Grants

To build a robust database for an established animal charity in West Virginia, your architecture needs to accommodate both cash contributions and the unique physical inputs that keep shelters running.

NOTES FOR LAHLE

• Individual Supporter: Regular community members making one-time or monthly sustaining gifts.
• Major Donor: High-net-worth individuals contributing large, often restricted, funding.
• Corporate Partner: Local businesses or national brands providing sponsorship or matching gifts.
• Foundation: Private, family, or community foundations (like the West Virginia Community Foundation network) awarding grants.
• Government Agency: State or municipal entities providing animal welfare or disaster relief funding.
• Legacy/Estate Donor: Individuals who have included your shelter in their wills or estate plans.

• Monetary Donations: Direct cash, check, credit card, or ACH deposits.
• Recurring/Sustaining Gifts: Automated monthly or quarterly financial contributions.
• In-Kind Goods: Physical items vital to operations (e.g., pet food, blankets, crates, medical supplies, cleaning products).
• In-Kind Services: Pro-bono professional help (e.g., veterinary care, legal advice, behavior training, photography).
• Tribute/Memorial Gifts: Donations made “in honor of” or “in memory of” a person or a beloved pet.
• Adoption Fees: Revenue from animal placements (often tracked as earned income rather than a pure donation, but critical for the database).
• Event Registrations & Sponsorships: Ticket sales, peer-to-peer fundraising pages, and corporate banner sponsorships for galas or adoption drives.
• Grants: Restricted funds requiring specific milestone tracking and reporting.

• Designation/Restriction: To tag whether a donation is for general operations, a specific capital campaign (like a new kennel building), or a medical emergency fund.
• Fair Market Value (FMV): Essential for logging the financial worth of in-kind medical equipment or bulk food shipments.
• Pet Connection (Optional but Helpful): A notes or relational field linking a donor to a pet they adopted or sponsored, which is incredibly useful for targeted future marketing.