America's VetDogs - The Veteran's K-9 Corps.

Transcription

1 America's VetDogs - The Veteran's K-9 Corps. General Information Contact Information Nonprofit America's VetDogs - The Veteran's K-9 Corps. Address 371 E Jericho Turnpike Smithtown, NY Phone (631) Web Site Web Site Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter info@vetdogs.org At A Glance Year of Incorporation 2007 Organization's type of tax exempt status Organization received a competitive grant from the community foundation in the past five years Public Supported Charity No 1

2 Mission & Areas Served Statements Mission America's VetDogs' mission is to help those who have served our country honorably to live with dignity and independence, whether they are visually impaired or have other special needs, through the use of assistance dogs. America's VetDogs provides independence, mobility and companionship for veterans and military personnel of all eras - from World War II to those recently wounded in active conflicts abroad - who are visually impaired or have other disabilities, through the use of guide, service, facility, therapy and companion dogs. Both guide and service dogs enable veterans to reclaim their independence and maximize the value they provide to their families, communities and country. For many combat-wounded survivors, success will be to live independently, achieving the highest quality of life possible with a realized hope for employment. Veterans with disabilities often have limited access to traditional employment, need flexible work schedules, or need a more accommodating work environment. Guide or service dogs provide a unique opportunity for our nation's hereos to continue their education and/or return to work. Freedom is precious to Americans. Our applicants, students and graduates valiantly fought to preserve it. With your support, America's VetDogs can continue to answer the call for our servicemen and women and provide them the support they deserve. Background When it was founded in 1946, one of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind's tenets was to provide the gift of Second Sight to blinded Veterans of World War II. As we entered the new millennium, it became evident that more and more people would need assistance dogs that could do more than guide. In an effort to meet consumers' additional needs, the Foundation began training dogs to provide stability and balance and perform other service-related tasks such as fetching and retrieving and working alongside wheelchairs. At the same time, American soldiers began returning home from the war on terrorism with life-altering injuries. As a response to the growing number of post-911 veterans applying for our dogs and the aging of older veterans with disabilities from all eras, the Board of Directors gave them top priority as recipients of our service dogs. From this prioritization, America's VetDogs - The Veteran's K-9 Corps began in 2003 as a sister organization to the Guide Dog Foundation, and in 2007 became its own 501(c)(3) organization. Headquartered in Smithtown, New York, at the Foundation's ten-acre campus, facilities includes a training center with kennel space for up to 174 dogs; National administration center and student union; student residence hall with 17 private rooms and private baths, internet and phone access; and a breeding facility and puppy nursery. The Foundation breeds its own pure Labrador and Golden Retrievers, first-generation Labrador/Golden crosses, Standard Poodles for those with allergies and specific breeding of German Shepherds and Shepherd/Collie crosses. Impact During our FY 2015, thousands of people including Americans veterans and active military with disabilities and their families will be directly impacted through the Guide Dog Foundation. This includes people partnering with guide and service dogs, servicemen and women at military hospitals and VA centers as well as persons benefiting from therapy and facility dogs. America's VetDogs and its founding organization, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, are the only assistance dog schools in the United States to be accredited by both the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International, the two international regulatory bodies that certify guide and service dog schools on a voluntary basis. Through a close relationship with the VA and Military Medical Centers, America's wounded service members receive dogs that provide safety, mobility, balance and stability. Guide dogs help veterans with visual disabilities move about safely and confidently. Service dogs pick up dropped articles, open doors, push elevator buttons, warn of seizures, pull wheelchairs and act as "walking canes' for veterans with amputations and balance problems. In addition, facility and therapy service dogs are trained to accompany physical and occupational therapists at military medical centers and work with many of the wounded warriors in rehabilitation. We have successfully trained veterans with blindness, spinal cord injuries, hearing impairments, limb loss, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries. 2

