May 2020 Volunteer Newsletter, Animal Care League

MAY 2020 | ISSUE 5

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER Your Collective Impact 4,411 Volunteer Hours Served in 2020

As we adjust to this new reality, we focus on painting a picture of what life looks like as COVID-19 continues, and after it's run it's course. We use our creative problem solving to think of what's possible, then make it happen. It's in this spirit that our ACL volunteers have remained dedicated to helping us catalyze animal welfare within our community!

Now, more than ever, nonprofit organizations need their constituents to rally behind them. We've been fortunate, and so very thankful, to have you all by our side.

As a community, we can help each other overcome this temporary barrier and come out on the other side stronger for it!

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED ARTICLES A Letter from Kira In The Know Virtual Events April Adoptions Pet & Volunteer Highlights Volunteer for Volunteers

A LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kira Robson Dear Volunteers,

The last several weeks have been challenging to say the least. Efforts to keep our community healthy have forced us to adjust to a new way of life. We've had to get creative in the way we do even the simplest things, like getting exercise or going grocery shopping. With the stress of what's going on in the world affecting all of us, I'd like to share something positive that has come out of all of this.

In a matter of weeks, we saw our community step up like never before and reach out in substantial numbers to offer temporary foster care to animals in shelters. Chicagoland area shelters had so many applications that they were reaching out to each other to see who wanted to share. Chicago Animal Care and Control, our local municipal partner, saw such a response that for the first time ever their adoption floor was empty! Limitations placed on our interactions with humans caused us to shift our focus to the high value of our relationships with animals. The importance of the human/ animal bond and the unquestionable role animals play in our happiness and health became top of mind.

In our day-to-day operations at the shelter, we were forced to find new ways to interact with our constituents. On the fly, our staff began conducting adoption meet and greets virtually, using technology to introduce potential adopters to our animals without having the adopter in the building. What we have found with this new process is that animals actually present better during these types of introductions - especially those being introduced from the comfort of their foster homes. Adopters are getting a chance to speak directly with the animal's foster home to get important information on their personalities outside of the shelter walls.

Animal Control Officers and community members have come together to find alternative ways to help stray animals or to re-home animals without bringing them to a shelter. This has caused our intake numbers to reduce, allowing us to focus efforts on sick or injured animals who need the most attention. It has also given our shelter staff extra time to work on enrichment with our longer term animals as well as focus their efforts on building important programs, such as our foster program.

During a meeting with executive leadership around the country, it was proposed that this disruption to the norm may actually have forced us to see that some of these new ways to do things are better than what we were doing before. The silver lining of this crisis for animal welfare may be that through altered operations, we have discovered not just a new "norm for now", but rather have opened up the door to the way of the future!

I want to say thank you to everyone who has continued to support us - even while working through their own challenges. As we navigate the next few weeks, or maybe even months, please know that even though we won't be able to host events or see you out in the community that we are here and our dedication to the animals and people in the community won't waver. I do believe we will all come out stronger - and in some ways better - on the other side of this.

Be well,

Kira Robson Executive Director Animal Care League

IN THE KNOW Catalyzing Action within Our Community

Why We Need Nonprofits

By Jordan Wilkerson

Allow me to initiate the first of (hopefully) many featured articles in the Animal Welfare Advocacy series: Catalyzing Action Within Our Community. Within this frame, we will substantiate the positive affiliations between community alliance and animal protection in monthly articles written by you.

These articles can include oscillating concentrations such as measuring impact, blueprints for community structure, interviews with industry professionals, product and entertainment reviews, animals and the environment, animals in culture, animal behavior, and more.

In this month's article, I'd like to focus on what Nonprofits do, how they exist, and why we need them. You may be asking yourself, "What does this have to do with animals?" The answer is, that for all intents and purposes for our mission at ACL, everything!

ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCACY Why We Need Nonprofits

What are nonprofits organizations (NPOs)?

