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Appendix A
Sample Business Plan
1.0 Executive Summary
*Rescue Group* is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) volunteer-based animal welfare organization dedicated
to rescuing homeless dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters. By working with a network of
volunteer advocates, foster caregivers, local veterinarians, trainers and shelters, *Rescue Group*
is able to rescue hundreds of animals every year. We provide these animals with care and
temporary homes until we can place them into their permanent homes. We also serve as a
resource to our community by providing information on pet ownership, including resources for
spay/neuter, positive behavior training, nutrition and veterinary care. We believe that no animal
should be mistreated and are working towards the day when no companion animal is euthanized
for lack of a home.
*Rescue Group* was founded in 2014 by a group of animal advocates in *Region* after learning
that the area had been inundated with stray and relinquished animals. *Rescue Group* formed to
rescue as many stray and homeless animals as possible by partnering with *Local Shelter*. In
addition to transferring homeless animals from *Local Shelter*, fostering the animals in
temporary homes and adopting them out, we also provide behavioral and medical resources to
people who are considering surrendering their pet in an effort to keep the pets in their homes and
out of the shelter system. We also have partnered with *Local Pet Store*, which provides us with
six cat cages at their facility on *Address*.
1.1 Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of *Rescue Group* consists of five individuals from varying
backgrounds. *Jane Doe* is president of the board. Ms. Doe has over 15 years of experience in
the marketing world as a senior consultant for ABC Corporation. *John Smith* is the vice
president of the board and has worked as a licensed social worker for the past seven years. *Jack
Jones* is the board secretary and has been employed as a licensed attorney for over five years.
*Robin Roe* is the board treasurer and has served as a licensed CPA for over 11 years. *Mary
Thompson* has worked as a licensed attorney for the past 10 years and has been certified as a
dog trainer for the past three years.
1.2 Organizational Structure
*Rescue Group* is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes of companion
animal rescue. The organization is not-for-profit and obtained 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in
2014. We are committed to fiscal responsibility and conduct independent audits in compliance
with state law.
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*Maggie Johnson* serves as the executive director of *Rescue Group*, running the day-to-day
operations. In addition to *Ms. Johnson*, the organization has an all-volunteer staff consisting of
two records managers, two surrender prevention counselors, two adoption coordinators, three
foster coordinators, three medical coordinators, one volunteer coordinator, one facility director,
two event coordinators (for adoption events), one fundraising coordinator and one grants
coordinator. The volunteer coordinator is responsible for recruiting volunteers to help the other
coordinators carry out their tasks as well as managing the volunteer program. *Rescue Group*
hopes to partner with more pet stores in the future to provide more spaces to keep some of the
organization’s animals. As we obtain additional space, the organization will also expand its staff
and volunteer base.
As executive director, *Ms. Johnson* is paid a salary that is set by the board of directors. This is
the only paid position for *Rescue Group*.
2.0 Services
*Rescue Group* fosters and adopts out dogs and cats who are currently homeless. All animals in
our care are tested for common diseases, assessed behaviorally, provided with necessary medical
care, vaccinated and altered before they are adopted into permanent homes. We have several
volunteers who are knowledgeable about common dog and cat behavior issues and are available
to advise all foster providers and adopters.
For our surrender prevention program, in addition to our on-staff behavior experts, we have
relationships with trainers that we can refer people to when needed. Our surrender prevention
counselors work with *Local Shelter* and have a booth directly by the entrance of *Local
Shelter*. On the weekends our volunteers sit at the booth and work with people coming to
surrender their pet and try to resolve any issues so that the pet can stay in its home. To
accomplish this, we partner with other community resources such as low cost spay/neuter clinics,
veterinarians who are willing to give us a discount, pet food pantries and legal advocates who are
familiar with local housing laws.
Good customer service is a cornerstone of our philosophy. We want every person who
encounters the organization to feel like he or she has been folded into our family. We also want
to get the animals out of our care and into their permanent homes as quickly as possible so that
we may save even more lives. We are committed to making the adoption process as seamless as
possible.
