No More Homeless Pets Forum
June 14, 2004

Starting a Grassroots Program

Michelle Hankins

Grassroots groups are the vital front lines of the humane movement today. Should you start a local group? What should your group focus on? How do you select an effective name for your group? Set up a Board of Directors? Write bylaws? Wendy Baron of AnimalHelp of Central Washington and Michelle Hankins of DC Metro No More Homeless Pets will share their advice and answer your questions about grassroots organizing.

Introduction from Wendy Baron:

I've talked to many people who say that they want to help animals and as soon as they win the lottery, they are going to build a sanctuary to house and care for all the homeless pets in their community. That's a wonderful vision to have and is definitely something to strive for, but if you want to help animals, you don't have to wait until you win the lottery.

You don't need a massive amount of money or even a lot of people to get started. Just a handful of committed people who are willing to work hard can make a significant difference for the animals.

If you'd like to start a grassroots group to help animals, there are some basic steps you will need to take, such as finding those first few people, developing a mission statement, choosing a board of directors, determining the needs of animals in your particular community, completing the paperwork necessary to become a nonprofit organization, building your mailing list, and planning your first fundraiser.

Introduction from Michelle Hankins:

DC Metro No More Homeless Pets was formed after about 15 individuals from our area attended the October 2003 No More Homeless Pets Conference in Philadelphia. We took our enthusiasm and energy from the conference and channeled it into a strategic plan to start building positive relationships between shelters and rescues in the D.C. metropolitan area. We are currently planning the D.C. area's first Super Pet Adoption and have been enthusiastically received in the community.

We are still a young coalition, but since we formed in November of last year, we have learned a lot as an organization. Everything that we have done right and all the lessons we're learning along the way have proven to be equally valuable as we continue to grow and evolve in our area. I am happy to answer your questions about starting a grassroots program in your community.

Questions

Starting an animal sanctuary
Setting up a 501c3 and writing by-laws
Ensuring good relations with existing groups when setting up a rescue
Benefits of become a 501c3 and the process
In what order are the steps to get a Board, determine mission, and filing for 501c3?
Adopting bylaws and electing officers
Raising the money to file for a 501c3 status
Finded likeminded people in the beginning stages of setting up a group
Starting a group to bid for an animal control contract to improve services
Choosing who should be on your Board
Dissolving a non profit
Finding volunteers who want to help with humane education programs rather than hands on animal care
Determining what types of liability insurance
What to do and not to do when starting a group

Starting an animal sanctuary

Question from Patty:

I have dreamed of starting my own sanctuary for many years and, with a lot of sacrifice, I'm almost there. I have been volunteering in many different capacities with a local non-profit rescue group for the past six years in order to gain valuable experience to use in forming and running my own organization someday. I've read several books about starting my own non-profit organization so that I can be prepared when the time comes.

I am currently looking for land and, unfortunately, the process seems to be taking longer than I had originally expected. I would like to know what I can do to be productive in the meantime while I'm trying to find the right piece of land. I feel like I'm stalled out right now and it gets frustrating at times. What other things can I do now to better prepare myself for establishing my own sanctuary?

Response from Wendy:

That's great that you want to start a sanctuary and have been working with a rescue group for the past 6 years. My experience up to this point has been working with a small organization and I don't really have knowledge of the issues involved with starting a sanctuary. What comes to mind is visiting existing sanctuaries and talking to the staff and volunteering there. Also, if you are getting close to your goal, publicity about the planned sanctuary and requests for volunteers to do anticipated work projects might be a help in getting started as well as get the word out that you are looking for land. I also know that Best Friends has a booklet called "How to Start Your Own Animal Sanctuary" and you can see it on their web site at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/startsanc.pdf.

Good luck.

Response from Michelle:

I don't have a lot of experience on the sanctuary front, but I can tell you the biggest mistakes I've seen groups make who go from being a foster organization to having a facility. I think the issues would likely be the same:

1. They do not check the zoning laws prior to purchasing a facility. They end up in a residential neighborhood on a "farm" with a barn and now have dogs, cats, rabbits (and usually an inherited neighbor's cow) that they have to keep "secret" so that neighbors do not complain about the noise.

2. They move into an existing facility versus architecting one made especially for animals.

3. They don't think about building a good drainage system before moving in.

4. They underestimate the time it takes to provide care for a large number of animals. I would not advise doing this without some additional help or staff, even if you start small. You will eventually want and need a day of rest.

5. They have the "if we build it, then the money will come" philosophy of doing business and operate in crisis mode without a budget and a fundraising plan. You cannot operate this way when you have mouths to feed and emergency veterinary care to provide.

6. They keep their property a secret and do not invite visiting volunteers and donors to see the good work they do.

Here are my suggestions for what you should do prior to purchasing your own land and building your own facility:

1. Create a complete business plan for your organization. Once you have the land, what do you want to accomplish in the first year? Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years? From that, research and determine your costs, create a possible budget, leave nothing out. This will give you an idea of how much funding you will actually need. Then, you can raise the money to accomplish your goal.

2. Do research, research and more research about other facilities. Travel to the best model facilities (San Francisco SPCA, Best Friends, the Richmond SPCA, etc.) and take notes and/or pictures of these facilities. Interview the animal care staff in the catteries and kennels as well as the leadership to get an idea of what works best and what doesn't work at all. Tour every boarding facility in your community to get ideas too.

3. Find a good sound engineer and environmental health specialist and conduct informational interviews about how to provide a safe and pleasant habitat for your animals and your human neighbors. Try to get them to donate their expertise, ask for an informational interview or ask them to point you to some helpful resources.

4. Call the local government where you think you might build and research the zoning requirements. Look into the permits you will need. These can take a long time to acquire, and sometimes, specific jurisdictions will try to hold these projects up if they do not want you to proceed.

5. Research the local builders, developers or construction companies in your area. If any of them have animal lovers on their leadership staff, ask if they will donate the construction and labor costs of building your facility if your organization pays for the cost of material.

6. If possible, work at a shelter or boarding facility to make sure you are aware of the types of issues that can arise and are willing to commit to these.

7. Start establishing a good relationship with a veterinarian near where you might want to house your sanctuary. Your animals will need care and you will want to negotiate a discount for the volume of animals you will be dealing with. Learn how to minimize and prevent diseases among your animals.

8. Even though this sounds morbid, make a Plan B for the organization if you were, for whatever reason, one day not in the picture. Cultivate and train additional volunteers and leaders and prepare your organization to live successfully beyond your years.

Best Friends also offers a course on "How to Start an Animal Sanctuary". They have a lot more experience with starting and operating a sanctuary than I do, which might be beneficial to you as you prepare.

Good luck. Let me know when your sanctuary is open. I'd love to visit!

Comment from Barbara:

While good points are made in this response by Michelle, few animal groups would ever get started if they followed her perfect plan - have a sanctuary business plan, get an engineer, build a facility.

Indeed, I recall someone from Best Friends indicating that their feral cat shelters were little more than boxes when they first started. People don't donate to a dream; they donate to a reality. The only way I think you could follow Michelle's directive is to be independently wealthy. I would recommend - don't start a sanctuary - work TOWARD a sanctuary. Start with a business plan that works toward a shelter; but begins with a feral cat program or a foster home network.

Show the public the good your programs are doing and THEN solicit money, continue to formulate a business plan for the sanctuary, etc. Very few animal organizations would ever get started without those who are willing to work from something small to make it bigger. Sure, we have to make due with less than perfect for a while, but so do most small businesses. I've rarely seen a start up business of any kind, owned by a middle class person, that had the perfect facility.

