We worked with Second Chance Animal Shelter to develop a monthly giving program and create a “case for support” that can be used in their fundraising efforts. Ultimately, we aim to raise community awareness of and support for their subsidized veterinary services. Recognizing how expensive medical care is for rescues that do not have an in-house veterinarian, Second Chance Animal Shelter will pay it forward by offering reduced-cost or free medical care to another organization in need.
The Grey Muzzle Organization
Dr. Lisa, as she is affectionately known at Grey Muzzle, has served as the part-time Executive Director of the organization since June 2015. Here are some of her key accomplishments to date.
- Increased revenue by more than 200% in 4 years: In her first year, Dr. Lisa increased revenue by more than 50%–from $225,211 in 2015 to $343,035 in 2016. In 2018, revenue topped $500,000, and in 2019 revenue was nearly $700,000.
- Exceeded targets for quarterly fundraising campaigns: In each of the quarterly campaigns, Dr. Lisa exceeded the fundraising goal by 10-30%.
- Wrote a successful grant proposal to Maddie’s® Fund: Grey Muzzle was awarded a $48,500 grant in March of 2018. Under the grant, Dr. Lisa will conduct a mixed method study to identify best and promising practices to promote the timely adoption of senior dogs (seven years or older). Our goal is to use project findings to inform development of programs and practices that promote senior dog adoption, reducing the likelihood that older dogs will be euthanized.
- Garnered national media attention focused on Grey Muzzle and senior dogs: In January 2017 Grey Muzzle conducted a survey of grantees and disseminated findings via a press release that was picked up by numerous media outlets, including The Washington Post, msn.com, Tampa Bay Times, Denver Post, News & Observer in Raleigh, NC, Ft. Worth Star Telegram, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Miami Herald, Wichita Eagle, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, NewsOK.com (The Oklahoman), Bradenton Herald, Independent Tribune, the Huffington Post, Dogster, the Dodo, and SFGate. Since 2016, Grey Muzzle has also been featured in national news outlets, including Modern Dog magazine, Family Circle, TODAY, One Green Planet, Radio Pet Lady, and the My Old Dog and Grouchy Puppy Blogs.
- Led Grey Muzzle’s increasingly successful grant cycles: In her first year, Dr. Lisa managed the most successful grant cycle in Grey Muzzle’s history. We received a record 160 grant applications, 75% of which were from organizations that had not previously received a Grey Muzzle grant. Thirty-eight organizations representing 25 states received over $225,000 in grants in 2016, a 50% increase compared to 2015 awards. Since then, grant award totals have continued to increase. In 2017, we awarded grants totaling more than $300,000 to 50 shelters and rescue groups in 25 states, and in 2018 we awarded nearly $390,000 to 66 shelters and rescue groups in 30 states. In 2019, we set another record, awarding $419,000 in grants to 62 animal welfare organizations. In addition to traditional programs and services such as hospice, medical and dental care, we also funded grantees offering innovative programs, including one grantee that offers swimming therapy to senior shelter dogs, another focused specifically on rehabilitating senior dogs from puppy mills, and yet another dedicated to helping terminally ill people care for—and ultimately rehome—their senior dogs.
- Redesigned the Grey Muzzle grant review process to be more objective and transparent: We increased our emphasis on results and program sustainability and revised our grant evaluation criteria accordingly. Applicants are rated, among other criteria, on the extent to which they present well-defined goals, measurable outcomes, and a plan for sustaining the senior dog program beyond the Grey Muzzle grant period. In an effort to build capacity among applicants who did not receive grants, in 2016 we began providing feedback to all applicants who requested it.
- Conceptualized and managed the Summer Smile campaign: With an original goal to raise $7,500 in our first-ever campaign focused on raising funds specifically for dental care of older dogs, we more than doubled that, raising more than $15,000. In addition, the photos submitted to our GivingGrid were voted on and the top dogs were featured in our first-ever Grey Muzzle calendar, which sold more than 500 copies. Our Summer Smile campaign continues to grow, raising $21,000 in 2018 and $24,000 in 2019.
Animals and Society Institute, Ann Arbor, MI
Lisa worked with ASI from 2012 to 2020. Highlights of her work include:
- Writing a winning $50,000 grant proposal to Maddie’s Fund to evaluate pet-friendly homeless shelters’ current approaches to handling animals accompanied by people experiencing homelessness, documenting lessons learned and best practices. The goal is to use the project findings to inform development of animal-friendly policies and practices in homeless shelters nationwide, reducing the likelihood that animals will be relinquished simply because their caregivers are experiencing a period of homelessness. Read the final report Maddie’s Fund Final Report_June 2020 and the executive summary Maddie’s Fund Executive Summary 2020.
- Creating a one-of-a-kind, 16-week intervention/diversion program for animal abuse offenders and a half-day psycho-educational program designed to teach participants how to care responsibly and empathically for companion animals. The program is being used in Syracuse and Rochester, NY, and Maricopa County, AZ.
- Conceptualizing and implementing a successful fundraising campaign to support scholarships for ASI’s first-ever Summer Institute for human-animal studies scholars, exceeding the fundraising goal by more than 50%.
- Developing a conceptual framework (logic model) to integrate multiple program components and guide program development and expansion.
- Leading a strategic planning effort for a Kansas City coalition that is now working to raise awareness of the relationship between animal cruelty and other forms of violence.
- Leading a strategic planning effort for the Animals and Society Institute.
- Writing a case statement to be used for fundraising.
- Developing communication tools, including elevator speeches, brochures, and a comprehensive messaging grid to support all of ASI’s communication efforts.
- Working with Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI) to create a training on the relationship between animal cruelty and other types of violence and antisocial behavior to be presented to more than 100 imams at the College of Sharia Law in Israel. This is the first in a 40-hour series on human-animal relationships designed to engage the imams in improving the lives of animals in Israel.
- Writing a successful grant proposal to expand our work in Chicago and Ohio. In both Chicago and Columbus, Ohio we have conducted workshops for juvenile probation officers, prosecutors, judges, and domestic violence service providers on animal abuse, its relevance to their work, and the critical role they play in early identification and intervention. We have also trained mental health professionals in AniCare, the first psychological treatment model for people who abuse animals. As a result of our work, youth who enter the Cook County, IL court system are now regularly screened for exposure to animal abuse as either a witness or a victim, and intervention is provided, as needed.
- Being invited by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary to participate in the Department of Justice’s Animal Cruelty—Public Safety Listening Session. The purpose of the event was to facilitate a conversation among 20 experts from various fields, including research and practice, about priorities in responding to animal cruelty and the nexus between animal cruelty and public safety. The Department of Justice sought to identify gaps that need to be addressed, explore strategies to address those gaps, and identify promising practices that could be replicated.