2.1 Intake and Humane Capacity
*Rescue Group* obtains nearly all its animals from *Local Shelter*. *Local Shelter* employees
send the executive director a list of animals that are not doing well in the shelter environment or
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need specialized care. We take as many animals as we can while still ensuring that all animals
under our care are receiving all Five Freedoms. In return for taking difficult cases, *Local
Shelter* lets us choose other easier animals that we bring into our organization. We take care to
ensure that we are not overwhelmed with the number of difficult cases or animals in general. We
do not accept owner surrenders. While we will always take back an animal we adopted out, we
provide resources to encourage adopters to rehome the animal on their own and ask them to send
us the updated contact information for the new adopter.
*Rescue Group* takes care to ensure that we do not exceed our humane capacity, which means
that animals are provided with all Five Freedoms while in our care. We have ongoing
conversations with foster providers to determine their capacity and we do not exceed those
limitations. Specifically, we consider the number of pets in a home (their own plus any fosters),
special medical issues, special behavior issues, pregnant animals, mothers and their babies as
well as other issues. Once we are at capacity, we do not bring any additional animals into the
rescue until a space at an appropriate foster home opens up or we recruit a new foster provider.
We also ask foster providers to send the foster coordinator a brief weekly report with any health
or behavior concerns so that we can stay ahead of any problems.
2.2 Adoptions
Our goal this year is to place *Number* of animals in permanent homes, a *X%*
increase/decrease from last year. In addition to promoting animals through our website and social
media channels, the main way for potential adopters to meet and adopt our animals is through
our two weekly adoption events: one for cats at *Location* and one for dogs at *Location*. We
try to have between 12–18 cats and 10–15 dogs at their respective adoption events. We would
like to hold more adoption events on the weekends and are actively looking for volunteers
interested in running adoption events.
All animals attending the adoption event are current on their shots and free of any communicable
illnesses. Animals should be in our organization and healthy before they are allowed to attend an
adoption event. We generally require that all animals attending an adoption event behave well in
unfamiliar areas and can co-exist with other animals. We will not allow, for example, a dog to
attend an adoption event if that dog is highly reactive to other animals. Cats need not be as well
socialized with other animals as they are all in cages for the duration of the event, unless a
potential adopter is interested in meeting one.
For foster providers who choose not to or are unable to attend adoption events, we have a
listserve that foster providers use to arrange for carpools to ensure that adoptable pets are
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available at events. This ensures exposure to the animals that otherwise would not make it to
adoption events. For animals that do not go to adoption events, we help foster providers get their
charges adopted through other advertising channels, such as continued promotion on our
Facebook page. We also have a “Pet of the Week” feature on our website that allows us to
highlight animals that are having a difficult time finding their permanent home.
2.3 Fostering
Fostering animals in need of permanent homes is an essential part of this organization. Indeed,
without our large network of foster homes, *Rescue Group* would have been unable to take in
the vast majority of animals that have found their permanent homes through the organization.
Once foster caregivers go through an orientation process, animals may be delivered to their
homes. We also provide foster providers with a handbook that clearly lays out the expectations
of care, contains contact information for emergencies and questions, includes a list of frequently
asked questions to help resolve common behavior and medical issues as well as offers tips on
how to get their charges adopted. We will always find a new foster home for a pet when
requested by a foster provider.
Foster responsibilities and procedures are set forth in detail in the foster manual that is provided
to every foster provider before they bring any of our animals into their home.
2.4 Humane Education/Surrender Prevention
While our goal is to get as many pets into homes as possible, we want to keep them there for the
remainder of the pets’ lives. To that end, *Rescue Group* has developed resources to help pet
owners resolve the most common behavior and medical issues. We provide a weekly 45-minute
in-person seminar on pet behavior and nutrition for all adopters and foster providers who would
like the information, and also have someone on staff who is knowledgeable concerning animal
behavior. We hope to have a certified animal behavior expert on staff in the future.
When an adopter wants to return a pet or when a member of the public wants to surrender a pet,
we first attempt to resolve the issue by providing behavior and medical resources. If that does not
work, we will always take back a pet we have adopted out. If we do not have room for a pet
surrendered by the general public, we refer the individual to other local rescue groups as well as
the local shelter.