Response from Michelle:

Your point is well taken. If I am not mistaken, the Best Friends book mentions that in the early days there were spay/neuter surgeries performed on a dining room table!

There certainly are less expensive ways to build housing. I have seen some inexpensive housing for animals advertised in Animal People (http://www.animalpeoplenews.org) that looks like it would work well for sanctuaries with the need to house dogs outdoors in a somewhat temperate climate. They are made out of hay and fencing. Delta, the group advertising them offers literature and/or a video about them. Best Friends has even offered the designs for its catteries to interested people.

Setting up a 501(c)3 and writing by-laws

Question from a member:

A small group of us are trying to get started as a 501(c)3, but none of us have experience in doing this and we are finding it frustrating to come up with by-laws and articles of incorporation. Do you have any suggestions on help getting started with filing and finding sample by-laws or what should be included?

Response from Wendy:

No one in our group had any experience with starting a nonprofit organization either so I know how confusing it can be. If you haven't already done this, it's probably a good idea to read a book on nonprofit organization and management to get an idea of what steps you will need to take and what is involved. I mention a few good books below.

Best Friends also has an excellent booklet about starting a nonprofit organization called "Starting a Non-Profit Organization to Help Animals". It's available on their web site at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/StartingNonprofit.pdf.

Nolo is another good reference for basic advice about nonprofit organization. Their web site is located at www.nolo.com

In answer to your question about writing Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, we used a handbook called How to Form and Maintain a Nonprofit Corporation in Washington State. This entire handbook, including the sample Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, is available online at www.kcba.org (once you get to the home page, click "Young Lawyers" and then "Publications"). Two other books that we have used for reference and that also include sample Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation are The Nonprofit Handbook by Gary Grobman, which can be ordered online at http://www.socialworker.com/nonprofit/nphome.htm, and How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation by Anthony Mancuso, which can also be ordered online at www.nolo.com.

Once you've completed your Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, you might want to have a lawyer look them over to see if everything is in order. You can check with your local bar association to see if you can find a lawyer who will help you at a reduced rate or do it pro bono.

Good luck!

Response from Michelle:

The best way to get started with by-laws and articles of incorporation is to look at what other people have done. It had been a long time since I had written by-laws, so I started literally with a Google search on the Internet and referred to by-laws for other non-profits for which I was also volunteering. I read the by-laws for different groups, including non-animal groups, to see how other organizations drafted theirs. Then, I took pieces from all the by-laws I had researched, assembled them and rewrote them into what would work for our group. I came up with a first draft and e-mailed this to our interested volunteers who sat down at a meeting to discuss them. It is imperative to assign this task to one person to create a first draft. Don't sit with 20 people around a blank piece of paper in a meeting and expect by-laws to flow out - this will take forever. Start with a written document and add or change the text from there.

After we had our first draft, I was fortunate enough to be able to hand this task off to our vice president who called and e-mailed other animal welfare organizations to obtain a copy of their by-laws and articles of incorporation. Every group we contacted was great and willingly gave us a copy of their by-laws and articles so that we could learn from what they had done. One organization even sent us their 501(c)(3) application. This helped immensely.

I would encourage you not to get bogged down in spending a lot of time on the by-laws or articles. I think very few people in our group were interested in drafting by-laws, which is why we quickly relegated it to a committee. By the way, it really is important for your future Board leaders to be on this committee, so they agree with and have an investment in your by-laws. We gave everyone the chance to provide feedback on the final draft, but most did not care to be involved in the preliminary discussions about by-laws.

In addition to drafting your by-laws, it is critical to know what is legally required of a group should it become a 501(c) 3 organization. Don't skip out on annual reports or filing tax forms or hiring accountants or independent auditors (for larger organizations). I have seen groups pay thousands of dollars in fines for missing tax deadlines. For a small organization, that can be painful. For any organization, it is unnecessary. To the animals, that's the equivalent of a much-needed surgery, or saving 3 or 4 heartworm positive dogs, or providing spays and neuters for 20+ cats - a much better use of your money than paying fines. Also, if your group plans to apply for grant funding, you will need this information.

Another piece of advice would be to consider the by-laws a working document. Be flexible about changing them if needed.

Comment from Joan:

I was just reading a forum piece about obtaining 501c3 status and wanted to share two experiences with the group.

My friend, Abby, and I started our foster-based rescue almost five years ago. We knew NOTHING. Abby had experience in medicating the animals. She had worked for a rescue as volunteer for four years and had gotten to know a number of veterinarians that helped with what she didn't know. I helped with the daily care of the animals, and the two of us did adoptions on weekends. They have grown tremendously, and just last year alone they adopted out over one thousand spayed/neutered dogs and cats.

Along the way I made friends with a student at a local law university (a small satellite of the Barry Institute of Law school). She told me her professor was an animal lover. We approached him about starting a 501c3 and if he had a student that would like to take this on as a project. He not only jumped on the opportunity, he did all of he work himself including paying the fee, which I think was $500, he drew up the By-laws and Articles of Incorporation and EXPLAINED our personal obligations to us. He even had us sign the papers and had his secretary notarize our signatures.

Ensuring good relations with existing groups when setting up a rescue

Question from Lyla:

When you set up a grassroots effort, what steps do you take to try to ensure good relations with existing humane societies and rescue groups? I helped start up a grassroots effort in my local community to help animals that has worked primarily on spay/neuter and trap-neuter-return (with some adoptions from the TNR program) and we have been very successful in our first year.

I find the local humane society not very willing to work with us on anything, though we started working with them initially. We are focusing on spay/neuter due to their suggestions. I believe there is concern on their part that our efforts taking away donations from their shelter, and perhaps our very success makes them look less successful.

Although they initially were forthcoming with stats on intake and euthanasia, now they have not responded to requests for the same information, which I use to see if our efforts are making any difference in shelter intake.

I think we made a mistake of sorts in openly telling people that 80% of the animals that go into the shelter are euthanized, and with our spay/neuter efforts we aim to change that. The problem is that people think now we don't like the shelter and have been badmouthing it by advertising the euthanasia rate (which the humane society is very open about as well).

How do you make people aware of the problem of too many animals without making the shelter (who contractually has to deal with excess animals they are unable to place promptly) look bad? I know the shelter staff doesn't like euthanizing healthy animals either, so I don't blame them.

Response from Wendy:

Congratulations on the success of your spay/neuter and TNR program! In general, here are some steps that you can take to try to ensure good relations with existing humane societies and rescue groups.

Start with communication. Try to set up a meeting with any shelters or rescue groups that you have in your area. Try to focus on what their needs and problems are and how you might be able to help while at the same time being respectful of them and all they have accomplished for the animals.

When we were first forming this group, we met with the director of the local animal control shelter. We talked about what they were already doing to help animals, what their problems were and also how we might be able to help or fill in any gaps. I think that just doing little things to help can go a long way. Two small things that our group does to help get animals adopted from our local shelter are "Posters for Homeless Pets", www.animalhelpcw.org/poster, and sponsoring one or two shelter pets per month in the "Adopt-A-Pet" section of our local newspaper. We also provide a link to the shelter on our web site.