3 Needs We estimate the cost to breed, train, and place a guide or service dog, combined with the training, transportation and housing of the team (recipient and dog), and a lifetime of aftercare services is in excess of $50,000 per team, and all services and equipment are provided free of charge to blind, or otherwise disabled persons. We receive no government funding, and depend completely on generous donors and supporters to continue our services, and expand our ability to serve the increasing numbers of disabled persons requesting our specially trained dogs. Both guide and service dogs enable Veterans to reclaim their independence, increase, and in some cases restore, their mobility and regain confidence so they can once again actively participate in the diverse lives they led prior to their injuries. Our graduates are husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, sons and daughters. They are athletes, musicians, students, and professionals, and they are all soldiers, warriors and heroes. Service Categories Primary Organization Category Secondary Organization Category Animal Related / Animal Training Human Services / Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations Areas Served National Ansonia Bethany Branford Cheshire Derby East Haven Guilford Hamden Lower Naugatuck Valley Madison Milford New Haven North Branford North Haven Orange Oxford Seymour Shelton Shoreline State wide Wallingford West Haven Woodbridge We provide guide and service dogs to veterans of all eras throughout the United States. All dogs, equipment, training, transportation to our training campus, and a lifetime of aftercare support to the handler/dog team are provided free of charge. 3

4 Programs Programs Provision of service dogs, including PTSD dogs Description Service dogs help increase the mobility and independence of a person with a disability other than visual. PTSD dogs are specially trained to help mitigate the symptoms of PTSD in an effort to provide the emotional support a veteran might need. Our service dogs are provided to veterans free of charge. Certified staff trainers meticulously match the appropriate dog to the appropriate applicant, then individually train the dog to mitigate the specific disability/disabilities of the new owner. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks of benefit to a disabled individual in order to be legally elevated from pet status to service animal status. It is the specially trained tasks or work performed on command or cue that legally exempts a service dog [service animal] and his disabled handler from the No Pets Allowed policies of stores, restaurants and other places of public accommodation under the ADA. Budget $0.00 Category Population Served Program is linked to organization s mission and strategy Short Term Success Long Term Success Program Success Monitored By Human Services, General/Other / Services for Individuals with Disabilities Other Health/Disability / Elderly and/or Disabled / People/Families with of People with Disabilities Our goal for FY 2015 is to train 90 quality and safe guide dog teams and 50 dogs that work as service or therapy dogs. During our FY 2015, thousands of people including disabled Americans, veterans and active military will be directly impacted through America's VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation. This includes people partnering with guide or service dogs, servicemen and women at military hospitals and VA centers for physical and occupational therapy, and persons benefiting from therapy dogs. Freedom is precious to Americans. With their assistance dogs by their side a person with a disability no longer needs to ask for help with daily tasks many people take for granted. America's VetDogs assists people overcome their unique challenges and remain safely mobile and independent. Our overall measure of the services provided by America's VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation is not just the number of dogs placed as guide or assistance dogs, but also by the impact that our dogs have on the safety and independence of a blind or otherwise disabled person's life. To ensure the success of our training and placement, evaluation of the services provided occurs throughout the process of breeding, raising, training, and placing our dogs. America's VetDogs strives to keep our "successful placement" rate (dogs that remain paired with their handler two years post-graduation) at 90% or higher--a number higher than the norm for other assistance dog schools. All graduates receive a lifetime of aftercare that includes follow-up visits with trainers in the field or additional facility training as necessary. 4

5 Examples of Program Success U.S. Army 1st Lt. Melissa Stockwell (Ret.) is an America's VetDogs graduate. She says of her service dog, "When I get home after a long day and take my prostheitc leg off, he can bring me my crutches. He can help me if I fall and climb stairs without a handrail. Jake has made my life so much better. He brings so much joy and I am so thankful for all his companionship and all he has added to my life." Today, Ms. Stockwell is a sought-after motivational speaker and has appeared on national TV, on multiple magazine covers, and was invited to recite the Pledge of Allegience at the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas. She is also a competitive swimmer who competed on the US team in the 2008 Summer Paralympics. Melissa is now a three-time paratriathlon world champion in the TR12 division as a member of the the US paratriathlon national team. 5

