Having a well-funded animal control unit will better the community and make it safer.
One of the challenging problems faced by city and county governments is that of providing animal control. This problem presents an opportunity for animal shelters to secure grants from government organizations in order to help provide a solution to the animal control challenge.
Government Grants for Animal Control
Because many animal control functions are conducted at the city/local level of government, these government entities may be willing to award grant funding for animal rescue shelters.
Animal rescue shelter operators should perform due diligence in researching the local animal control environment and pay close attention to those areas where animal control facilities are crowded or overflowing. This allows them to target those areas that are the most likely to support the funding of animal rescue shelters.
The grant applicant should demonstrate to local officials that for each dollar they invest in the shelter will save their animal-control officials from an expense they would otherwise incur.
County Government Funding
Animal control problems can be an especially significant concern for county governments in areas where there is significant residential growth in unincorporated areas. Because there may be no legal authority for county governments to conduct animal-control activities, these neighborhoods may have few places to turn to in order to receive animal control services.
This opens up a possible funding source for animal rescue shelters as they can approach county governments, homeowner associations and neighborhood groups to offer badly needed services.
Through their annual dues-collection process, homeowner associations may be able to collect a fee for animal control services. Residents of these neighborhoods may be especially grateful as privately owned animal control can be a special necessity in unincorporated areas.
Quantification of Return on Grant Investment
Animal rescue shelters that compete for government funding in an effective manner will include a breakdown of costs as part of their budget process so they can clearly demonstrate to the government officials who award the grants, and the taxpayers who pay for them, what the quantification of their investment will be.
In this manner the shelter will be able to show these officials how many animals are taken off the street with each dollar invested. The shelter can make the case that the investing government agency will realize a return on their investment by mitigating expenses, which would have otherwise been incurred by animal control officials.
This important documentation process may give the shelter an advantage when competing for grant dollars against another organization.
Grant Management
One of the most important elements of grant management is to document how the funds are spent. Grant recipients should never commingle funds from different sources. Managing grant funds wisely is an important component of effective grant management.
Not-For-Profit Status
Animal rescue shelters established as not-for-profit foundations may have an advantage in being able to give the granting organization peace of mind that its money is not being used for other purposes than the ones intended.
Tags: rescue shelters, animal control, animal control, county governments, animal rescue shelters, animal control, animal control services