I agree that it's probably best not to publicize your humane society's statistics, even if it is to educate people about the need to support spay/neuter. Another way you might handle this without mentioning their statistics specifically is to cite the state's statistics or even the U.S. statistics. We actually use the U.S. statistics on our web site and in our brochure. We also regularly provide information in our newsletter about how quickly unneutered dogs and cats multiply. Another creative way to show this is the Pet Overpopulation Scroll. It is suggested and explained on Best Friends' web site at http://www.bestfriends.org/atthesanctuary/humaneeducation/croverpopulation.cfm

I'm not sure how to patch things up with your humane society. If there is someone in your group who is comfortable relating to them, you might want to have that person try to arrange a meeting. Then start again with some of the suggestions mentioned above.

Response from Michelle:

Using statistics to analyze your community needs are vital to developing program goals as well as for tracking your programs' impact on the community you serve. But, as you have found out, using the shelter's statistics can also be extremely divisive. I think this stems from the fact that historically, the shelter's statistics have been used in the media and other very public ways, often by groups who may actually have good intentions and want to improve those numbers, but don't realize what kind of fallout can occur when the shelter is publicly criticized for its numbers. I haven't met a shelter yet that doesn't cringe every time I ask for its numbers. But, you can get past this.

I would suggest that you meet with the shelter leadership on a regular basis. Get to know them. Let them hear your compassion and willingness to help them improve the condition for homeless animals in your community. Lay the reasons you want their statistics on the table. Tell them you want open, honest and ongoing dialogue about their statistics to better understand the community's needs. Explain to them that their insight is critical in determining the community's needs. And, through these discussions, you will receive extremely valuable feedback about the nuances of the community that isn't in the numbers.

In your dialogue with the shelter, tell them you want to use the 80% number and ask them if they will join with you in using their own statistic to bring the need for spay/neuter services to light to the public and potential donors. Don't approach the number as "the shelter's fault," rather call on donors through a partnership with the shelter by your side. Or, even better, go with the shelter when the county is determining budget allocations for the upcoming year and use the figure to explain why the shelter deserves more funding.

Report your numbers together. Work together in partnership on some programs and tell the public how many animals your joint efforts helped to spay/neuter. Focus on the positive. The Richmond SPCA is a good example of this. When the organization includes the city shelter's numbers in a press release, its lists these statistics side by side with its own numbers, and the organization repeats throughout the press release that the positive impact that the Richmond SPCA is having on the community is directly because of the partnership with the City of Richmond's shelter.

Host a joint fundraiser or hold a fundraiser with the express purpose of donating that money to fund some of the shelter's needs, such as pre-adoption spay/neuters for shelter animals to help off-set the shelter's cost or finding veterinarians who will perform low-cost spay/neuters or perform monthly clinics.

One time, the company I work for was throwing away office furniture and supplies, I called the shelter and asked them what they needed. I carried a carload of items to the shelter. It cost me nothing, the company I work for got a tax write-off and the shelter was extremely grateful.

One thing our organization has also done that has been extremely successful in improving relations with shelters is to write press releases about the good things they do. Most shelters do not have the resources or time to do this. Our organization will write a press release in support of a shelter that creates a program to work with rescue organization partners. We have written releases praising the creation of a foster care program at a shelter. Shelters are most often in the news when something goes wrong. If you can introduce them to some positive press, it goes a long, long way. Send your press release to the media and be sure to send clippings or links to online news to the shelter and/or to the county government that funds the shelter to let them know about the positive coverage.

If the shelter in your community opposes TNR, start with a project you can agree on and then once you've developed a good relationship with the shelter, approach the subject of TNR and you'll have more luck getting them to listen to and implement your ideas and suggestions.

Forming a good relationship with the shelter cannot be done by calling the shelter once a year and asking them for their euthanasia statistics. Think of how you can help them throughout the year in ways big and small. Your actions will be remembered the next time you call for the numbers, and I guarantee you won't have a problem getting them.

Benefits of becoming a 501c3 and the process

Question from Jennifer:

Two months ago I started a website, www.seniormuttmatch.com, to help promote the adoption of older dogs from shelters and rescue groups in San Diego. I post photos and bios of adoptable older dogs from different groups in San Diego as well as provide information about senior dogs and links to resources. I created the site because as a shelter volunteer, I saw wonderful older dogs overlooked daily for puppies and I wanted to help. Not surprisingly, my "little" project has now grown to include information at senior centers about senior dogs and I am currently planning an adoption event for older dogs.

I am a stay-at-home mom with no budget and my costs are quickly adding up! I did not plan to become non-profit but I have now started the process so I can perhaps break even.

My questions are:

1. What are the benefits for a small organization like mine in becoming an official non-profit (other than the obvious financial reasons)? I really just want to break even on all the promotional costs, website upkeep, adoption event costs etc. Even though in two months those costs have added up, I don't know if I should become official non-profit since many groups larger than mine that work directly with animals still aren't considered non-profit.

2. I have done a ton of research and reading on the formation of a non-profit but the process is still quite confusing. I know it varies from state to state but is there some type of checklist to what steps to take and in what order? I have created my "Articles of Incorporation" and "Bylaws" which are being looked at by a lawyer but I want to make sure everything else is taken care of before I start my official filing.

3. What is the annual upkeep on a non-profit (reports, paperwork that needs to be filed)?

4. Can you suggest any resources (financial or otherwise) to tap into that aren't already being used by animal groups? I don't want to compete with hard-working animal groups for funds since I directly help them with their promotion. I focus solely on marketing and promoting the senior dogs and their rescue groups, so I'm hoping that the unique angle will attract some potential donors. I just left the field of education so I have experienced a huge learning curve in the area of non-profits but I love it. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.

Response from Michelle:

First, let me applaud you for starting a group to spotlight senior pets for adoption. This is wonderful. To answer your questions:

1. Benefits for becoming a non-profit: For a group just starting out, becoming a non-profit can be a costly proposition. In Virginia where we are based, it costs about $100 to incorporate as a non-profit. It may be different in other states. You have to do this before you can proceed with the 501c3 application. Then, it costs $500 to file your 501c3 application with the IRS. Our non-profit application has been sent in and is pending, and I am told to expect it to take some time to process.

If you don't want to go through the process of becoming a non-profit group, you can always align your efforts with an organization that is already a 501c3 and become a project within the organization. The pros of this are you save the $500+ it takes to incorporate. If your shelter is a 501c3 organization that contracts with the county or city government for the animal control contract, then it might be a perfect fit to become a project under their wing. Many foundations do not fund groups who are in their first year of operations as a 501c3, so going with an established non-profit may help you obtain grant funding quicker than if you go it alone.

That being said, you should give some serious consideration to becoming a project under another organization. If you do this, you are governed by the 501(c)3's Board. You must track your finances through their non-profit and that could present some additional accounting costs to the non-profit partner. These are things to consider.

From a donor perspective, it is helpful to have 501(c)3 status - be it yours or that of a sponsoring non-profit, because it lends credibility to your organization and ensures that their donations are tax-deductible.

2. Checklist for becoming a non-profit: this Foundation Center link should be helpful http://fdncenter.org/learn/classroom/establish/index.html

You could also ask other young non-profits (including non-animal related non-profits) in your county or state how they proceeded and just use what they did as a model if it was successful. The IRS also hosts workshops around the country about applying for tax-exempt status.

3. Annual upkeep for being a non-profit: The paperwork may vary by state. In Virginia, we are asked to write an annual report or we risk losing our status. The IRS has income thresholds that determine whether you complete a Form 990, 990 EZ or need an independent audit. This IRS site provides some further information: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96103,00.html

4. Potential donors: Here are a couple suggestions for funding sources to raise money for your program:

- Ask around and see if any Web hosters are animal friendly and will donate Web hosting services. Our regional phone company, Verizon, offers technology grants, which give start-up groups some funding (about $240) for Web hosting. Information about this program is at http://foundation.verizon.com/06001.shtml. I am not sure if they have funded animal organizations, but technology or local phone companies in your area may have similar programs or may be willing to donate to help defray your technology costs.