3.0 Market Analysis
According to The Humane Society of the United States, approximately 2.4 million healthy,
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adoptable companion animals are euthanized in the United States annually. The goal of *Rescue
Group* is to help every homeless pet in our community find a home and reduce the number of
companion animals that are euthanized. We know we cannot do this on our own and have
enlisted the help and resources of other local rescue groups, trap-neuter/spay-return (“TNR”)
groups, spay/neuter clinics, veterinarians, the local shelter and other community advocates to
help reduce the number of homeless animals, find new homes for ones that are in need and
prevent pets from being surrendered into the shelter and rescue group system in the first place.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
• Provide *Local Shelter* with another outlet to help with their surplus of animals
• Work collaboratively with other organizations to increase chance of reducing the
homeless animal population on a community level
• Overhead is reduced by dispersing animals into foster homes as opposed to having a
central facility
Weaknesses:
• As a foster-based organization, we do not currently provide any services that actually
address the root causes of pet homelessness
• Requires a significant amount of funding dependent on donations and fundraising events
• Requires significant dedication from a volunteer staff
Opportunities:
• Build additional relationships with community animal advocacy groups
• Increase staff and volunteer knowledge regarding community education
• Increase presence in economically disadvantaged and senior populations
• Can grow the organization without space constraints based on the number of foster
homes available
Threats:
• We currently provide the same services for homeless animals as numerous other
organizations in the community with little distinction for our organization
• Failing to acquire necessary funding to sustain the program will limit the number and
type of medical cases that we can treat
• Failing to properly manage and sustain a team of volunteer staff and foster providers will
limit our ability to run the organization effectively
• Failing to maintain capacity will cause harm to the animals
4.0 Funding
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*Rescue Group* will fund its operations with adoption fees, fundraising events, donations,
corporate matching programs and grants. With the exception of the executive director, all other
staff positions are unpaid. As such, the vast majority of funds will go towards either caring for
the animals in our charge or enhancing and expanding the organization’s operations. Adoption
fees are expected to account for approximately 20% of income.
In general, foster providers are expected to provide their own resources for the daily care of their
foster dog or cat (e.g., food, bowls, litter, litter pans, toys). *Rescue Group* will provide collars,
leashes and all veterinary care, as long as the foster uses the approved veterinarians. These
expectations are clearly explained to foster providers both in person and in the foster manual.
The organization will keep supplies on hand for emergency situations. Additionally, *Pet Store
Location* has agreed to provide all supplies (e.g., food, litter, litter pans, toys, cleaning supplies)
for the cats that we keep in their store. We will need to supply only bedding, food and water
bowls for the animals at that location, as well as certain additional supplies (e.g., towels, gloves
for handling cats, specific cleaners).
As such, the bulk of our expenses will be for veterinary care, trainers, transport, adoption events
and advertising. We have teamed up with two local veterinarians who give us highly discounted
rates. Additionally, we have all animals altered through the local shelter (where we have it done
at cost), a local high volume spay/neuter clinic or through one of our partner veterinarians at a
much reduced rate.
The budget for 2015 is found at Appendix B.
4.1 Marketing Plan and Strategy
Our marketing strategy is based on exposure from social media as well as developing
relationships with local vendors and media outlets.
*Rescue Group* has registered the domain name *www.rescuegroup.org* and
*www.rescuegroup.com*. The website contains all the basic information regarding the
organization (e.g., tax-exempt status, contact information, who we are, adoptable animals, where
the animals come from, adoption application, request for volunteers, request for donations).
We utilize Facebook, Twitter, Vine and Instagram to promote our animals, adoption events and
fundraisers as well as to request donations. Our goal is to achieve a growth of 2,000 followers by
the end of the year and raise $50,000 for both general funding and specific medical cases. We
also created a quarterly newsletter that we send to supporters. The newsletter includes updates on
some of the animals we have saved, pet behavior tips and other general information about the
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organization. Each newsletter has a call to action requesting a donation, which has been a
successful way to raise funds thus far.
One of our staff members is a hobbyist photographer and she is in charge of photographing
animals during the weekly adoption events. Fosters are responsible for providing pictures of their
charges and can request a photo shoot with the staff photographer.
