Today is a good day for Equine Welfare Organizations! (Equine Welfare Organizations” are those organizations who are working hard to make a difference in (at-risk) horses’ lives.  They include rescues, sanctuaries, fosters, adoption centers, etc.)

There’s a new opportunity for all of you!  NATIONAL EQUINE RESOURCE NETWORK.  This is a wonderful program for Equine Welfare Organizations, but it is also wonderful for those individuals who like to participate and support EWOs.  If you are a EWO, read on!  If you like to help EWOs, read on!

NATIONAL EQUINE RESOURCE NETWORK

The wonderful thing about this group is that they are here to help EWOs help themselves as well as come to their aid.  Being an Equine Welfare Organization can be a very stressful endeavor at times… and NERN wants to be there as a support.  The Network is a gathering place for information, grants, educational opportunities, fund raising and emergency aid for Equine Welfare Organizations.  Wow!  Help seems to be on the way~

Now, it doesn’t mean that every EWO can sit back because this group is going to bail them out… it means that resources will be available to assist them.

WHAT THEY DO

NERN has several programs in the works.  For example, they have a Grant Program for 501 (c) 3 equine welfare organizations which NERN calls its “heart and soul”.  The information below is directly from the NERN website:

Grant Programs:

Gelding Fund – With fewer homes available for horses, it is critical that we work to reduce population growth. NERN is helping to reduce the surplus horse population by providing funding for gelding programs.

Euthanasia Fund – Sadly, horses that are suffering are not always granted the mercy of euthanasia. More often than not, it is because of the costs involved. This grant program assists with the cost of euthanizing a horse that has been diagnosed with a chronic or critical injury or illness that is untreatable, will cause the horse to suffer, or where quality of life is significantly diminished.

Hay Fund – This is probably the most basic, and often the most urgent, need for any rescue organization. Our hay fund is designed to assist in areas where drought or other issues have greatly impacted the costs and/or availability of hay, and/or when rescues are facing severe financial hardship.

Emergency Medical Fund – Sometimes the only thing that stands between life and death is the ability to pay for life-saving medical assistance. This grant program helps cover extraordinary, life-saving surgeries or treatments, such as colic, fractures, birthing issues, etc.

Disaster Fund – When disaster strikes, even the most prepared are often left picking up the pieces. NERN offers grant funds to assist in areas hit by natural or man made disaster.

All grant applicants are required to submit a copy of their tax exempt letter, or letter of acknowledgement of 501c3 application, from the IRS to be eligible for a grant. Additionally, grant recipients may need to provide a report to show how the grant funds were utilized.

RESOURCE NETWORK

A key objective of NERN is to fill a critical role of providing resources to new and existing rescues or sanctuaries. Currently many are struggling with high expenses, low donations, and a never-ending supply of horses. We want to help them stabilize their business, and also provide tools so they may become more self sufficient. To that end, we will create and provide a cutting edge resource tool (interactive website) for their use.

Rescues: To facilitate rescues working together, and to help the public find them, we’ll start with a comprehensive list of all public & private rescues & sanctuaries in the country.

Service Providers: Vendors and Service Providers will be listed on the website, by state, under categories, such as: Equine Product Suppliers, Veterinarians, Farriers, Hay Growers/Suppliers, Feed Stores, Rendering Facilities, Trainers, Transporters, etc.

Bulletin Board: To help increase exposure for the animals, rescues will have the ability to post horses available for adoption or sponsorship. They can also bring attention to urgent situations requiring immediate action and/or funding.

Funding Resources: NERN will post grant announcements and other funding opportunities and ideas so that equine rescues can diversify their income sources, and increase their financial sustainability.

Education: Educational materials/courses will be provided to rescues for their staff, volunteers, adopters and local community. Information will range from basic horse care and first aid to classes on becoming disaster responders.

Business Development: This section will provide templates that can be used to create budgets, job descriptions, etc. Additionally, sample adoption, foster and volunteer agreements will be provided.

And that’s not all… There will be sections for volunteer requests & offers, potential foster homes, networking opportunities and more. The Resource Network will be a one-stop resource center to address most if not all of a rescue organization’s needs.

The public (and members) will have FREE access to view information. Additional benefits will be available with membership.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

What I love about this Network is that someone else is doing the work for you.  In other words, if you want to help equines but don’t have a specific organization in mind, NERN can assimilate your donation into the general fund for Equine Welfare Organizations then distribute funds where most needed.  Here is a link to the “what you can do” page on the website.

If you want to help in a general way or if you think one of the above mentioned grants sounds wonderful and you wish to donate, you can privately contribute.

Also, the website lists several means to help without actually spending any money through groups like Good Search and IGive who donate when you use their  Search Engines or make purchases online.

You can also follow NERN on Facebook.

EQUINE WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS PLEASE FILL OUT THIS SURVEY!

NERN needs information!  As an EWO, what are your needs/wants/ideas?  Please fill out the survey!

Individuals can also sign up to receive updates on what NERN is doing and how you can help make a difference for America’s horses.

PLEASE PASS THIS ONWARD TO ANY RESCUE YOU KNOW!

Please pass this info to any Equine Welfare Organization that you know!  It can only help!

Many thanks from HORSE AND MAN and all the needy horses and burros.

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
If you want an update on the Iron Man Rescued Foal Bucket Fund or to donate, please click on the photo (photo credit, Trish Lowe)