- Host an "Oldies but Goodies" party or radio pledge-a-thon in partnership with a local oldies radio station and get some good coverage of your senior pets for adoption at the same time.

- Any pet food company that might want to specifically market their senior pet food products.

- GNC or any other pharmaceutical company that makes supplements for pets

- Holistic or natural pet supply or food store or veterinarian

- Grants for adults/senior citizens from local or state government (perhaps this could be successful if you targeted a program for low-income residents who adopt senior pets)

Response from Wendy:

Congratulations on all you are doing to help senior pets. I'll answer your questions in the order you have listed them.

1. Besides financial advantages, becoming a nonprofit limits your personal liability and adds legitimacy to your work. However, if you just want to break even and have fairly low operating expenses, you might consider trying do your work in the form of a program with an existing nonprofit animal welfare organization, perhaps the shelter where you volunteer?

2. Here's a simple checklist of steps you will need to take to form a nonprofit organization. a) Research. Read a book about nonprofit organization. b) Develop a mission statement. It's important to clearly define the purpose of your organization. c) Select a Board of Directors. d) Write your Articles of Incorporation and file them with the Secretary of State. e) Write and adopt your Bylaws. f) If you would like donations to your group to be tax-deductible, you will need to complete and file paperwork (Form 1023, etc.) with the IRS.

3. I have to answer this question from the viewpoint of someone who is with a small group that makes less than $25,000 per year and has no paid employees. It sounds like this might be the case with your organization, too. Once your initial paperwork is filed, there is not a lot of annual upkeep. We just file an annual report with the Secretary of State and a city business license. Once you start to make more money or have paid employees the paperwork increases.

4. I really don't know any other resources that are not being used by animal groups that you could tap into. You might want to visit the library or search the Internet for this information.

Comment from Michelle:

Just a note regarding a previous post. In answer to a question, one of the forum hosts indicated that the cost to file for 501(c)(3) status is $500. This is true for groups who anticipate raising more than $10,000 per year in their first 4 years. However, for groups who intend to raise less than $10,000 per year in their first 4 years the fee is only $150. Small groups who can still benefit from nonprofit status should not be discouraged by the thought of a large filing fee.

In what order are the steps to get a Board, determine mission, filing for 501c3?

Question from Kerry:

Over the last four years, several people in my area have come to know each other because we are trying to do the same thing. We primarily work with feral cat colonies, do the trapping (for TNR), rescue any kittens and socialize them for placement in permanent homes, provide food and shelter and colony management.

I completed a grant writing course this winter and want to try to organize what we are all trying to do and get funding as we are funding these efforts ourselves. What are the steps that should be followed? For example, should we have a Board before filing for non-profit status? Should I have an outline of what our mission should be first and then organize a Board, or the other way around? How do I attract other people that may be beneficial as Board members, but may not be doing the actual hands-on work?

Finally, all of us have jobs in addition to the work we do for the cats. How can we make it all work?

Response from Michelle:

DC Metro No More Homeless Pets is an all-volunteer organization as well, so believe me, I feel your pain. That being said, I sincerely believe that being a volunteer organization is a strength and not necessarily a weakness. You do what you do for the animals because it is your passion. You care so much about it that you devote countless hours in your "spare" time to this cause. This enthusiasm and energy is priceless so use it to your advantage.

On the grant front, I wish you luck, but I do want to point out several things that I learned from reading a book called "Fundraising for Non-profits" by P. Burke Keegan:

1. Grants comprise a small portion of the overall funding for non-profits in a given year - about 5%. Corporate giving is about 5%; gifts through bequests are about 10% and individual giving provides 80% of the money donated to non-profits.

2. Foundations often do not fund operating costs. They typically fund start-up programs or specific projects.

3. The success rate for grants is about 7%; so guess what happens to the remaining 93%?

Still, don't let this discourage you from applying for grants. Many groups have been successful at raising a lot of money this way, including one in our area that raised $15,000 via a grant to fund a highly successful spay/neuter project.

PETsMART Charities actually hosts Webinars and has a great one about applying for PETsMART Charities grants delivered by Patty Finch, PETsMART Charities Manager of Charitable Giving. It is at petsmartcharities.webex.com (no www). Some states are more competitive than others for PETsMART grants (i.e. more groups apply in some states than do in others), so you may be in a state where the chances of getting a grant are extremely high as compared to another one.

Aimee St. Arnaud, who manages this forum, has some wonderful advice for funding for spay/neuter programs. Sometimes you have to be creative to get funding for ferals, but it can be done. Her suggestions will get your group really excited about the possibilities for funding for your projects. I suggest ordering Aimee's session on funding for spay/neuter from the October 2003 No More Homeless Pets Conference if it is still available. Try visiting their web site at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/materials.cfm.

Alley Cat Allies has a great packet that gives ideas for groups to obtain donations as part of National Feral Cat Day, which is October 16. Among their ideas was hosting a cat food drive. Their packet gives step-by-step instructions on how to manage such a project and it may be helpful for your group to receive in-kind donations, which are just a valuable as monetary contributions. The packet is available at http://www.nationalferalcatday.org/actionpack.html

As for Board members for your non-profit. They are critical. Get a core group involved to create your mission statement and by-laws and then cultivate potential Board members like crazy. Make donating a requirement for your Board members. Tell them this before they join so it is not a surprise to them. The standard mantra for Board member fundraising is "Give, get or get off."

Don't be afraid to have a large Board. Some organizations will have Boards of 21 - 30 people. Try to get one or two highly influential and connected people on your Board to spearhead fundraising and/or cultivate donors.

I think you asked the right question: "How do I attract other people that may be beneficial as Board members, but may not be doing the actual hands-on work?" It is often easier to get busy people to commit to leading a special project to raise money for your organization than to get them to spend their evenings and weekends doing hands on work on top of other special projects. Recognize and respect that you will engage people and their skills and talents that you might otherwise not be able to benefit from if you asked them to do everything for your organization.

Response from Wendy:

It sounds like you have an excellent start in getting a group organized. If you are not already doing this, you might want to start by having regular meetings. You already have a good idea of what you want to do, but you will need to put this into one or two clear sentences; this will be your mission statement. I think you can get started working on this right away with the people in your group. You will need to select a Board of Directors before filing for nonprofit status, since the Articles of Incorporation require this information.

You might want have a meeting with the people you are working with now and put together a list of qualities you are looking for in potential Board members such as expertise in a particular field, diversity in ages and backgrounds or previous involvement with animal causes. Then make a list of potential Board members that you would like to contact and invite them to come to a meeting. It's a good idea to get to know people before asking them to be on the Board, because you want people who are fairly compatible and share the same vision. Once you've got your Board in place, you can move on to the other steps in forming a nonprofit: choosing a name, writing your Articles of Incorporation and filing with the Secretary of State, writing and adopting your Bylaws and completing the paperwork that the IRS requires to achieve 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

It is hard to work full-time as well as do work for the animals. Try to spread the work around so that one or two people aren't doing everything. It's important to pace yourself so that you don't get burnt out and feel like you need to quit. Build on any small successes and your group will gain more support.

