Anonymous-
 
When you send your money to a shelter, it DOES matter where that money
goes, especially if the shelter has an IRS 501c3 determination.
 
This is why I prefer to send my cash donations directly to SOS.  That way
I know that the money is either paid directly to the vet or a food/supply
donation is made to the shelter.  Did you know that when you make a
donation to SOS, you can specify the shelter who is to receive it?  Also,
SOS has a minimal overhead, my guess is less than 1%.  It is entirely
staffed by volunteers who pay most of the operating expenses out of
pocket.  And if you work for a company that offers matching funds for
charitable contributions, sending the paperwork with your donation will
DOUBLE it!  :) (Check and see, even if you don't think so.  A large
number of Fortune 1000 companies do have this program!)
 
As a former shelter operator, I can't imagine having ever taken a cash
donation and bought shoes with it.  Or anything else for myself.  I
always preferred cash donations be made directly to my vet, or to SOS.
I think that most if not all shelter operators feel the way that I do.
 
If you want to give something to the operator directly for them (the
people), rather than cash, think about something like a gift certificate
to a local pizza place to use after a marathon 24 period of nursing a
sick ferret overnight, going to their day job, making a trip to the vet,
then coming home to loads of laundry and litterpans to be scooped, when
the family still needed to be fed.  Or they can treat their volunteers
after day day of cage cleaning and nail clipping--I always felt like I
wanted to do more to thank my volunteers, but sometimes it just wasn't
in the budget.
 
I'm certainly not trying to slam Anonymous here, she has wonderful
intentions.  But I have my doubts if many people feel the way she does.
I think most people who donate to a shelter expect that money to go
directly to benefit the ferrets.  And I'd hate to think that someone
would stop donating to shelters because they weren't sure where their
donation was actually going after reading that post.
 
Anne
[Posted in FML issue 4311]