In terms of volunteers, donors, foster providers and adopters, people in the local community are
our target audience. We plan on partnering with local stores (not just pet stores, but also grocery
stores, big box stores and community centers) to post flyers in order to reach this population.
We have contacts with the following media outlets:
• *City Post*
• *Local Almanac*
• *Weekly Standard*
• *Daily Ledger*
We have the following marketing goals for 2015:
Goal: To increase the number of online supporters by 25% to find new adopters and donors.
• Target Audience: online communications
o Strategy 1: Revamp our website
o Strategy 2: Plan and schedule for online postings for at least one per day
o Strategy 3: Ask adopters to review the organization on Yelp
o Strategy 4: Start a blog dealing with pet issues
• Performance Measure: We had *X* online supporters on January 1 and would like to
have *X* by the end of the year.
Goal: To increase partnerships. We have *X* now and would like to increase it to *X* by the end
of the year.
• Target Audience: local vendors
o Strategy 1: Schedule meetings with 10 local vendors
o Strategy 2: Schedule meetings with local clergy members
o Strategy 3: Plan adoption events in different parts of the community
• Performance Measure: Number of corporate partnerships in a year
Goal: To increase media coverage to at least 5 stories in media in 2015 to grow public awareness
about the organization.
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• Target Audience: TV, newspaper, online communications and general public
o Strategy 1: Send out press releases
o Strategy 2: Schedule media interviews
o Strategy 3: Cultivate relationships with the media to become a resource for
specific issues
o Strategy 4: Schedule a presentation before the newspaper editorial board
discussing the agency and its issues.
• Performance Measure: We would like to have *X* stories in the media by the end of the
year.
4.2 Fundraisers
*Sally Jones*, the current fundraising coordinator, is in charge of forming an event planning
committee, coming up with ideas for fundraisers and implementing the plans. She has worked as
an event planner for the past six years and has significant experience in this arena. Heading the
fundraising committee, *Sally Jones* will submit a fundraising plan which lays out the proposed
events over the calendar year, how much each event will cost in terms of volunteers and funding
and the amount we expect to raise from each event.
Our goal this year is to hold four small events and one major event bringing in $50,000 in total.
We will reach out to local businesses to partner with them on these events as well as garner
community support.
We also utilize an amazon.com wish list, which allows us to create a list of the exact items
*Rescue Group* needs. Donors can purchase items directly off the list and they are sent to the
organization. We have found that many donors feel more comfortable purchasing specific items
than donating money. The organization gains additional revenue through the AmazonSmile
program, which allows supporters who shop on amazon.com to select *Rescue Group* to receive
a small portion of the price they pay for items purchased.
We will also solicit donations during adoption events by setting up a tip jar along by the event
tables as well as having a flyer listing the supplies we need. As the adoption events take place in
local pet stores, those managers have agreed to post a sign at the cash registers during events
asking if patrons would like to donate to our organization.
4.3 Grants
Large grants are difficult to come by in the animal welfare world. *George Robinson* is the
current grants coordinator and he has worked as a freelance writer for the past 14 years. His role
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is to research various opportunities for grants, form a team to write them, keep track of which
grants have been submitted and report which are successful. The grants we apply for are
consistent with our strategic plan and long-term goals. The grants coordinator will also reach out
to corporations and ask them for donations, either in funding or in products. We plan on applying
for at least six grants and hope to be awarded $15,000 (or the equivalent amount in products) this
year.
5.0 Conclusion
Although we are a young organization, we believe that collectively we have the experience,
savvy and diversity to allow *Rescue Group* to grow and flourish. While we are mindful of not
overextending ourselves, we are looking forward to expanding in the future as resources allow.
For more information, please contact us at *[email protected]*.
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Appendix B
Sample Budget
2015 Budget
Notes
$40,000
Based on 2014 numbers
20,000
Based on 2014 numbers. Expecting increase with
new partnership with pet store giving us 6 cages at
their location.
