Cat Friends Helping Friends

This is a question in quite a few people’s minds as we work to get CFHF established as a 501(c)(3) charity. So we thought we’d tell you instead of having you guess.

At the moment, we’re working to raise the $750+ in fees that the IRS and other government agencies require to apply to get 501(c)(3) status. We have already raised the initial $75 required to apply for incorporation, and have applied, which we was our first important step. That’s why our first fund raiser, the Name the Logo Kitty Contest, is for administrative costs. Those fees are administrative costs. Not ones we’re crazy about, but necessary ones.

Starting April 16th, we’ll be doing fund raisers for general funds that we have agreed at the first Board of Director’s meeting will be spent this way. At least 80% of all general funds raised will go to help cat blogosphere critters in need, cats or possibly their woofies or other critter family members, and only twenty percent maximum for organization costs. We’re only able to do this because all of our Board members are unpaid volunteers. Every single one is offering their time, as well as use of their computers, office equipment, office supplies like pens and paper, at no charge to Cat Friends Helping Friends. Other volunteer workers are doing the same. Everyone on the Board is adamant about keeping it that way, because they all want to help out the kitties, and running as lean as possible on administrative and fund raising expenses as we move into the future will make it so.

Organization costs that comprise the small percent not directly for helping cats will be for fund raising and administrative costs. Fund raising costs might be things like prizes for contests when prizes are not donated, marketing fund raisers to other venues online in order to get more donations, paying for a Cafepress shop to sell items for donations, and similar efforts. Administrative costs, after all legal fees might include items that have not been donated such fees for web hosting, domain name registration, postage to send paper receipts to donors when necessary, or necessary adminstrative costs that are not covered by donations of services or items, which we will keep to the minimum possible in order to keep running and working to help the kitties. When you consider that many legitimate charities have to spend 50% or more of their budget on administrative and fund raising activities, the 20% max we have chosen is quite amazing, actually.

Special fund raisers, like the one for the Name the Logo Kitty contest which is for admistrative costs, or perhaps for a specific cat in need, may have different budgets, but we will be sure to tell you the budget at the fund raiser so that you know where your donations will be going.

That’s where the money is going and is going to go.