H U M A N E H E R O E S
WHO DESERVES MY
DOLLARS?
by Warren Eckstein
Among the
hundreds of letters I
receive each week, there
are always several from
animal-lovers requesting my advice with regard
to what organizations I would recommend they
donate money to. Sometimes the writers are
preparing their wills, other times the writers
have questions as to whether the organizations
they are currently donating to are really worthy
of their hard-earned money.
As a rule, I seldom recommend specific
organizations - it's your money and the ultimate
decision must be yours. I can, however,
provide several guidelines to make the
decision-making process easier.
1) When considering making a donation to
an animal shelter, I personally prefer ones with
a "no kill" policy. These organizations do not
euthanize their animals if not adopted within a
specific time period. Such shelters only resort
to euthanasia if the rescued animal is suffering
due to a hopeless physical condition.
2) Any shelter that you are considering
should permit you to visit their premises. You
should be able to see first-hand the facilities and
care they are providing. If they refuse your
request, remove them from your list of
consideration.
3) Request a copy of the organization's
current financial report. If they refuse to
provide you with a break-down, consider
another organization. Any organization worth
its salt will have nothing to hide and will
provide you with this information. Once
you've received such a report, review it. How
are their funds being utilized? Is the majority
of their money going towards the actual care of
the animals or to administrative costs (i.e.
salaries and advertising)?
4) If the tax deductability of your
contribution is important to you, the
organization must be recognized by the IRS as
a non-profit organization. Such organizations
are required to file with the federal
government. Ask them to provide you with
proof of their non-profit status.
5) Don't let slick promotional brochures be
your only criterion for selecting an organization.
Many small "mom and pop" organizations simply
do not have the time, money nor manpower to
produce fancy brochures - they're too busy using
their limited resources for doing the actual rescue
work and caring for the animals.
And here is a link to Guide Star the National Database of Nonprofit Organizations where you may check out financial records and mission statements of any organization to which you may be considering making a donation.
Apply the guidelines listed above and you may
just find the organization worthy of your support!
Warren Eckstein's Recommended Charities
Over the years, my listeners have let me know about humane and rescue organizations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to helping out pets and animals in need.
This is by no means a complete list -- there are many worthwhile groups working out there. If you know of a deserving group that is a registered 501c3, tax-exempt no- kill organization that should be on the list, please e-mail us and periodically the list will be updated.
Many of the websites have 'click-on' donation areas. They may not provide a receipt for your records, so please check with the group, if a receipt is important to you. We have also included postal addresses to send donations.
1. THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
www.humanesocietyny.org
(212) 752-4842
306 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
2. BOXER RESCUE
www.boxer-rescue-la.com
(213) 532-6541
17514 Ventura Blvd. #201
Encino, CA 91316
3. GREYHOUND PETS OF AMERICA
www.fastfriends.org
(800) 298-5743
1210 N. Cypress St.
La Habra Heights, CA 90631
4. GERMAN SHEPHERD RESCUE
Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles
www.sheprescue.org
(310) 202-SAVE (7283)
2721 Wigtown Road
L.A., CA 90064
German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County
Serving Orange County, San Diego, San Bernardino, Greater Los Angeles, Riverside and more.
www.gsroc.org
(714) 773-5915
177F Riverside Avenue, Ste. 143
Newport Beach, CA 92663
5. LITTLE ANGEL PUG RESCUE
www.lapr.org
(626)795-3944
P.O. Box 12242
La Crescenta, CA 91224
6. BRITTANY FOUNDATION
www.brittanyfoundation.com
(818)709-5706
P.O. Box 9334
Canoga Park, CA 91309
7. LINDA BLAIR WORLD HEART FOUNDATION
www.lindablairworldheart.org
LBWF
10061 Riverside Drive #1003
Toluca Lake, CA, 91602
8. ALL OF THE BREED RESCUE GROUPS THAT ARE SANCTIONED BY THE THE NATIONAL BREED CLUBS.
9. FERAL CAT CARETAKERS COALITION
www.feralcatcaretakers.org
(310) 820-4122
P.O Box 491244
L.A. CA 90049-9244
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