15,000
Based on 2014 numbers
20,000
Based on 2014 numbers
0
None planned for this year
7,000
Based on 2014 numbers
10,000
Based on 2014 numbers
6,000
Based on 2014 numbers
$118,000
Veterinarians
Spay/Neuter
Medication
Vaccines
E-collars
Special Food
$45,000
25,000
10,000
5,000
3,000
1,000
1,000
Based on 2014 numbers. Represents increase of
10%. Doing more surgeries at shelter should
decrease cost of spay/neuter.
2,000
Based on 2014 numbers
2,000
Based on 2014 numbers
Bedding/Blankets
Litter and Litter Boxes
Toys
Cleaning Products
Treats
Furniture
Collars and Leashes
Food and Water Bowls
Carriers
Laundry
2,000
Only need a few sets of supplies for emergency
situations
5,000
Transport
Cages
Tablecloths
Posters
5,000
6,000
Increase of 50% to cover BOD insurance
1,000
Reduced by 75% since won’t need to draft or file
incorporating documents this year
1,000
Increased by 60% to include appreciation dinner
3,000
Increased by $2,000 for new signs, materials for
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events and supplies with new logo
Community Events
Trivia Night
Adoption Events
Wine Event
Spring Event
Mailer
Capital Campaign
Stationary/Printing/Admin
6,500
1,000
500
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
0
500
500
500
Increase of 100% to allow for rate increase and
increased mailings
1,000
Based on 2014 numbers
0
None needed as pet store has all the necessary
licenses
30,000
ED salary set by the BOD
$110,000
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Appendix C
Sample Euthanasia Policy
*Rescue Group* provides a lifetime commitment to all animals that come into our care by
arranging for a foster home until they are adopted into their permanent home. While we do not
euthanize any animal for time or space, unfortunately, there are some instances where euthanasia
is the best or only humane option for an animal in our care. Each animal is evaluated as an
individual and assessed under the circumstances as a whole. Euthanasia is only considered after
an appropriate investigation of other viable and reasonable options. The following outlines the
circumstances in which we consider euthanasia for an animal in our care, how that decision is
made and how it will be carried out.
Circumstances that may require euthanasia
*Rescue Group* only considers euthanasia as an option for animals that are suffering mentally,
emotionally or physically and have a poor prognosis; are experience unremitting pain or mental
suffering that cannot be reasonably alleviated; or pose danger to other animals, themselves or
people. Euthanasia is not an option we take lightly and it will be done only when it we have
determined that is the only humane option for the animal.
Medical Issues
After consulting with a veterinarian and following her recommendations, we will consider
euthanasia for an animal who has a poor prognosis, will have a long and painful rehabilitation
process with little chance of a meaningful recovery, has an incurable debilitating illness or is not
responding to the available treatment.
Behavioral Issues
If an animal has a history of unprovoked biting and/or is exhibiting aggressive behaviors that
pose unacceptable risk to other animals or people, we will consult with an ADPT certified
trainer. If the behavior expert determines that the animal is unable to be rehabilitated and will
continue to pose a threat to others, we will consult another behavior expert for a second opinion.
If the second behavior expert agrees that the animal poses a danger to others and unable to be
rehabilitated, we will euthanize the animal. In our opinion, if an animal is so aggressive that two
behavior experts determine that it poses a danger to other animals and/or people, life in a
sanctuary is simply not a humane option. We will not transfer an animal to another rescue group
or shelter to avoid the difficult decision of having to euthanize for a behavioral issue.
How we make the decision to euthanize
For standard medical cases, we will defer to the judgment of our veterinarians in making
euthanasia recommendations. For those rare, controversial medical cases where the animal’s
quality of life may be unclear, the board of directors and executive director will convene to
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evaluate the data, consult other resources if necessary and make a determination by a simple
majority vote. The foster provider for the animal in question will also be allowed to participate in
the discussion and request a vote.
How the animal is euthanized
The foster provider or another representative from *Rescue Group* will be responsible for
taking the animal to one of the organization’s partner veterinarians for euthanasia. Whenever
possible and appropriate, the foster provider or other representative from *Rescue Group* will
remain with the animal during the entire process.
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Appendix D
Sample Intake Plan
*Rescue Group* is a limited-intake organization, meaning that when the organization is at full-
capacity, we are unable to accept any additional animals until an animal is adopted into a
permanent home or we recruit an additional foster home.
All newly arrived animals, even those who go straight to foster homes where the home itself or a
room within the home is the primary enclosure, must be isolated from all other animals for a
minimum of *X* hours after arrival to ensure that there are no disease concerns. During that
time, it is also important that the animal is housed in an area that can be properly and easily
sanitized.
Once the animal has arrived at its destination home within the organization, the facility director,
foster provider or another volunteer should conduct a behavior assessment. Depending on where
the animal comes from, the source shelter may be able to provide a medical assessment.
Otherwise, an animal should also be medically assessed by a partner veterinarian. Observations
made during the initial behavior assessment, along with any medical and identifying information,
must be input into the database within five days of bringing the animal into our program. Any
animal that is returned needs to be reassessed behaviorally and medically.
Information to be included in all records:
• Identifying information: name, species, microchip number, age, sex, breed, color,
weight, distinguishing marks
• Medical: spay/neuter date, dates of most recent vaccinations, date of most recent rabies
shot, any other medical issues
• Behavior assessment: Both dogs and cats should be evaluated for signs of aggression,
biting, extreme fear, excessive shyness, housetraining, and any evidence of obedience
training or willingness to obey commands. Animals should also be evaluated for behavior
around other cats or dogs.
o Dogs should be assessed using a behavior assessment tool. Dogs that are healthy
and friendly with no need for medical or behavioral intervention should be put on
the fast-track for adoption.
o Cats should also be assessed using an assessment tool. Cats that are healthy and
friendly with no need for medical or behavioral intervention should be put on the
fast-track for adoption.
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Any animal that needs time to improve, either medically or behaviorally, should be given
sufficient time to do so. In addition, an individualized medical or behavioral plan should be
created for each animal by the adoption counselor in conjunction with veterinarians, behavior
experts and trainers. Every foster provider should be given a realistic assessment for the length of
time an animal will need specialized care before the pet can be put on the fast-track for adoption.
Once ready for adoption, the animal should attend as many adoption events as possible and be
promoted heavily using social media.
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Appendix E
Owner Surrender Information
Collect the following information on every owner-surrendered pet your rescue takes in:
• Basic information
o Name, address and contact information of all owners
o Name, species, breed, sex, color, markings, age and weight of animal
o Reasons the animal is being surrendered
o Whether the pet is microchipped and, if so, the chip number
o Type, brand and amount of food the animal eats
o Activity level
• Medical information
o Name and contact information of veterinarian
o All veterinary records
o Whether the pet is spayed or neutered
o Date of most recent rabies shot
o Date of most recent vaccinations
o Any medical issues, including heartworm, distemper, FIV or FeLV
• Behavior information
o Any behavior issues
o If the animal has lived with children or other pets and, if so, how the animal
behaves with them
o How the animal behaves around strangers
o Any housetraining issues
o Any prior bite issues
o Any behavior training completed
*Disclaimer: As with any legal document, it is important to consult with an attorney licensed in
your state and familiar with animal law to ensure that your contract adequately protects your
organization and complies with local, state and federal laws.
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Appendix F
Temporary Owner Surrender Information
In the case of a temporary owner surrender, your organization should collect all of the data noted
in Appendix E, as well as consider:
• The length of time the owner estimates will lapse until he will be able to take his pet
home and resume caring for the animal
• Whether you should charge the owner a small fee. Having the owner pay a nominal
amount can help keep the relationship between the owner and the pet alive.
• How often the owner should or can contact the organization and/or the pet. Having the
person stay in contact with the rescue group and the pet is important in keeping the
human-animal bond strong, even during the physical separation.
• What happens if the owner does not come to pick up his pet after the agreed upon date?
At what point do you consider the pet abandoned?
• An emergency contact for the animal in case there is an issue and the owner cannot be
reached.
*Disclaimer: As with any legal document, it is important to consult with an attorney licensed in
your state and familiar with animal law to ensure that your contract adequately protects your
organization and complies with local, state and federal laws.