6 Provision of guide dogs Description Guide dogs help blind or visually impaired people get around in the world. To do this, a guide dog must know how to Keep on a direct route ignoring all distractions such as smells, other animals and peoplemaintain a steady pacestop at all curbs until told to proceedturn left and right, move forward and stop on commandrecognize and avoid obstacles that the handler won't be able to fit through (narrow passages and low overheads)stop at the bottom and top of stairs until told to proceedbring the handler to elevator buttonslie quietly when the handler is sittinghelp the handler to board and move around buses, subways and all forms of public transportationobey a number of verbal commandsadditionally, a guide dog must know to disobey any command that would put the handler in danger. This ability, called intelligent disobedience, is perhaps the most amazing thing about guide dogs; that they can balance obedience with their own assessment of the situation. Budget $0.00 Category Population Served Program is linked to organization s mission and strategy Short Term Success Long Term Success Program Success Monitored By Human Services, General/Other / Services for Individuals with Disabilities Other Health/Disability / Elderly and/or Disabled / People/Families with of People with Disabilities Our goal for FY 2015 is to train 90 quality and safe guide dog teams and 50 dogs that work as service or therapy dogs. During our FY 2015, thousands of people including disabled Americans, veterans and active military will be directly impacted through America's VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation. This includes people partnering with guide or service dogs, servicemen and women at military hospitals and VA centers for physical and occupational therapy, and persons benefiting from therapy dogs. Freedom is precious to Americans. With their assitance dogs by their side a person with a disability no longer needs to ask for help with daily tasks many people take for granted. America's VetDogs assits people to overcome their unique challenges and remain safely mobile and independent. Our overall measure of the services provided by America's VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation is not just the number of dogs placed as guide or assistance dogs, but also by the impact that our dogs have on the safety and independence of a blind or otherwise disabled person's life. To ensure the success of our training and placement, evaluation of the services provided occurs throughout the process of breeding, raising, training, and placing our dogs. America's VetDogs strives to keep our "successful placement" rate (dogs that remain paired with their handler two years post-graduation) at 90% or higher--a number higher than the norm for other assistance dog schools. All graduates receive a lifetime of aftercare that includes follow-up visits with trainers in the field or additional facility training as necessary. 6

7 Examples of Program Success The Guide Dog Foundation improves our consumers' lives by providing people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise disabled with increased mobility, independence, and companionship. From the study Guide Dogs and the Visually Impaired: A Study of Trends, Usage, and Attributes of Guide Dog Users, conducted by Wedewer Research and Counsel: When asked to rate a list of benefits, the top two responses by participants were moving around with more confidence and companionship (82% each). Other benefits to having a guide dog included getting around faster (77%), getting around with fewer accidents (76%), getting around more accurately (74%), being less dependent on others to get around (73%), and feeling safer at home and on the streets (67%). 7

8 Prison Puppy Program Description In the Prison Puppy Programs, specially selected inmates, many of whom are veterans who served our country honorably, raise our puppies to become service dogs who will be placed with our nation's veterans with disabilities. The inmates, along with volunteer puppy raisers who take the puppies home for the weekend, teach basic obedience along with some service-based skills such as fetch and retrieval, opening and closing doors and balance support. We now have active programs in 11 prisons throughout Massachusetts, Maryland and most recently at Enfield Correctional Institution in Enfield, Connecticut. Our Prison Puppy Programs have been vital in our efforts to build capacity to train and place our dogs with wounded American heroes of all eras. Research shows that prison-raised dogs tend to have higher success rates than those that are home-raised, inmates are able to provide more consistent training at a higher level simply because of the amount of time they are able to devote to the pups in training. Budget $0.00 Category Population Served Program is linked to organization s mission and strategy Short Term Success Long Term Success Examples of Program Success Human Services, General/Other / Services for Individuals with Disabilities Other Health/Disability / Elderly and/or Disabled / People/Families with of People with Disabilities As a result of our focus on new training methods in prisons, which include teaching the dogs basic service dog tasks, once they "graduate" from the prison program and return to our campus, the advanced training time our staff needs to produce a successful assistance dog can by reduced by 50% (from 6 months to 2-3 months), thus allowing us to place the dogs with our veteran applicants at a faster rate. Through our Prison Puppy Programs, our nation's heroes receive skilled assistance dogs, specially trained to perform tasks specific to the individual's needs and disabilities. Inmate handlers are provided with skills they can use in their post-release employment as well as an opportunity to give back to society in a meaningful way. Prisons benefit from a positive shift in attitude and atmosphere, truly making this program a win-win-win for all involved. "This is one of the most significant restorative justice projects I have even been involved with. To have inmates - including incarcerated veterans - doing something this meaningful is beyond words.", says Gary Maynard, Secretary of Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. "I am so honored to be a part of this and so proud to know that what we are doing here will help a veteran. It feels so good to know that we can give back and do something to help men and women that are coming back with so many problems. This is just a small way I can redeem myself.", says Hazard Wilson, inmate trainer. 8

