Fellow FML'ers, this is Georgia - the left coast one...
 
Just for 5 minutes I will try to be serious here.  One of my friends has
been asked by other people about SOS, how donations work, who we are,
stuff like that.
 
It's a lot easier for everyone if people who have questions ask the ones
with solid answers.  I know Judith is also preparing a post which will
contain a lot of detail, but I'd like to toss in a few of my own comments.
A sort of 'from my perspective' take on it.
 
SOS, which stands for Support Our Shelters, tries to raise money for the
ferrets in ferret shelters.  We have made coloring books still sold at
The Ferret Store, we have made bumper stickers, we have offered ferret
size crocheted afghans in exchange for donations, and we make scented soap
for shelters to sell.
 
We are just 3 women, not a professional fund raising group, and we live
in different parts of the country.  We have jobs, husbands, boyfriends,
(no, nobody has 1 each!) children, pets and other interests besides
ferrets.  We became 501-c-3 so that people who could use the tax benefit
have a way to donate money to ferrets and still get the credit.
 
One of the things I feel may be misunderstood, is that when we ask for
donations people think we want to be the ONLY way money reaches the
shelters.  That isn't the case at all.  When a shelter needs money, it
needs it NOW.  If a shelter you know of is having a problem, please, send
your check directly to them.  Don't delay the help by sending it to us.
 
So why would ANYBODY send money to us instead of the shelters?  Because
some people who read FML's intermittantly want to donate but don't know
who is currently needing help.  We have donations that are deducted from
the person's checking account each month and automatically credited to the
SOS checking account, thereby eliminating the need to write out and mail
the check.  People whose companies give matching funds to chairties get,
in essence twice the benefit to ferrets for their dollar.
 
Apparantly the question is passed back and forth among some FML'ers about
who is watching over our shoulder.  Let me tell you right up front.
Nobody.  None of us has time to do this, but we each have the ability to
look into the checking account and see what has happened.  Who would you
like to lean over Judith as she writes checks?  How about if Bill Gruber
does it.  We can give Bill access to the account so he can make a monthly
audit.  My own feelings on the subject are that those who are trustworthy
do not suspect others of being un-trustworthy.
 
When the Utah situation came up someone suggested SOS orchastrate a
fund raising effort.  This is not going too well, and I'm hearing that
questions of integrety are being raised.  The people who drove to Utah
to get ferrets and those who are meeting the first batch of drivers are
doing all this with their own money.  When the New Jersey rescue was done,
those shelters involved asked that all money go through SOS because they
were so busy with vet and urgent care they didn't have time to handle
money matters.
 
Now, with another big rescue, there is once again an urgent need for
assistance and it doesn't appear to be happening.  Please people, if you
know the people who have put gas on their personal credit cards, can you
help them?  If you want to help but don't know who needs what, write a
check to Support Our Shelters and mail it to Judith.  Do you need the
address?
 
Judith White
1236 Belfield Ave
Drexel Hill PA 19026-4211
 
Going back to the question of integrety, I've heard it's been asked "How
do we know where the money goes"?  Are you kidding?  How far would we get
on SOS money?  Would we work THIS hard for peanuts?  Let me tell you if we
were looking for money to pilfer we wouldn't be sniffing around the poor
little SOS pot, we'd go where REAL money is.
 
Ok, I promised Judith I'd be nice so I better quit while I'm ahead.
 
Love you ALL.
 
Georgia
[Posted in FML issue 3544]