How fiscal sponsorship gives Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC a helping hand
Suzanne DeReu and Jeff Blackwell didn’t set out to start a nonprofit. But as they observed a community need and took action to address it, they found themselves at the helm of Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC. As the local chapter of the national nonprofit Pet Peace of Mind, they step in to help care for pets of hospice patients, from checking on them at home and bringing them to assisted-living facilities for visits to taking them for vet appointments and grooming. They will also make plans for their well-being after their owners are gone.
“The work can be really heartwarming,” said DeReu, Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC’s director and a hospice volunteer whose own cat, Ghost, she adopted after the passing of one of her patients.
It didn’t take long for DeReu and Blackwell’s cause to begin gaining momentum locally. They’ve received donations at the Freight House Farmers Market and from families of hospice patients touched by their work. But in order to secure the kinds of resources necessary to reach more of the people and animals who could use their support, they need one thing they still don’t have—501(c)(3) nonprofit status, as recognized by the IRS. To help them continue to gain financial support for their mission while they apply for that status, they’re working with the Quad Cities Community Foundation through a special relationship known as fiscal sponsorship.
“Gaining official nonprofit status is a major milestone for any charitable cause, and there’s a lot involved in getting there,” said Kelly Thompson, the Community Foundation’s vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives. “To many donors and funders, it’s important to give to a 501(c)(3) organization, but the work that groups like Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC do can’t wait until then. Through fiscal sponsorship, we can receive those gifts on their behalf, providing tax benefits and, well, peace of mind to donors while helping those resources flow to the group’s mission.”
Through fiscal sponsorship, budding nonprofits like Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC can receive donations and apply for grants that they would not be able to otherwise, helping them access critical resources as they grow their operations and widen awareness of their cause. As they look to raise money more strategically, gifts will be tracked and acknowledged on their behalf, and donors can easily give online through the Community Foundation’s system. The Community Foundation also provides assurance that charitable funds are being used as intended. Once Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC earns their 501(c)(3) status, they can close their fund and receive the remaining dollars in it for their mission. Learn all about fiscal sponsorship here.
“Ultimately, this will help us get more money to help the animals with what they need,” said DeReu, adding that when patients don’t have the money to pay for pet food or veterinary care, Heartland Pet Peace of Mind QC works to help cover costs.
As they continue growing, Blackwell sees the benefit of being associated with a well-respected organization like the Community Foundation. “Fiscal sponsorship gives us credence and standing in the community so that we’re not just those people at the farmers market or the ones who were contacted by the nurse on behalf of the family,” said Blackwell. “It’s important for us to have this format and to be able to say we have this partnership with the Community Foundation because they’re identified as one of the premier organizations in our community.”
“Fiscal sponsorship is one more way the Community Foundation nurtures a growing nonprofit sector in the Quad Cities,” said Thompson. “We’re proud to be able to provide this service to the people like Suzanne, Jeff, and their team who are working to make our community even stronger.”
“Every time we call with a question, they’re so helpful,” said DeReu. “We couldn’t have gotten as far as we have without the Community Foundation.”