Adopting bylaws and electing officers

Question from Rita:

I'm part of a group of people involved in organizing a new group. The group plans to incorporate and apply for their tax-exempt status. We grew out of a recent response to stop our mayor's elimination of all adoption services at our city shelter. Basically turning the shelter into animal control facility and nearly 100% kill. So far our efforts have been successful. The staff cuts have been restored in the coming year (July 1) budget. We have one year to come up with an alternative program.

We have another organizational meeting tomorrow night. The group is eager to adopt bylaws and elect officers and directors at this meeting. Could you in outline form give the procedure to follow to adopt bylaws, elect officers and directors? Right now we've been looking at bylaws that most folks don't understand.

Response from Michelle:

Wow! The animals in your community are VERY lucky that you fought this fight on their behalf. As for by-laws, officer elections, etc., I would refer to the previous responses to earlier questions this week for some insight on what our organization did.

One other thing I would encourage you to do is to research public/private partnerships and how organizations that championed these projects have been formed. They are a favored trend by local governments, because it helps the government offset its costs with private contributions to a specific project. PAWS Columbus, Inc. is an organization formed under this model. Their Web site is at http://www.pawscolumbus.org.

Other notable public/private partnerships that come to mind are economic development projects to rebuild the waterfronts in Richmond and Hampton Virginia (http://www.downtownhampton.com, and Baltimore, Maryland. We also have a group in Fairfax County, Virginia, that formed as a non-profit to host our county fair and an art festival. The group's mission is to celebrate what the county has to offer (http://www.celebratefairfax.com/Information/index.asp?bid=325)

I have not researched these extensively, but they may be helpful to study to get some ideas about how to form your organization as well as your strategic plan in support of the county shelter.

If you were to engage in a public/private partnership, perhaps something like the Furburbia adoption center in Utah would be a good project for your community. That is, if your city does not want to fund adoption services, perhaps you could raise money to have an adoption center in a local mall and work with the shelter to bring its animals to the adoption center, providing transport if the shelter cannot supply it.

If the people in your community are still fired up about the threat of cutting adoption services at the shelter, you may receive a lot of financial support for a project like this even if some of the funding for adoptions was restored temporarily.

Good luck in the next year finding alternative solutions. Future pet adoptions in your city are thanks to your efforts.

Response from Wendy:

Here's how our group handled this:

1. We appointed a Board of Directors.

2. We then drafted By-laws and gave them to our Board members in advance of our organizational meeting to review and to make any suggestions for changes. We went over our Bylaws quite a bit so that we'd have a pretty clear understanding of them before our organizational meeting.

3. We had our organizational meeting where we adopted (unanimously approved) our Bylaws and then we nominated and elected our officers.

For a more detailed explanation of nomination and election of officers and directors you can consult Robert's Rules of Order, Chapter 12.

Raising the money to file for a 501c3 status

Finding likeminded people in the beginning stages of setting up a group

Question from Anita:

How did both of you find other people in the beginning when you were just starting out that felt the same way and wanted to work together? And how did you find quality people with certain skills to be on the Board? I am finding it hard to meet others because we don't have the money to publicize our efforts and many people are already aligned with the local humane society.

It is hard to find people willing to be on the Board (other than people like me who care but have no fundraising skills or connections in the community). I know that once we get going we will be able to find volunteers, but for right now it is really hard. This feels like the chicken or the egg debate! You can't get volunteers and Board members until you do something and establish yourself, but you can't establish yourself with volunteers and a Board!

Response from Michelle:

Finding Board members that believe in your mission and the way you will operate to accomplish that mission is critical.

I will give you one example that blew me away as we were cultivating a potential Board member. As I was going over our programs with this person, I mentioned spay/neuter. This stopped him dead in his tracks. He said he was Catholic and didn't know if spay/neuter was morally wrong under the Catholic Church. I had never heard that one before. I still entertained discussions with the gentleman to try to educate him about the importance of spay/neuter, but clearly, there was no way anyone who felt spay/neuter to prevent overpopulation was ethically wrong could serve on our Board. If I can change the person's mind about spay/neuter in the future, then we would consider having him serving on our Board, but he has to believe in it enough to be willing to spread the word about the importance of spay/neuter in the community.

As for Board member cultivation and recruiting, this should be ongoing. It is critical. To do it, I would suggest two things:

First, go to parties. It sounds counterintuitive when you're supposed to be "working" for your organization, but it is imperative. Go to events, networking meetings, socials, sports events, county fairs, animal welfare conferences, whatever is happening in your community - be there! Talk to people. When they ask what you do, tell them about your animal work. Be an ambassador for your organization and its mission. Find out who has pets, what their pets' names are, what the person does for a living, what their skills or hobbies are. Ask them if they would ever be interested in serving on your Board. If they are too busy, ask if you can call them when they have more free time. Then, call them when they say they will be available. They may not be interested in serving on your Board at the time or even ever, but they may have skills that your organization will one day need for a special project.

Second, read the paper (national and local), magazines, Web sites, biographies, etc. If I am watching Jay Leno and some celebrity says I love animals, I catalog his or her name, pets' names, and animal species. If I am reading the paper and someone prominent in our local community is photographed with his or her pet (even if the article is not about pets), I clip the article out and put it in a file I keep called "Animal People."

Even if someone is not directly involved in animal welfare work, I believe if someone has a pet, often he or she will support helping other homeless pets. After all, we in the animal welfare community are smart: We adopt out our best sales team members to shower these people with unconditional love and win their unwavering affection. The animals are the best volunteer and donor cultivators we can have. We just have to follow-up and find meaningful ways to allow people to give back to the community in exchange for what their animals have given them.

Response from Wendy:

I was very fortunate to have help from Best Friends Animal Society in getting like-minded people together for a meeting. They sent out postcards to all of their members within a 60-mile radius of where I live and let them know that another member was trying to get a group started to help animals. The postcard included my e-mail address and phone number. I got a good response from that and those were the people that came to our first meeting.

You can also create a flyer that states that you are trying to start a group to help animals and include a picture of a dog and/or cat and your contact information on tear-off tags at the bottom of the flyer. Put up the flyer at grocery stores, veterinarians' offices, feed supply stores or anywhere else you can think of. This should cost very little money.

You might also try running a small ad in the classified section of the local newspaper with the same information or even approach a reporter at the newspaper to see if they would be willing to run a short article about what you are trying to do.

Talking to a reporter might work especially well if you are already doing work with animals and are looking for more support. Also, this would be free.

Another way to meet people who share the same interests is to attend animal welfare conferences such as the No More Homeless Pets Conference that Best Friends hosts in cities all over the country.

I agree with you that once you get going, it is easier to find people to support your work, but I don't think you need to wait until you have a lot of people or even people who are highly skilled. Our original Board consisted of our most active members (most of us were not particularly skilled in any way that related to non-profit issues). We were able to build our group from there.

So, once you have gotten in touch with even a few people that share your vision for helping animals, you can start having meetings and begin to organize your group. What worked for us was meeting about once per month and setting up an e-group that worked in conjunction with our core group, so that we could keep in touch between meetings. The e-group is also a good way to gain support from people who want to help animals and help your group, but don't necessarily want to come to meetings or be highly involved. You can set up an e-group very easily at www.yahoogroups.com.

In the beginning especially, any networking you can do is really beneficial and will help you gain skills and build your group. I personally found it very helpful to be in communication with other organizations and individuals who were experienced in this kind of work and who could offer guidance. If you are persistent, I think you will start to find people who aren't aligned solely with your local humane society and who will want to support your work.