9 Provision of facility and therapy dogs Description Facility and therapy dogs are trained to provide assistance or therapeutic support for wounded warriors at military or VA hospitals. Under the supervision of a physical or occupational therapist, these dogs work with a variety of patients with a multitude of serious injuries both physical and mental. Reaching 150 to 250 patients a week, these dogs may help a soldier walk on prosthetic legs by providing balance, open a door for a veteran who uses a wheelchair or provide emotional support so a wounded warrior can heal both physically and mentally. Therapy dogs also make visits to VA nursing homes and hospices. Budget $0.00 Category Population Served Program is linked to organization s mission and strategy Human Services, General/Other / Services for Individuals with Disabilities Other Health/Disability / Elderly and/or Disabled / People/Families with of People with Disabilities Hearing dogs Description Hearing dogs are for veterans who face hearing loss due to their military service, age, head trauma, virus or disease or other encounter. A hearing dog recipient must have at least 30 percent hearing loss in both ears. Hearing dogs are specifically trained to assist an individual by alerting their handlers to sounds such as a doorbell, a door knock, warn of an intruder, a smoke alarm and a time (cooking timer, microwave, etc.). Each dog will be specifically trained to meet each individual's hearing needs, and additional tasks can be added by request. Budget $0.00 Category Human Services, General/Other / Services for Individuals with Disabilities Population Served Elderly and/or Disabled / Adults / Program is linked to organization s mission and strategy 9

10 Leadership & Staff CEO/Executive Director Mr. Wells B. Jones CAE, CFRE Term Start Nov Experience Wells Jones has more than 35 years' experience in national and regional not-for-profit management. Since 1989, he has served as chief executive officer of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc., and as president and CEO of America's VetDogs since 2006.From the agency's Smithtown, Long Island, New York, headquarters, Jones has implemented innovative development and program strategies that have seen the organization experience tremendous growth in both charitable revenue generated and numbers of blind and visually impaired individuals served. Jones's dedicated desire to optimize donated dollars and keep fundraising costs low was recently recognized by Reader's Digest, naming the Foundation the number one charity in the nation that serves individuals with disabilities.under his leadership, the Guide Dog Foundation undertook a major capital expansion in 2002, which culminated with the construction of a new training center, complete with a state-of-the-art kennel, as well as a newly designed student residence hall. Jones's vision of development is evident with the creation of America's VetDogs, to expand the Guide Dog Foundation's outreach to disabled veterans and active service members. With Jones's strong leadership and innovative initiatives, the Guide Dog Foundation and America's VetDogs will continue to develop new programs to meet the growing needs of people with disabilities. Staff Number of Full Time Staff 73 Number of Part Time Staff 57 Number of Volunteers 1000 Number of Contract Staff 0 Staff Retention Rate 95% Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 0 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 0 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other Staff Demographics - Gender Male 0 Female 0 Unspecified

11 Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers 10 Date Strategic Plan Adopted May 2008 Management Succession Plan? Organization Policy and Procedures Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Senior Staff Ms. Laura English Title Chief Financial Officer Ms. Sheila O'Brien Title Director of External Relations Ms. Katherine M. Fritz Title Director of Development Ms. Grete Eide Title Chief Canine Care Officer Ms. Anne Mercer Title Director of Training Ms. Loretta Quis Title Director of Administrative Services Mr. Andrew Rubenstein Title Director of Marketing Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation Awards Award/Recognition Organization Year Social Responsibility Award New York Society of Association Executives

12 CyberSpace Award "Power of A" Gold Award New York Society of Association Executives The Center for Association Leadership

