1. What are you waiting for? The ASPCA’s National Shelter Outreach offers Ten Crucial Tips for Getting Started.

By: Mary Kirby and Lisa Saavedra, Director, ASPCA National Shelter Outreach

2. Assess Community Needs

This could be the most important research you do, and it’s important to do it before you incorporate. Determine the problems of your local animal welfare organization. Does an existing shelter fail to meet the humane needs of your community? How is animal control handled locally? Visiting other shelters and networking with existing humane organizations will help you come up with ideas. Would another shelter drain the resources of your community and reduce the effectiveness of both? Do you have sufficient resources—not just in funds, but also in expertise—to properly maintain a shelter? Can you develop community support for your goals? These are the types of questions you’re going to have to answer before taking the next step.

The idea of building and running a sheltering facility is extremely enticing. But consider if a supportive or outreach program might not be of more immediate assistance. Many municipal shelters are greatly helped by Friends of the Shelter groups, or by other humane programs in foster care, low-cost spay/neuter, fundraising, education or legislative action that may be more fitting to their community’s needs.

If you and the members of your group don’t have experience in sheltering or a related field—become a volunteer! Look for other opportunities to learn, too, including attending conferences and getting online. For example, the shelters and rescue groups that join www.petfinder.org have access to an online feature where lots of networking is done and information exchanged. Register your humane organization under “Shelter Sign-up.”

5. Form a Team of Go-Getters

Make the effort to assemble a winning team with the requisite expertise in management, fundraising, and accounting for your board of directors. A veterinarian, a lawyer and a teacher are also great allies, as are professionals in media, advertising and public relations. Everyone who is on the board should have and/or be willing to cultivate important contacts within the community. Look for people who can give or get others to give significant funding, and you’ll be well on your way.

6. Visit at Other Shelters

Every member of your team should visit several shelters, and those on the shelter construction committee should visit many more. Take your architect and/or contractor along, too. Don’t look only at those in neighboring counties, but visit shelters in other states and other parts of the country as much as possible to garner a wealth of ideas. Visit shelters large and small, both retro-fitted buildings and custom-designed facilities. Make arrangements to have the executive directors give you a tour. Ask lots of questions. Find out what their goals were in designing the shelter, what they feel has worked well for them and what they would do differently. Take photos, videos and notes to share with the board.

7. Decide What Type of Shelter You Want

Most shelters incorporate one or more of the following functions. Municipal animal shelters are funded by taxes and user fees and often employ animal control officers. Privately funded non-profit shelters (generally called the humane society, the society for prevention of cruelty to animals or the animal rescue league) usually accept all animals and, as a result, are often forced to euthanize animals based on space, species, age and adoptability. They usually offer a variety of programs such as animal rescue, cruelty investigation, and community education. “No-kill” shelters are generally privately funded and do not accept all animals brought to them. However, once accepted, animals are never euthanized unless they are incurably sick, disabled or display extreme behavior that makes them unadoptable. Sanctuaries specialize in offering lifetime care to animals, limit their admissions and generally promote adoptions.

8. Come Up with a Mission Statement and a Plan

Presumably, your group has already discussed its goals at length, but now it’s time to put your thoughts on paper for others to see. Write a mission statement that explains the purpose of your organization. This will help guide your development and is required for incorporation as a non-profit. (Incidentally, the decision to incorporate or not, as well as what type of an organization you will be, are ones you will need guidance to reach.)

The one inescapable fact of all non-profit humane organizations is the constant need for funds. Good intentions and hard work alone won’t cut it. Remember, running a shelter is a business, and developing sound and professional fundraising strategies not only has its obvious rewards, but is an indispensable tool.

When it’s finally time for the shelter’s grand opening, make it a major event—send press releases, advertise, have an open house party. It’s more than a celebration; it’s a promotion of all you will offer to the community. Develop sympathetic contacts with the press, send a regular newsletter to supporters, adopters and visitors, and be sure to include a donation envelope.

11. Don't Forget the Animals

Buddy, Sweetie, Dudley, Flower….Whoever the animals are who have touched your heart, always keep in mind that they’re the reason that you’re doing this.

Have you thought about forming a group to help animals?

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