2010 Report to Friends of the Binky Foundation
November 2010
The most important lesson learned by us this past year is that there are an amazing number of dedicated grass-roots organizations working diligently and passionately against tremendous odds to provide food, shelter, medical and other aid for domestic animals in need, and for accessible, sustainable habitat for their wild brethren; and in the process educating others about the importance of their mission. The second lesson we have learned is that by emphasizing our smaller First Steps Grants ($2500 and under) and Step Up Student Grants ($500 and under) we are able to do more good in more communities with our limited resources.
Through November of this year, The Binky Foundation has awarded grants of $2500 or less to 20 organizations in 13 states totaling more than $39,000. These awards include support for:
- Local animal rescue and humane facilities in Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oregon and South Carolina, to help establish or maintain animal welfare programs, including food pantries for rescued animals, hay banks for equines, medical care, spay and neuter programs, and other related animal welfare services;
- A rescue facility in Florida to provide electricity for its kennels;
- Expansion of kennels and grooming areas for facilities in Illinois and California;
- An educational program on animal care for New York City children;
- A pet education and awareness project in North Carolina;
- A wildcat rescue facility in Minnesota to help transport and relocate rescued wild cats; and
- A study of the effect of feeding wild birds on their health and survival by a doctoral candidate in Illinois.
We also provided support for a few new larger Forward Steps programs that our grant committee determined would provide long-term, valuable benefits for animals or habitat, including:
- Contributing toward the acquisition of new radiology equipment for a wildlife center in Illinois;
- Helping purchase a badly needed horse trailer for transporting rescued equines in Washington State; and
- Funding for a new, progressive educational program in Oregon about living with and understanding animals.
Perhaps our most important decision this year was to increase the number and amount of grants awarded even though we have experienced, along with most organizations, a significant reduction in earned interest and contributions. We understand the increased pressure on local rescue and humane groups to handle more and more abandoned and abused animals with less and less in contributions and local government support, and the similar pressures on organizations helping to preserve wildlife and their habitat. In view of these pressures, we determined that this was not a time to lose focus on our mission, which we will continue to follow so long as we are able.
From time to time we will be posting more details about the wonderful work of our grantees on our website, www.binkyfoundation.org. If you have not visited our website, we encourage you to do so. We are particularly proud of our Remembrance page as a means of honoring our lost but never forgotten animal friends and companions.
Many thanks for your interest in our efforts, and please know that we appreciate your continued support, 100% of which goes toward our small First Steps and Step Up grant programs.
Michalina Bickford
Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Peter Bickford