Starting a group to bid for an animal control contract to improve services

Question from Kathy:

Our local shelter is focused on Animal Control not sheltering and is high kill for the area. We have tried to work with the city and get changes but that has not worked. So we are trying to start and SPCA with the goals of trying to contract with the city and county for sheltering, providing low-cost s/n and possibly shots to the area and providing a resource for education. We have about 5-7 people that are consistently involved in getting this started. The problem is that the rescue groups that tried to start this are so unbelievable petty in this area, they talk bad about each other in public and private. We hope the name SPCA will lend credibility to our effort, but how do we get away from this?

Also, we have our bylaws, mission statement, and goals and are trying to get with someone to help us with forming a budget. Are there any good resources for forming the budget and business plan? I think we need to get figures for cost of animals per day, and staff required per number of animals, and cost per staff body. Then we can use these figures based on the intake number of our current shelter to figure how much we need to raise before we try to bid with the city???

We know we can get a major portion of the city businesses behind us, but we need to be very organized and prove we are not like the local rescues here.

Response from Michelle:

Based on what I have seen and heard happen in various communities, I would caution you on a competitive bid for the animal control contract. It sounds logical - "We don't like what the shelter is doing, so we'll get their contract and do it better." What groups who do this quickly find out is that it is not that simple.

First, it is extremely expensive. Ask around for the budgets of other county shelters. You need a facility (sometimes the existing facility, cages, etc., do not convey with the awarding of a contract to a new organization). You need food, medical expertise, equipment and medicine, grooming for the animals, office equipment, cages/kennels, traps. The list goes on.

I once did a mock up of a proposed budget for a county with an intake of 1,500 animals. Based on my assessment of their needs and research on the costs, the shelter should have had a budget of $120,000 at a minimum. One county shelter I know of that has an intake of just over 5,000 animals receives about $800,000 from the county and the remainder of its $1.3 million budget comes from donations from supporters. Animal care and control is not cheap.

The District of Columbia has had unbelievable pains over contract negotiations between the government and the shelter. Most recently, the humane society that had the contract walked out of the shelter because the city was only renewing its contract every six months (presumably shopping around) and making it next to impossible for the humane society to develop any long-range plans, hire staff, etc. Long story short, the city and the humane society worked it out, but not without some toll on the shelter's operations and sadly, on the animals.

The Southern Hope Humane Society recently bid for and won the animal control contract for Fulton County, which is home to Atlanta, Georgia. I think their leadership could provide some helpful insight into the pros and cons of having the contract for animal control. Their Web site is: http://www.hopehumane.org/

The Richmond SPCA has been extremely effective in establishing a partnership with the Richmond city shelter to pull animals out of its facility into their own. The SPCA helped the city decrease its euthanasia rate by 41.5% in the first year specifically by NOT being the city shelter or by taking on animal control tasks on its own accord and at its own expense as it had in the past.

Personally, I am a big advocate for working with the shelter versus trying for a competitive bid. The shelter leadership may not want to work with you, as in your case. I have been in those shoes, but did manage to turn it around. It took two years, but once the change started it snowballed. It takes time and persistence, but it can work.

What we did to encourage change at our shelter was to meet with the leadership and present a list of issues that we wanted to see addressed: posting photos of animals on the Web site, having Sunday shelter hours, creating a foster care program, working with rescue, attending off-site adoptions, etc. The shelter resisted the change.

We then met with the county government who provides most of the shelter's funds and created a chart with the same wish list of changes. We showed the other communities' programmatic success rates and their costs, most of which are free if the shelter or outside volunteers lead some of the programs - fostering, for example. We went to the media, publicized the shelter's statistics, and circulated petitions for citizens to sign in support of the proposed programs. Much of what we did to call attention to the need for change outraged the shelter, but it brought them back to the table with us so we could negotiate further.

All the while, we told them that if they were willing to change, we would assist them in any way we could. I volunteered to be their first foster care provider. We made it known that we weren't going away. We gave them copies of best practices from other cities to study and consider. Best Friends has much of this information at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary.

Perhaps the best thing we did, however, was to call for an independent investigation of the shelter. County governments can contract with large organizations; ours employed the American Humane Association (AHA) to evaluate the shelter. We wrote a lengthy report that was a compilation of all the feedback from the community and our specific requests for change. In the document, we highlighted specific examples of situations in which animals could have escaped euthanasia if the shelter had this program or that one. We submitted this to the county government and AHA as part of the evaluation.

The report has been the largest single catalyst for change at the shelter, because not only was the independent evaluation fair, but also the evaluators really took into account what the citizens in the community wanted. This independent evaluation made the government step in and mandate - and actually fund improvements - which was great for the shelter.

I would urge you to consider the pros and cons of having the animal control contract and to speak with others who have acquired the contract and those who have walked away from one. Base your decision on solid research and an awareness of the commitment involved in running animal control so that you are readied no matter which option you choose.

Response from Wendy:

That's really great that you are doing so much to try to help animals in your area. The only way I see to get around the other rescue groups' unfavorable reputation is to behave professionally and to stay focused on the good work that you are trying to do. I think that if your current group can do this, then eventually you will establish your own good reputation.

I don't have any experience with starting a shelter or developing a budget or business plan for a shelter so I can't really offer any advice there. Can you check with other shelters for help or search at the library or on the Internet? Sorry, I can't help more with this. Good luck with your project!

Choosing who should be on your Board

Question from a member:

I know that it is important to choose Board members that are not only compassionate about your cause, but who also can provide expertise and assistance to your organization. But, isn't it true that Board members can choose to remove the Executive Director from his/her position?

I'm planning to start my own rescue so how do I protect myself from being overthrown by
Board members and losing everything that I've worked so hard for? Is it only really "safe" to appoint family members and friends to your Board to prevent this from ever happening?

Response from Michelle:

The dynamics of a non-profit organization fascinate me. Yes, a Board can oust an Executive Director, but an Executive Director often leads cultivation of new Board members or at least plays major role in this responsibility. It is almost like hiring your own boss.

If you are an all-volunteer organization, you will likely not have an Executive Director, per se. The person that handles the strategic planning of the organization (a role of the Board) is usually the same person who handles your day-to-day operations (a role of the Executive Director). I would say that any Executive Director who does his or her job well has no reason to fear being fired by the Board.

Yes, if an organization allows politics and infighting to dominate, this could be a problem despite how well the Executive Director performs, but I think encouraging a positive and open environment from the get-go with Board members would easily deter this. After all, if you are doing positive things for the organization and operating successful programs, who is going to want you to leave?

One thing I have seen a lot more recently in private industry is CEO's of start-up companies being asked to step down a few years after a company is created. This is usually because a company reaches a certain point under the leadership of its founder. The founder has possessed the necessary skills to carry the company to that point, but beyond that, new leadership is needed to take the company to the next level. I have seen some companies that have done this really take off and benefit from the leadership change. That being said, passing the torch may not always be a bad thing.

Response from Wendy:

Once you start a non-profit organization, there is really no sure way to protect your own personal investment in the group, but I understand your concern. It sounds like you are just in the planning stages of an organization and you don't have Board members or an Executive Director yet. I think it's typical, from my experience, that founders of organizations (it sounds like that's what will be) usually serve on the Board. As a Board member, you have a key role in the decision making process and direction of the group.

