Conference misery::feline_v1

    Most shelters are not funded through government money, but private
    donations, monies from services adoption fees.  Sometimes shelters
    are remembered in animal lovers' wills.  Occasionally contracts
    for animal services with a town or city bring in a few dollars.
     But for the most part, it's private donations.  
    
    I worked at a shelter for 3 years and the two primary problems were
    the abundance of unwanted animals and lack of funds.  The shelter
    I worked for was privately funded.  We tried to apply for money
    from the United Fund one year but their stipulations were so stringent
    (we could not accept money from any other organization) that we
    could not afford to work with them.
    
    If you are thinking of starting your own shelter, it might be helpful
    to you to write to the Humane Society of the United States in
    Washington, DC for advice.  They are a tremendous wealth of information
    in all areas regarding animal welfare.
    
    One word of caution, it's a lot of work  and a lot of hearbreak.
     The highs are really high and few....the lows are really low and
    many.  But I wouldn't have given up my experiences there for all
    the world.
    
    Good Luck.
    
    Nancy

    I suspect that shelters get started in ways similar to what's
    happening with us.  Folks see a problem and decide to get involved
    and it just grows from there.  
    
    For anyone who does decide to try and help I'd suggest you get 
    loosely connected with an already established organization - like
    I am doing with Animal Umbrella.  You'll have to put in the time
    and effort, but at least they'll help with the vets bills and
    hopefully with the screening of prospective cat-parents.  
    
    

    In general I will say that shelters that get money from
    towns to perform various services wind up subsidizing the towns.  The
    governments aren't willing to pay the actual cost of humane treatment
    involved in housing strays.  I am also really down on United Way.
    Not so long ago they sent no funds whatsoever (zero, read my lips)
    to animal welfare organizations.  So all my charitable contributions
    go directly to the places I care about.
     

    re: United way - I'm with you!  I will give nothing to the
    United way.
    

    Add my name to the list.  I don't support U.W. either.  For reasons
    that aren't appropriate to list here.
    
    Jo

    mee too.  for various reasons
    
    E.

    Ditto
    
    Jan

    Okay, enquiring (foreign) minds need to know: what is United Way?
    
    Shayne (New Zealand)

    RE:  U.W.
    
    Nor do I.
    
    Mary-Michael

	I heard that the president of United Way actually makes more than
	the President of the United States...

	I don't support United Way either - I try to give DIRECTLY to
	the person/organization in need.  I don't trust other people 
	to distribute my hard earned money.

	-Nancy

    re.United Way
    An organization of charites. They raise monies as a collective group
    and distribute them amongst themselves as they see fit. Approxmately
    10 percent of the donations received goes to cover admininstration
    costs. They are nationwide and have teamed up with large corporations
    to receive donations thru payroll deductions.
    Sandy
    PS I prefer to support charitys indiviually as I see fit.
    

    
    	The president of (the Worcester chapter?) the United Way
    	resigned yesterday, declining to say why....(from the 
    	Worcester Telegram)
    
    	Sherry
    

    	
    	Okay, now you've all caught my interest......Why won't you
    give to the united way?  If you don't want to answer via notes - 
    PLEASE send me mail.  I was thinking of doing the payroll deduction
    thing - and if it goes against MY beliefs...I'll donate another way
    to another organization.
    
    Michele (who thought she was doing the right thing.....but isn't sure
    now)

Since Digital as a corporation is quite supportive of the United Way,
I think that comments about it (particularly negative ones) should
not be expressed in this file but should be dealt with in other ways.
This has nothing to do with corporate policy that I'm aware of, I'm
just personally uneasy about where this discussion could go.

Pam
co-mod

    
    RE: .15
    
    That's why I suggested mail..... :)

    I think it is reasonable to express an opinion about how a charity is run,
    particularly when it is one which is soliciting funds from fellow employees.
    I don't give to UW because I don't agree with their judgement about
    which organizations to support.  As I mentioned earlier, it was
    not so long ago that they gave no funds at all to animal welfare
    organizations, while supporting organizations which I felt were in much 
    less dire need of help. like the Boy Scouts.  That alone is
    reason enough for me to send my donations elsewhere.  I am also told,
    although I do not know this for a fact myself, that they discriminate
    against various groups and give no funds to gay organizations working
    for aids education, for example.
    

    It is my understanding that if an agency accepts help from the
    United Way they aren't supposed to take any help from any other
    sources.  That is quite unreasonable.
    
    I'd rather give directly to the organization.  Besides, the additional
    administration it takes to go from you to UW to the organization
    is a waste of money.
    
    And I think it is perfectly reasonable to express opinions about
    this organization here.  Certainly Digital doesn't expect us to
    agree with them 100% of the time.
    
      Nancy DC
    

Since a politely worded request seems to have only fanned the flames
I was hoping to avoid, let me make this a bit stronger.  The base note 
asked about starting a shelter.  Out of 20 replies, there are 17 on 
the subject of United Way and 3 that pertain to the base note.  If I 
was the base note author, I would be annoyed about this rathole derailing 
the discussion.

In addition, you may say whatever you like about the United Way in
other venues but I have seen very little said about it here that in any 
way relates to the topic of this notesfile, which is cats.  The DIGITAL
notesfile has 2 notes on this topic and I think that discussions on the 
United Way should be taken there because they don't belong here.  If you
have anything to say about the United Way as it relates to cats and you
can substantiate your facts, then it might be suitable for discussion here.

Pam