Though the Second Chance community has lost one of our own, we have gained a significant opportunity in her passing: a generous donor and cat adopter has left a legacy gift to Second Chance Pet Adoptions. Our Board of Directors–with the help of a special committee and advisory panel comprised of staff, volunteers, and donors–have begun the process of determining how best to use these funds to maximize our impact on ending animal homelessness in our community. In this video, our Board of Directors President, Dave, and our Senior Director of Operations, Lisa, share more information about this significant donation.
Who gave Second Chance this money, and how much money is it?
A generous Second Chance supporter and cat adopter passed away in late 2019; Second Chance has now received a very generous, transformational bequest of approximately $800,000 that she lovingly left for the animals.
This past fiscal year, Second Chance’s rescue efforts cost around $700,000. That $700,000 covered the animals in our local rescue and adoption program, our primary program through which we rescue healthy and treatable cats and dogs; give them the medical care and behavioral rehabilitation they need, including treatment for otherwise-fatal heartworm-disease for the dogs in our Heeling Hearts program; get them vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed or neutered; and find adoptive homes for them. It also covered the short-term care for the foster dogs in our Hearts to Home transport program, for the needs they had before they made their journeys to our partner rescues in the north. And, it included our funding of spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats and pet owners who need assistance paying for the procedure.
All of this important work will continue through the regular donations that generous people like you make to Second Chance throughout the year, donations that the animals will continue to depend on. The bequest of $800,000 will be considered separate from our annual budget and will be used to forge a new path ahead, a path we wouldn’t have been able to travel yet were it not for this special one-time gift.
What did the donor want Second Chance to do with the money?
The donor trusted the leadership here at Second Chance to determine the best use of these funds and left no indication that these funds are to be used in any particular way.
What is Second Chance going to do with the money?
Our organization is now embarking on a project to evaluate the needs of our rescue, and the needs of animals in our community, to determine how we can most effectively use this legacy gift to advance our mission of making sure every cat and dog has a loving, responsible guardian. At this moment, our options for this funding are plentiful. Second Chance will investigate many ideas, including the expansion of our current programs, the addition of new programs for homeless animals, providing a spay/neuter clinic for pet owners in need, moving to a new facility or expanding our current facility, and more. We’ll be carefully considering each of these options and evaluating both their projected impact and our capacity to manage them efficiently and effectively.
How will Second Chance decide what to do with the money?
The Second Chance Board has established a special planning committee to assess each option, a committee that will be assisted by an advisory panel of Second Chance staff, volunteers, and donors, and by individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses who have valuable experience and expertise to share. This special planning committee will ultimately decide what recommendation will be taken to the Board for review and approval by the end of 2021 or in very early 2022.
How can I provide input or discuss a need that I believe Second Chance currently has?
As a stakeholder in our organization, the special planning committee is very interested in your thoughts and ideas! An email account has been set up to receive your input, whether it’s a short-term idea or a long-term idea. You can reach us at Planning@SecondChanceNC.org. We’re proud to launch this new initiative–whatever it may be–with our beloved Second Chance family who has, for so long, been a prominent force for good in our community.
How can I make a bequest (of any size)?
Those who are interested in leaving a bequest for the animals can learn more about how to do so, and find information for estate managers and other professionals, by clicking HERE. (This webpage also contains information for those who’d like to see their impact first-hand through giving-while-living options.) To receive more information or to simply have a conversation about your wishes, please contact Second Chance’s Senior Manager of Development and Communications, Rachel Cronmiller, at Rachel@SecondChanceNC.org or 337-580-4559 (cell). We’d love to talk with you about including Second Chance animals in your legacy!
I don’t have a large sum of money to give to Second Chance at this time–do you still need my support?
Absolutely! Since our inception in 1987, Second Chance has made–and continues to make–a real difference in North Carolina and beyond, because of our donors. Just 10 years ago, we adopted out 224 cats and 95 dogs, for a total of 319 animals. Over the last 12 months, we have adopted out 377 cats and 290 dogs, and transported 145 dogs to partner rescues, for a total of 812 animals adopted, and we funded spay/neuter procedures for an additional 358 cats and dogs. And that happened because of each person who donated funds and supplies, including donors who gave a one-time gift of $5 and donors who give $3 monthly. We thank you all and we look forward to putting your continued donations of all sizes to work for the animals, even as we manage a new, additional project thanks to this bequest. Still, data collected in 2018, 2019, and 2020 from shelters and rescues show that North Carolina remains among the top 3 states whose shelters euthanize the most animals; there is important work to be done, and our staff and volunteers are ready to do that work on your behalf. With your consistent financial support, we get closer to our shared vision: a day when all cats and dogs have the forever families that they need and deserve.