It's true that it's important to consider skills and expertise when choosing Board members, but you should also consider whether potential Board members are compatible and share your vision. One thing to note, though, when you are thinking about adding family members to your Board is that the IRS does look at that when they review your 501(c)(3) application. They like to see a minimum of three non-related Board members and, also, that the majority of the Board is not related although this isn't legally binding. If your Board does consist of a majority of family members, then they will ask you to show that it is for the good of the public rather than just for an individual or family. Also, state laws about Board member requirements may vary from state to state.

Good luck with your efforts to help animals!

Dissolving a non profit

Question from Mary:

Something to be considered when thinking about trying for non-profit status is what happens if the group can't/won't continue and dissolves? I've been told that it's harder for a non-profit group to dissolve than it is to create it & get IRS status. Any ideas/comments?

Response from Michelle:

I don't have any experience with having to dissolve a non-profit, but if a group needs to disband, I don't see how government regulations would be able to stop it. There probably is some work associated with wrapping things up so the IRS knows not to ask a group to submit tax forms in the future. Still, if an organization has a good idea, a solid strategic plan and can assemble the right people to fulfill a need in the community, and it will likely be around for a long time.

Response from Wendy:

I've never been involved in the dissolution of a non-profit organization, but I looked into this and can share with you what I found out about it, at least in the state of Washington. Requirements about this may vary from state to state.

Assets of an organization must be permanently dedicated to an exempt purpose. When you write your Articles of Incorporation, you do need to name another non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to receive these assets in the event that your group should ever dissolve.

You also need to send a copy of the Board meeting Minutes where it was voted upon to dissolve the organization to the IRS. This needs to be signed by an officer indicating date dissolved.

You need to file Articles of Dissolution with the Secretary of State. In the state of Washington this is a two page form with no fee. Then, you need to send copies of the approved Articles of Dissolution to the IRS.

You also need to send the IRS a letter signed by an officer stating disposition of the assets on the date of dissolution. Overall, this seems far less involved, time-consuming and expensive than starting an organization.

I wouldn't let any concerns about what is involved with dissolving a non-profit organization stop you from starting one. There is more information about dissolving a non-profit organization in the IRS's Publication 557, available online at www.irs.gov. Call your own Secretary of State's office and the IRS (I-877-829-5500) if you have more questions.

Finding volunteers who want to help with humane education programs rather than hands on animal care

Question from Nancy:

After a pretty thorough survey of the existing resources in our community my group has decided to do our part by offering educational programs on humane topics to schools and to develop a "new owner" program for people who adopt dogs from local shelters. We live in an affluent but fairly rural community that has one very small liberal arts college and is becoming a bedroom community for a large city 30 miles away.

Do you have suggestions for finding volunteers who could help us get this going? Right now the group is very small, we are in the process of incorporating for non-profit status and have tons of materials for both programs. Where do we find people who would want to do this rather than go to one of the many shelters and walk dogs or groom cats? Or in addition to those activities?

Response from Michelle:

I would suggest you go to the college in your community or to the city colleges and universities (if there are some) and see if they have education majors who need to fulfill classroom teaching time and might be interested in including humane education as a part of that. Sometimes professors will also donate time to do humane education.

One program that was highly successful in my hometown community was sending high school students into the elementary schools to have them teach a foreign language. The younger kids really did look up to and respect the older kids, and I have a feeling this might make the message even more memorable. The high school students got a grade for doing a special project, and if your local high school(s) require community service hours, this could perhaps fulfill the older students' volunteer requirements.

I would suggest, however, that you offer training and/or drafts of lesson plans to the high school students prior to sending them into classrooms. Make sure the lessons they teach are age-appropriate and prepare them for some of the questions younger children might ask. (For example, when I taught French to 5th graders, they all wanted to know how to say the word "booger".)
I'm wondering, too, if you created prepared lesson plans for teachers, if you might be able to get some teachers to take a few minutes out to do a lesson or a week's worth of 5-10 minute humane education lessons followed by an end-of-the week field trip to the county shelter or a visit from one of your volunteers with an animal. The children in local community services groups generally love animal projects like these. See if anyone in the Cub, Boy, Girl or Eagle Scouts wants to help, and involve their parents as well.

Reaching out to senior citizens who are retired is another wonderful way to recruit volunteers. They can assist with the daytime hours that working volunteers cannot cover. They may also be willing to make telephone calls to new pet owners to ask if they have any questions or manage a behavioral counseling hotline. If you have a local senior center or bingo hall, promote your volunteer opportunities there.

Also think outside the box when reaching out to seniors. Go to an eye specialist and probably close to 85% of his patients are senior citizens. Some flyers in his office might go a long way. Senior citizens also often participate in travel or social groups that meet regularly. You can probably spread the information about volunteering through these groups as well.
Also check to see if your local government has a volunteer services division and recruit from there. We have a group in the Washington, D.C. area that is a singles group for volunteers. They help a lot of our local animal organizations with major events.

On the new guardian education front, you may want to provide a lot of information via a Web site and promote the site heavily or create new guardian packets that you can simply give to shelters and rescues to hand out to each adopter. This is a way to do humane education where it is needed without creating a time-intensive program. This can be followed up by free monthly or quarterly new-guardian seminars that your volunteers can switch off teaching.

What I have seen is that there are people who volunteer in the community for a number of causes and there are people that generally don't volunteer at all. You might want to look at other non-animal related organizations to see if anyone who is already active in the community might also like to volunteer with your organization too.

Response from Wendy:

Starting a group that offers humane education and a "new owner" program sounds like a really good idea. Here are some ideas to find people to volunteer with your group for these projects. Create a flyer that tells what your group is planning to do and ask for specific kinds of help. You could put the flyer up in places such as the college, library, veterinarians' offices, churches, the senior center and anywhere else you can think of. Run an ad or get an article in the local or college newspaper with the same information and request for help. If there is a 4H group in the area, perhaps someone who is a leader with that organization might be interested helping you promote humane education.

Also, if you are starting a "new owner" program for people who are adopting pets from the local shelters, you might get some of the shelter volunteers interested in helping with your organization as well. Maybe you could talk to someone on the Board of Education or the Principals of schools in your area to find out the best way to approach teachers to see if any would like to volunteer for or promote your humane education program. If you live only 30 miles away from a large city, that's a good resource for finding volunteers too.

Good luck with your group.

Determining what types of liability insurance

Question from Joy:

Our group is less than a year old. We have established our Board, have incorporated and are in the process of completing the 501(c)3 paperwork. We do have a shelter, which is housed on my property. We have not yet secured liability insurance, and I know we need to do this as soon as possible. What recommendations do you have for the type of policy, amount of liability, etc? We are planning to host a couple of events at the shelter (open house) each year, plus we do outreach adoptions in various locations (PetSmart, community events, etc). Our funds are limited but we need to be adequately covered.

Response from Michelle:

I'm not the best person when it comes to insurance, but recently, I had to call around to get quotes for liability insurance for a September Super Adoption we are planning to host. I called an uncle in another state who happens to sell insurance and asked him what to ask for, what I would need and then how to go about it.

If you aren't sure what you need, I would try to contact a neutral third party who knows more about insurance and can give you some feedback about what level of insurance to acquire. You could directly ask a salesperson from whom you plan to buy the insurance, but I would wonder if they might try to oversell.

When you find out what you need, call at least 3 different companies to ask for quotes. I called one company that quoted me a figure that was double what other companies quoted us for insurance for our Super Adoption. If you receive a quote from one company, you may be able to talk another company into beating the first company's price. I haven't tried this with an insurance company, but it's a good negotiating technique that might work.

