Trustee/Trustor Personal Statement
Over the last 25 years, I’ve been involved as a director, officer, volunteer, or donor to many animal welfare, environmental, and educational nonprofits, both large and small. In my opinion, the bulk of animal welfare work is carried out by small-to-medium sized organizations, because although they may be smaller, there are so many of them. The beginnings of such an organization are often almost inconspicuous; one or two people taking in a stray or abused animal, then another, and another, and another. The burdens of day-to-day operation can quickly become so demanding that there’s no time to plan for the future. Eventually, and I’ve seen this far too many times, the founders can no longer care for all the animals they’ve taken in, because they’ve gotten too old, or sick, or just burned out. At that point, not only does their hard work crumble, but the animals in their care find themselves in a crisis situation.
It doesn’t have to be this way. My goal for the Trust is to avoid this fate for at least one small-to-medium sized organization. There are two components to this goal. First is to encourage the adoption of business practices consistent with long-term success, with continued financial support linked to well defined, mutually agreeable milestones. Second is to provide the fully qualified organization(s) with an annual gift large enough to allow it to proceed with confidence in implementing a long-term plan that may, for instance, include capital purchases.
I want to make it clear that I do not wish to, nor will I agree to, play any formal role in candidate organizations. However, it must also be made clear that for me (or my colleagues) to gauge how well an organization is progressing, the Trust must be granted access to internal dealings, such as the general ledger, minutes of board meetings (names may be redacted), or other relevant business records. A non-disclosure agreement will of course be in place for both parties. But the goal is to work together to ensure that your organization moves in a direction, and at a pace, that is consistent with the purpose of the Trust. If these are not things that your organization is comfortable with, you should not apply for funding.
A few other tidbits of information. Consistent with our goal of long-term financial support, we wish to focus on organizations that care for long-lived animals such as parrots, horses, tortoises, etc. Organizations that care for multiple species of animals are preferred. Organizations located in south or central Florida will be prioritized. In contrast, organizations primarily serving the needs of social media influencers, organizations that breed animals for financial gain, or organizations that exploit animals in any way to provide a revenue stream, will not be considered for funding.
This Trust is my life’s work, and it’s important to me that it find its purpose. I come from a very modest background. My parents never had a new car, we went on exactly two vacations in my life (both driving in a used car!), there was food and clothing and the occasional new bike, but that was about it. What I am giving away is what I’ve saved through hard work and sacrifice. I am committed to giving away not just 50% of my estate (like the billionaires pledge to do), but everything beyond what it takes me to continue to live a humble life. For these reasons I will not allow myself to be deceived, misled, deluded, defrauded, or conned by people and organizations that make promises, but not progress. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some lucky organization: if you’re not serious about cooperating, don’t apply.
While I’m waiting to hear from you, I’ll continue to take care of the stray cat with a broken leg, the turtle that’s hit by a car, the horse collapsed from heat exhaustion, the lost dog, or whatever else ends up my wheelhouse from time to time. Not this one. Not today. Not while I can still do something about it. And when I can’t, it will be time for my successor Trustee to step in and take over the reins. Until then, I look forward to meeting you and hearing what you’ve been up to.
Sincerely, Howard