Why are NPOs called "Nonprofit" when in reality they are profitable?

Who benefits from NPOs? When did NPOs begin?

How is NPO success measured?

We all know that NPOs are good, but what's the ultimate goal and how we, as volunteers and staff, contribute to achieving the goal? Further, when will the work of humane societies and other NPOs be finished, if ever? The foundations of questions like these require some history and background information.

In the Beginning...

The idea of charity in America was conceived by groups of emigrant English Puritans during the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritans believed that expanding worship through corporate piety made them more devout than other religious groups at the time.

Because of this belief, they were aggressive entrepreneurs; however, their supplementary faith in Calvinism compelled them to believe that selfindulgent behavior would send them straight to hell. To maintain the balance, they decided to serve monetary penance through allocating1 5% of their total profit toward charity .

As long as there have been humans on earth, there have been social stigmas and disparities. So the Puritan's charitable contributions would go toward food pantries, providing shelters and boarding homes for the homeless, etc. So now that we understand the roots of how NPOs came to be, we can dive deeper into their contemporary functions and structure.

The 3 Sectors There are three industrial sectors: Government, business, and nonprofit.

A government is a bureaucratic system that is upheld by elected and nonelected officials. Jurisdictional laws and policies created by a governmental body reflect the values and interests of the society it serves.

Businesses on the other hand offer niche services, products, and information to consumers for a profit.

Traditionally, a business’ ability to thrive is based on their niche’s economic and societal necessity,

otherwise known as the “double bottom line.” However, as of late, consumers are demanding that businesses adhere to a “triple bottom line” of valuing and acting on economic, societal, and environmental necessity. Even if a business’ niche is not adaptable to the triple bottom line it can still thrive through shareholder and stakeholder support. Shareholders are monetary investors who own a percentage of a company.

Stakeholders are internal and external entities such as employees, consumers, suppliers, the environment, government, and society who can support the organization with monetary and/or emotional support.

Shareholders and stakeholders are able to strategically enhance business development depending on the company’s public or private status.

The third and final sector, also known as nonprofit, is one that serves the common good of society. The title “Nonprofit,” or “Not-for-profit” is often misleading since nonprofits do make a profit. The difference between a nonprofit and a business is that

1. Pallotta, Dan. Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential. Medford, MA. University Press of New England. 2008.

ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCACY Why We Need Nonprofits nonprofits do not have shareholders. Instead, the money they make, via tax-exempt donations, operations, and federal grants, is put back into that organization for societal benefit. However, like businesses, nonprofits also engage with stakeholders. In fact, stakeholders are central to a nonprofit’s vitality.

It's a little confusing as to why nonprofits have been stuck with a name that describes what they are not. It'd be like introducing yourself to your neighbor by stating "Hi, my name is NOT Amelia." It turns people off and it's a little weird. Some of my college professors in the past advocated for the name to be changed to "For-Impact Organizations." In this frame, we can move away from explaining what we don't do and focus on what we actually do: Serve the common good of society.

... So What?

Nonprofit capacity is arguably the most important concept surrounding HOW we can make a difference, and for WHOM. Think of it this way: If you want to go on a 5 mile run everyday but you have a broken ankle, you simply can't safely gain the mileage. Similarly, if you want to provide care for animals in need, but you don't have a shelter to house them, or the funds to afford their care, then you couldn't safely sustain an operation. Herein, you can see how important capacity is.

As we've seen during the COVID-19 crisis, nonprofits are the backbone of our society, and it's stakeholders are the body that propels it forward. The outpour of our kindness, generosity, and passion behind each and every one of our contributions has helped catalyze our mission tremendously--we were even able to place almost all of our approved foster animals into homes, thanks to our stakeholders!

Together, we can help each other through the finish line of this crisis!

*****

VIRTUAL EVENTS & TRAINING A SOUND BEGINNING'S FREE "PUPPY TRAINING" May 3, 2020

"Whether you've just adopted a puppy or you're fostering, this class will give you a solid understanding of what you can do NOW to help your pup gain confidence and learn how to navigate our world for a positive future."Â Click here to register.

SPACE CAT ACADEMY'S FREE "CLICKER TRAINING ESSENTIALS" "So you have heard all about clicker training a cat, but have no idea how to start... this is the guide for you! We will teach your cat how to respond to a clicker plus a foundation skill so you can apply the clicker to a behavior!

Teaching your cat to sit is not only a fun party trick, but is the basis of building patience and impulse control with your cat. The best part?

It's free. We want training to be accessible to everyone, so this one is on us!" Click here to register.

ANIMAL CARE LEAGUE'S VIRTUAL ADOPTION EVENT May 9, 2020 11AM - 1:15PM

Since you can't come to the shelter, we're bringing the shelter to you during our Virtual Adoption Event! If you're seriously considering adopting a companion from ACL, check out or website or Facebook page for more information!

VOLUNTEER Recap APPRECIATION WEEK April 19-25, 2020

We Appreciate You! Despite all of the challenges that COVID-19 has brought, all of our volunteers have "shown up" in one way or another--like you ALWAYS have.

And for that, we are so very grateful! We hope that this year's Volunteer Appreciation Week left you feeling adored and cherished (because you are)!

Kibble Count Contest There were so many resources we could use to throw a visual counting contest, but what better than with kibble?! Luckily, Bode (pictured right) let us use his stash, and even threw on a party hat to show his support... he's the goodest boy.

KCC Winners This year, our winners received either a $25 Amazon gift card or an Animal Care League SWAG bag. Stay tuned for our next contest to have your chance to win!

DOGS

CATS

Skippy

Patty Cake

Keanu

Omar

Raja

Finn

Pip

Dez

Tyson

Allie

Gilmore

Harlan

Gabe

Opal

Elijah

Pearl

Scampers

Mason

Panini

Sarah

Chad

Leroy Brown

SMALL MAMMALS

April Pets of the Week Penny Bee, Patty Cake, Rosie, and Tinker & Barbosa

Every month our staff selects one of our residents as a Shelter Pet of the Week to highlight their progress as they wait for their forever homes. Check out who made the list last month!

Want to nominate a Shelter Pet of the Week?

Contact volunteer@animalcareleague.org for more information!

Volunteer Spotlight Thanks to all ACL volunteers!

Thank you for all of your support during this COVID-19 crisis; from making masks for our staff, fostering animals in need, helping us maintain our laundry, fundraising on our behalf, and walking our pups! We could not do what we do without our volunteer team members, so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

HELP WANTED For more information on any of these listings, please contact Jordan!

In the event that a member of our ACL community were to experience complications with COVID-19, we're ready to help! If you'd like to provide help, or receive help, such as give dogs the exercise they need while their human recovers, pick up or drop off supplies, etc. Then sign up for Volunteer for Volunteers today!

We want to provide the best care possible for our animals, and that's why we need to create a contingency care plan during times of crisis. Click here for information on how to get started with your own plan, and help others to be more prepared!

Interested in donating to our cause, but can't spare the extra cash? No problem! Visit our Amazon Smile page, where Amazon will donate a portion of your regular purchases to ACL. Click here to get started!

Do you enjoy taking and editing photos with your DSLR camera? If so, please note that the animals at ACL are very photogenic, and they're all about getting their picture out to their future forever families--Let us know if you'd like to get more involved!

Want to get your work published in our newsletter(s)? No problem! Feel free to pitch us some relevant pieces you're considering: book reviews, thought pieces, industry trends, your experience as a volunteer at ACL, etc... We're all ears!

Suggestions on how we can improve this newsletter?

Contact Jordan, your Volunteer Coordinator:Â volunteer@animalc areleague.org.

ANIMAL CARE LEAGUE

1011 Garfield Oak Park, IL. 60304 708-848-8155 ext. 118 Volunteer@animalcareleague.org