I would also recommend talking to other shelters and/or rescue groups to see which insurance companies they use and how much they pay. We found some companies didn't want to insure animal-related activities/organizations, and we ran into one that wanted to charge us almost as much for insurance for a one-day event as local rescues pay to insure their efforts for a year.
You might also want to look into Directors and Officers Insurance to protect yourself, especially since the shelter is housed on your property. You may also want to ask a lawyer if you personally are liable if anything happens on your property.

Response from Wendy:

We don't have a shelter, but I'll share the information about insurance that I have. Find an insurance agent that is familiar with working with nonprofits. Make a list of all of the activities that your organization does and wants to do. Write your insurance agent a letter and include this information and enclose your brochure or newsletter. There are generally three types of nonprofit insurance:

1) General Liability Insurance
2) Directors and Officers Insurance
3) Volunteer Insurance
Look for insurance plans that do not include "animal exclusions".

Cimaworld.com www.cimaworld.com (1-800-468-4200) offers Volunteers Insurance and Directors and Officers Insurance, and they have no exclusions for animals as far as I know. They don't offer general liability insurance but you could talk to a local insurance agent about that. You could also call other shelters that are similar to the one that you are planning and ask what additional insurance you need to cover your shelter operations.

This isn't directly related to insurance, but if you are looking for a resource for getting help with putting together various agreements that you would need for a non-profit shelter such as a Volunteer Agreement, Adoption Contract, Foster Care Agreement, etc., a really good book to get is Legal Forms and Agreements: Special Edition for Dog and Cat Shelters and Rescue Groups by M. Ellen Dixon, Esq. You can order it by calling (610) 239-0357.

What to do and not to do when starting a group

Question from Charlotte:

What advice would you give someone just starting a group in terms of what you have found to be the smartest things you did and also pitfalls to avoid? I have just applied for my non-profit status and have 8 dedicated volunteers. We feel like we are going into this a bit blind so would love to learn from others!

Response from Michelle:

This is a great question. I love exploring the lessons learned. I'll give some advice about what you can do to have a successful organization. I think the 'what not to do' is between the lines:

1. Get to know animal control and develop a good relationship with them.

2. Develop your goals and objectives and read them at least once a month to track your progress in fulfilling them.

3. Make whatever you do positive and fun. If you do this, you will be amazed how many people will want to be a part of your efforts.

4. Don't try to "boil the ocean" and do it all.

5. Have an open door policy and be extremely inviting to new volunteers.

6. Think outside just the people you know for Board members, donors and volunteers.

7. Use the resources Best Friends offers (online, etc.) As an example, Best Friends sent out our calls for volunteers to their members in our area, which really helped us. We met people who were not affiliated with any group (until now).

8. Keep your meetings short and purposeful. Do phone meetings whenever possible.

9. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate with your volunteers, members, community, the media, etc. Make sure everyone knows what good things you're doing.

10. Network. Network. Network. Get to know the people in your community. Get their phone numbers, addresses, etc., and add them to your database.

11. Attend other animal and non-animal groups' events (adoption days, fundraisers, etc.) to get ideas for our own.

12. Do a feasibility study before holding a fundraiser to see if your community and/or potential sponsors would be willing to support it.

13. Start with small, successful projects or events.

14. Read "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People." Someone suggested it at the Fall No More Homeless Pets Conference and it is a wonderful book that will teach you how to turn your challenges into successes.

15. Be prepared to adapt and learn new skills to help your organization as needed.

16. Be open to constructive criticism. Ask for feedback from your volunteers and event attendees, and make improvements based on that feedback.

17. Keep a running document about the organization called lessons learned. Record everything that works and everything that doesn't.

Response from Wendy:

It sounds like you have an excellent start in getting your organization going. I'll list some of the things that I think worked for our organization and within those points, some pitfalls to avoid.

1. Get help from someone who is experienced in this kind of work. I put this one first because I think it is one of the best things you can do to achieve success. In our case, we got a lot of help from Best Friends Animal Society, especially Bonney Brown. An experienced person will know what you are going through and will be able to guide you.

2. Have a strong motivation or vision for helping animals.

3. In the beginning, especially, I think it is important to do a lot of networking to spread the word about your group, get people interested in helping and also to gather information. We did a lot of networking online and started an e-group that worked in conjunction with our core group. You can start an e-group at www.yahoogroups.com. Also, the e-group and networking with other rescue individuals and organizations is a good way to help more animals.

4. Assess the needs of animals in your particular community. Meet with your animal control agency and any existing rescue groups or shelters. Find out what is being done to help animals and what remains to be done. Target your efforts toward areas where there is room for improvement.

5. Have regular meetings. Our organization has meetings about once per month. I think it's a good idea to meet regularly to stay focused and on track with your projects. Try to find a neutral, quiet meeting place. We use a meeting room at the local public library.

6. Be as organized as possible. Buy a filing cabinet or two. Get your non-profit 501(c)(3) paperwork out of the way early. The more organized any aspect of the organization is, the more smoothly and successfully it tends to operate.

7. Don't give up or give in. You may not have a lot of concrete success in the beginning, so it's important to have at least one or two people in your group who will not be discouraged by this and will keep things going. You also may encounter some negativity from outside of the group as well as from within. Try to stay focused on doing the work and the rest of the people will usually follow along.

8. Build on small successes rather than trying to do everything at once. There's a tendency to want to do more than you may have resources for, because the there are so many animals in need. I think it's better to do something small and build on that rather than run the risk of getting overwhelmed and giving up completely.

9. Try to treat everyone you relate to politely and with respect even if they are misinformed, you don't agree with their opinions or they are rude. Any kind of negative emotional interactions only seem to hurt the organization and the animals. Put together Volunteer Guidelines that outline what is expected of your volunteers. Be professional and not personal.

10. Try to maintain good relations with existing rescue group and shelters. Communicate with other animal welfare organizations in your area and find out how you can help them. Never publicly denounce other rescue groups, individuals or shelters even if you do not agree with their policies.

11. Send out thank you cards as promptly as possible to everyone who helps your organization by donating money, goods, a building space, etc. A short thank you note goes a long way in developing good relations between the public and your group.

Good luck!

Starting a Grassroots Program

Introduction from Wendy Baron:

Introduction from Michelle Hankins:

Questions

Starting an animal sanctuary

Question from Patty:

Response from Wendy:

Response from Michelle:

Comment from Barbara:

Response from Michelle:

Setting up a 501(c)3 and writing by-laws

Question from a member:

Response from Wendy:

Response from Michelle:

Comment from Joan:

Ensuring good relations with existing groups when setting up a rescue

Question from Lyla:

Response from Wendy:

Response from Michelle:

Benefits of becoming a 501c3 and the process

Question from Jennifer:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Comment from Michelle:

In what order are the steps to get a Board, determine mission, filing for 501c3?

Question from Kerry:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Adopting bylaws and electing officers

Question from Rita:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Raising the money to file for a 501c3 status

Question from a member:

Michelle Hankins response:

Response from Wendy:

Finding likeminded people in the beginning stages of setting up a group

Question from Anita:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Starting a group to bid for an animal control contract to improve services

Question from Kathy:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Choosing who should be on your Board

Question from a member:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Dissolving a non profit

Question from Mary:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Finding volunteers who want to help with humane education programs rather than hands on animal care

Question from Nancy:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

Determining what types of liability insurance

Question from Joy:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy:

What to do and not to do when starting a group

Question from Charlotte:

Response from Michelle:

Response from Wendy: