Proactive solutions
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa has grown dramatically since its founding in 1926, adding many new programs and employees to best serve the people and pets of Iowa. Since the start of the pandemic we have saved more than 20,000 pets and impacted countless lives. With growth comes the challenges of scaling operations, diversifying fundraising strategies, building staff resilience, preparing for more growth while staying true to our mission and raising community awareness. One challenge we’ve navigated recently is shifting the public perception of our work and the lives we impact.
Proactive solutions
We are at a pivotal time in animal welfare. The hardships of 2020 and 2021 opened up the opportunity to reexamine our outreach programs and ask the questions “How can we best serve the people and pets of Iowa?” and “What community investment do we need to make it happen?” For the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, this meant escalating our community outreach programs that were already in place as more pet families found themselves in need – and now, with the downturn of the economy, increasing inflation and the national housing crisis, we’re seeing this need spike again.
Donors in particular have the opportunity to shape the future of animal welfare by investing in community outreach programs that offer upstream solutions to pet homelessness and prevent overpopulation of pets. We are having more conversations with donors and community stakeholders in thoughtful ways to address the systemic issues we see every day and hopefully keep animals from entering our shelter doors in the first place. For many years, the primary tools we used to address the issues of overpopulation of pets were spay/neuter programs, sheltering and adoption programs – primarily reactive strategies. And while those are still primary tools in our tool kit, we are shifting gears to focus on more proactive strategies. Low-cost spay/neuter programs, veterinary assistance, pet food pantry, crisis care foster, vaccine and microchip clinics are just a few of the proactive outreach programs helping to keep pets in their homes with people who love them.
Successful change needs a clear vision
This investment in preventive outreach programming has a range of benefits for our community – it is less stressful for animals by keeping them with their families and it is more cost-effective than traditional reactive strategies. Those benefits aside, the shift to focus more on community outreach programs is a change for our donors and community supporters. To navigate this change successfully calls for consistent communication to all stakeholders and a clear vision. Data and expected outcomes merge together to create this vision – without it, it would be difficult to have complete buy-in from our supporters and stakeholders.
It’s an organizationwide effort – from event programs to fundraising communication to the way our team communicates with community members on a day-to-day basis. Everyone at every level needs to be on the same page to successfully navigate change. Through strategically highlighting our vision – backed by data and expected outcomes – we are changing the public perspective on the work of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and the value of proactive community outreach programs for pets and people.
Reimagining community
While the work we do at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa primarily involves animals, it’s important to note that we serve people, too. We’re working diligently to shift the perspective on the work we do, or rather shift the perspective on “community” to include people and pets. The human-animal bond is a commonality shared among most people regardless of background or income level. Research shows that humans and their pets share a mutually beneficial bond – if you have a pet of your own, or have close friends or family with pets, then you likely already know this to be true. People are happier and healthier in the presence of their pets. If we want thriving communities, we’ve learned that it is critical to include pets in the process – this includes affordable pet-friendly housing, thoughtful public spaces and pet-inclusive ordinances. To think of pets as an afterthought is a costly and time-consuming mistake. By reimagining community to include our four-legged friends, and including them during every step of the process, we can build thriving communities for all.
As we look to the future, I’m confident that the Animal Rescue League of Iowa will continue to lead the way in proactive work to strengthen the human-animal bond. This will happen through proactive solutions, navigating change thoughtfully with a clear vision, and encouraging leaders to reimagine community. We cannot do this important, lifesaving work without the philanthropic spirit of our community. Together we are promoting animal welfare, strengthening the human-animal bond and preventing the overpopulation of pets. Visit ARL-Iowa.org or follow along on social media to learn more about ARL programs and countless ways to engage.
Why is philanthropy important to our community?
Philanthropy, by definition, is about improving lives by preventing and solving social problems. Philanthropy offers an opportunity for everyone to leave their positive mark on the world and address social issues important to them. Strong communities have strong nonprofits supported by passionate philanthropists who work to make our community better.
