Transport costs get lumped into general supplies
Moving animals from a high-intake shelter to foster homes or a partner rescue costs fuel, crates, and sometimes a paid driver, and mixed into general supplies, nobody can see what transport actually costs the organization.
What we doKeeps transport costs in their own line so you can see what it costs to move animals to safety, separate from everything else. -
5
A grant with a specific purpose gets spent on general costs
A grant from an animal welfare foundation earmarked for spay and neuter costs can quietly get spent on general operations if it is not tracked apart from other funding, which creates a problem when the funder asks how it was used.
What we doTags grant funds by their purpose and tracks spending against them, so the organization can show exactly how a restricted grant was used.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an animal rescue or shelter.
Set up once for how adoptions, giving, and grants flow through the organization. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Adoption feesFees collected through adoption events or listing services like Petfinder.
- Grant fundingMoney from animal welfare foundations, often earmarked for spay, neuter, or medical costs.
- General donationsCash gifts from individuals and local businesses.
- In-kind donationsThe estimated value of donated food, supplies, and services.
Money out
- Veterinary careRoutine and emergency vet bills, spay and neuter surgeries, and medications.
- Foster programReimbursements to foster families for supplies and care costs.
- TransportFuel, crates, and driver costs for moving animals to safety.
- Boarding and facility costsKennel rent, utilities, and cleaning supplies.
- Microchipping and licensingMicrochip fees and kennel or shelter operating licenses.
- Adoption eventsVenue, supplies, and marketing for adoption drives.
- Staff and volunteer coordinationPaid staff who coordinate a mostly volunteer network.
What we watch for you
- Cost per adoption
What it actually costs the organization to get one animal adopted, useful for setting fees.
- Medical fund balance
What is available for the next emergency vet bill, tracked apart from routine costs.
- Grant spending against purpose
Whether restricted grant money is being spent the way each funder specified.
- Foster program cost
What the foster network costs in reimbursements each month, against how many animals it supports.
Ask Gus
Things rescue directors ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
No. I flagged it as an emergency vet cost, kept apart from routine care, so anyone looking at the books can see it was a one-time event, not a spending pattern.
I logged it under foster program costs with her name and the animal noted, so you can see exactly what the foster network costs the rescue each month.
Not without checking the grant terms. I keep that money tracked against spay and neuter spending only, so you know what is available before you commit it elsewhere.
The tax side
The tax side of running a rescue or shelter.
Most of what matters here is tracking in-kind donations honestly and keeping grant money inside its intended purpose.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Valuing in-kind donationsDonated food, supplies, and services need to be recorded at a reasonable estimated value, not just noted as received, so the organization's books reflect what it actually took in. The accountant sets the valuation approach.
- Restricted grant recordkeepingA grant earmarked for spay and neuter, medical care, or a specific program needs its own spending record, both for the organization's own filing and for what the funder requires in its reports.
- Worker classification for kennel and transport staffA paid kennel attendant or transport driver who works your schedule and uses your equipment is an employee, not a contractor, even part time.
- Contractor 1099sA veterinarian, trainer, or contractor not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
Deductions animal rescues and shelters miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Veterinary care and medications
- Spay and neuter surgery costs
- Foster family reimbursements
- Transport fuel and crates
- Kennel and boarding supplies
- Microchip and licensing fees
- Cleaning and sanitation supplies
- Adoption event venue costs
- Liability insurance
- Website and adoption listing fees
- Volunteer background check fees
- Pet food and litter
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A rescue's year, kept every month.
Intake does not follow a calendar, but the books stay steady across every season. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Reconcile grants and funds
Last year's records are wrapped up, spending against each restricted grant is confirmed, and the medical emergency fund's starting balance is clear for the new year.
- April
Vet and grant records closed
Whatever filing applies to your organization's structure is ready to hand off, with adoption fees, in-kind value, and grant spending already sorted for the year.
- July
Kitten season halfway mark
Where the medical fund and grant spending stand at the year's midpoint, and whether kitten and puppy season has strained the budget as expected.
- October
Before the holiday adoption push
Adoption events often pick up before the holidays. Gus looks at the foster program's capacity and the medical fund balance before the year's busiest stretch.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for animal rescues and shelters. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions rescue directors ask first.
Can Gus track our medical emergency fund separately from routine vet bills?
Yes. Emergency vet costs are flagged apart from routine care, and if your board has set up a dedicated fund, spending against it is tracked so you always know what is available.
How do foster family reimbursements get recorded?
Each reimbursement is logged in its own category with a note on which foster and animal it covered, so you can see what the foster network actually costs each month.
Do donated pet food and supplies need to be tracked even though no money changes hands?
Yes. Gus keeps a running log of in-kind donations based on what you report, so the value shows up in the books alongside your cash giving.
Our grant is only for spay and neuter costs. Can Gus make sure we do not overspend it on something else?
Yes. Grant money is tracked against its stated purpose, so you can see exactly what has been spent and what remains before committing to more.
Does this subscription include filing our 990 or similar annual return?
No. Gus and your bookkeeper keep the books reconciled and every vet bill, grant, and in-kind donation categorized all year, so whoever prepares that filing is working from real numbers instead of guesswork.
Our books have been a mess since our last treasurer left. Can you catch us up?
Yes. Send the bank and grant records you have. Gus works through the backlog and the accountant checks it, and most rescues know where they stand within a couple of weeks.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in faith-based, nonprofit & membership orgs
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Arts nonprofits
- Chambers of commerce
- Christian camps & retreat centers
- Church plants
- Community foundations
- Food banks & pantries
- Fraternal lodges & clubs
- Homeowners & civic associations
- Ministries & mission organizations
- Nonprofit thrift stores
- Private family foundations
- Private social clubs
- Trade & industry associations
- Veterans organizations
- Youth sports nonprofits
- Charter schools
- Christian schools
- Small & mid-size churches
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever