2022 Report to Friends of The Binky Foundation
This past year continued our emphasis on helping newly formed animal welfare groups establish themselves on a proper basis. As of the first week of December, we have awarded a $1000 First Steps Grant to twenty-nine animal welfare groups in 2022 who met our simple three criteria: (i) it is a new organization (3-years or less), (ii) its principals have training or experience in the services to be provided and in running an animal welfare group, and (iii) it has a formal, thoughtful action/business plan. In our analysis of applications, we have learned to be flexible about strict compliance and to focus primarily on whether the group recognizes the value of training, preparation and planning – both organizational and financial — to achieve long term sustainability in its community.
The core of our program is our action/business plan requirement, which also seems to be the biggest bugaboo for applicants. We awarded First Steps grants to roughly one-third of applicants, with the main reason for rejection being the absence of a meaningful action/business plan. Our challenge has been to show applicants that the requirement is for their benefit, not ours, and that a short narrative or a stilted form found online is of little value. As explained on our website, “a purposeful plan should work as a living guide for the managers and overseers of an organization that can be updated and revised as circumstances warrant while keeping a focus on the mission of the organization…[W]e want to hear your voice in the plan.”
The value of the action/business plan requirement is best described by our grantees themselves. The excerpt below is from the application for one of our follow-up Forward Steps grants awarded to a prior First Steps grant recipients:
“Time and time again, I have returned to our business plan when applying for grants to use the graphics, narrative and market information to write a compelling proposal. I’m so appreciative that your First Steps Grant program required a business plan. The upfront investment of our time to write a business plan has repaid itself over and over in our first 18 months of operations and I highly recommend that all organizations, especially non-profits, go through that process.” Shannon Blake, Wolly Kitten Club
Thank you, Shannon, and thanks to all of you for your interest in our efforts on behalf of new animal welfare groups. With appreciation from the Board,
With appreciation from the Board,
Michalina Bickford
Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Peter Bickford