Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi all, 

Oregon Pet Project (OR), has found itself in a situation, that many of you might have a good recommendation for. To sum it up, we need a new building and FAST. 

Long story short, when we started in 2020, an elderly man and his wife gave us an amazing rental deal on a space in the heart of our town. Unfortunately the couple passed away in December of 2023, and the daughter has taken over the management of the building. Unfortunately is clear that she has some mental health challenges, and is now weekly threading to raise rent, evict us, and not taking any responsibility in fixing issues that the previous property manager never got to, before he was fired by this lady. At the end of the day, securing the animals safety is our top priority, and we do not feel they are safe in this building. So we need to move. 

We have exhausted all our options in our town, with most landlords not budging on rent, and no reasonably priced buildings for sale. 

My question for all of you is this: What would you guys do in this situation. Are there any grants available for rescues to get their own space? There is one building in our town we could pursue but it would need an extensive remodel to be a good situation for our pets. We do not have the funds for this kind of project. Even if we were able to gather funds to help us afford a higher rental rate. Our donor base is small, and we are working hard to grow that. 

Any advise is welcome. 

#FundraisingandDevelopment

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Daria Veenstra
Executive Director
Oregon Pet Project
OR
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Hi Daria,

I am sorry to hear of your tough situation. Capital grants are what you are looking for and it is becoming harder to get these as the grant itself is quite substantial and quite competitive. Years ago I was part of a nonprofit that was looking to build a small private shelter in Nevada. They ended up purchasing a steakhouse fairly large one and renovated it into a facility that supports about 22 dog condos (no kennels).  I think they got a loan and I got them a grant from the Park Foundation to build an indoor play area so you might be able to get several grants for specific builds rather than a large grant to fund the entire project. They also fundraise heavily with the condos. They were able to get sponsors for the condos ( 5-10K which is a lot for 2012. ) I sponsored one of the condo. So that is another way to raise money. They also got donations in kind from the local builders and carpenters to donate materials like lumber and some donated time. Let me post some of the before and after photos so you can see what was being done. I also find a link to grants specifically for Oregon, maybe you can check these out. When you are on the grant website, it is important to see what kind of organizations they support. Fit is an important criteria for a successful grant. https://www.instrumentl.com/browse-grants/oregon/grants-for-animal-rescue

It sounds like your situation could be similar and you will have to be pretty creative to finance your project. You might consider renting at a higher price temporarily so you can come up with more long-term solutions. Perhaps GoFundMe might be the right platform for such a temporary fix. 

Good Luck! Thank you for saving lives.

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Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
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You know this already, but really, social media is the way to go. I remember from back in the day, "they" said expect about 2-3%  return on your marketing...but with SM it's so much easier to send out pictures, call-outs, etc. Just have a Venmo, Paypal - anything you can to accept money - on every post. Even just posting a picture a couple times a day helps. And you can offer those suite sponsorships, as Julielani mentions, and contests (name this dog!) and so forth. TELL people to Share every post! It's a slow start, but all you need is that ONE viral Reel or Story to get the ball rolling.  People love engagement, so feel-good stories work well.  Asking questions is engaging. Etc! MEANWHILE, as a grant writer myself, my advice is look for any grants that mention "Environment" - that's the category Animal Services fall under, and also look outside Animal topics to specifically capital grants as well. It can be time consuming, but it's necessary! GOOD LUCK.

-Monica @ The NOAH Center

your shelter neighbor in Washington

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Monica Lowe
Development Support Specialist/Matchmaker
NORTHWEST ORGANIZATION FOR ANIMAL HELP
WA
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One possible solution you might consider is exploring crowdfunding platforms or launching a capital campaign specifically geared towards raising funds for a new building. Many communities are willing to support local animal rescues, and leveraging social media and local networks could help amplify your fundraising efforts.

Recently, I read an article about tips to help organizations successfully move locations from ThreeMovers . One key takeaway was the importance of community involvement and transparency throughout the process. By actively engaging your supporters and keeping them informed about your challenges and goals, you can build momentum and potentially attract larger donors or sponsors who are passionate about animal welfare. This approach not only raises funds but also strengthens your donor base over time, providing more stability for future endeavors.

I hope this suggestion helps guide you in finding a viable solution. Best of luck with securing a new space that meets your needs and ensures the safety and well-being of the animals you care for.

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Daniel Burr
Operations Manager
Little Ones
MA
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Look into local grants for animal rescues and consider crowdfunding for the remodel.

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Daniel Burr
Operations Manager
Little Ones
MA
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Our rescue went through a situation late last year where we rented a small storefront for a separate senior rescue only to find that the City had barred the landlord from renting the property.  The City served us with notice to vacate within 2 weeks and we had to scurry to find space.  We worked with our current landlord, found a larger space and relocated both the senior and regular cat rescues.  We had one good landlord willing to work with us.  Try a commercial real estate agent, we asked for a volunteer from local realtors, and we also did a Go Fund Me and were able to raise over $25,000 to renovate the new space and move.  It took several months to accomplish everything, but it did work.  The city where the seniors had been located, did give us an extension so we were able to remain a little while longer, but eventually had to bring the kitties to the original location during the renovation.  Now we are in the new larger space and the seniors have their own room.  It does work, there are some capital grants out there, but I am sure they are difficult to qualify for and receive.  Also, you may want to talk to the city as well since animals are not allowed in various zoning areas.  Make sure of this before you sign for space.  

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Cynthia Williams
Board Member
CATIO CAT LOUNGE INC
TN
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-21-2024 05:59 AM
From: Daniel Burr
Subject: Relocating Rescue, Capital Campaigns,

Look into local grants for animal rescues and consider crowdfunding for the remodel.

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Daniel Burr
Operations Manager
Little Ones
MA
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