13 Board & Governance Board Chair Mr. Donald Dea Company Affiliation Fusion Products Term July 2015 to June 2017 Board of Directors Name Mr. James C. Bingham Ms. Lynn Bissonnette Mr. Alphonce J. Brown ACFRE Mr. Travis J. Carey CPA Ms. Laura Casale AIA Ms. Gretchen Evans Ms. Deborah Firestone Mr. Lee Hornstein Mr. Wells B. Jones CAE, CFRE Ms. Barbara J. Kelly Esq. Mr. Arnold Lesser VMD Mr. Robert S. Madden Mr. Lucas Matthiessen LCSW, CASAC Mr. Jim Mayer Mr. Chris Montagnino Mr. Edward P. Nallan Jr. Mr. John O'Brien Mr. Warren Palzer Ms. Mary Porter Mr. Jack J. Sage Mr. Bernard Sarisohn Esq. Ms. Dona Sauerburger COMS Mr. Robert T. Stratford Jr. Mr. Glenn Tecker Mr. Michael Troiano Ms. Heidi Vandewinckel LCSW Mr. Peter Way Colonel E. David Woycik Jr. Affiliation TD Bank Carey LLC Retired military Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 1 13

14 Asian American/Pacific Islander 1 Caucasian 27 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male 21 Female 8 Unspecified 0 Governance Board Term Lengths 2 Board Term Limits 2 Board Meeting Attendance % 75% Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 4 Written Board Selection Criteria Written Conflict of Interest Policy Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 100% Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions 0% Constituency Includes Client Representation Standing Committees Advisory Board / Advisory Council Audit Board Development / Board Orientation By-laws Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Executive Finance Investment Personnel Program / Program Planning 14

15 Financials Financials Fiscal Year Start July Fiscal Year End June Projected Revenue $3,135, Projected Expenses $3,124, Endowment Value $105, Spending Policy Income plus capital appreciation Percentage (if selected) 0% Detailed Financials Prior Three Years Total Revenue and Expense Totals Chart Fiscal Year Total Revenue $2,631,826 $2,489,196 $3,932,585 Total Expenses $2,453,959 $2,124,637 $3,932,585 Prior Three Years Assets and Liabilities Chart Fiscal Year Total Assets $730,798 $806,684 $1,670,746 Current Assets $730,798 $806,684 $1,670,746 Long-Term Liabilities $894,987 $1,221,200 $2,421,615 Current Liabilities $181,993 $109,533 $137,739 Total Net Assets ($346,182) ($524,049) ($888,608) Prior Three Years Top Three Funding Sources Fiscal Year Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Foundation $100,000 George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Foundation $100,000 Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind $2,118,171 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Rachael's Rescue $75,000 Pet Valu $40,355 Rachael's Rescue $75,000 Butler Schein Animal Health $56,000 Human Service Charities of America $80,322 Tower of Hope $80,000 Solvency Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency 15

16 Fiscal Year Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 122% 151% 145% Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? No Goal $0.00 Comments CEO Comments Today the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind is faced with increased demands for our specially trained assistance dogs as the number of people with disabilities including the more than 50,000 veterans wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan grows. It takes over two years to produce one assistance dog. Given this neccessary length of time it takes to train effective service dogs, NOW is the time for the Guide Dog Foundation to build our capacity to serve the increasing number of people with disabilities who apply for our special dogs. Additional financial resources will expand our capacity to produce more highly trained dogs to meet the increased applications and need for assistance dogs, and to better meet the changing needs of our disabled community. Foundation Staff Comments This profile, including the financial summaries prepared and submitted by the organization based on its own independent and/or internal audit processes and regulatory submissions, has been read by the Foundation. Financial information is inputted by Foundation staff directly from the organization's IRS Form 990, audited financial statements or other financial documents approved by the nonprofit's board. The Foundation has not audited the organization's financial statements or tax filings, and makes no representations or warranties thereon. The Community Foundation is continuing to receive information submitted by the organization and may periodically update the organization's profile to reflect the most current financial and other information available. The organization has completed the fields required by The Community Foundation and updated their profile in the last year. To see if the organization has received a competitive grant from The Community Foundation in the last five years, please go to the General Information Tab of the profile. Created Copyright 2018 The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven 16