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AWL NEEDS YOUR HELP How to Set up a Charitable Trust

  • Tuesday, October 02 2012 @ 04:47 pm UTC
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SUPPORT THE ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE BY SETTING UP A NO COST CHARITABLE TRUST
WHY GIVE YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO OBAMA WHO WILL SQUANDER IT WHEN YOU CAN GIVE 30% OF THAT TO A WORTH CAUSE IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD! The Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County is in dire needs of your financial support. In 2013 the AWL will be celebrating their 50th year. This alone is a tremendous accomplishment, but given the current economic climate, a real miracle.

The AWL is 100% funded by contributions. For those who think that we are somehow funded by county government, you are sadly mistaken. The fact is that county government (Commissioners) is contributing to our demise by their incompetency in handling of our collective contract in dealing with the appropriate funding for turn-ins and stray animals. The county has sent us all types of animals for 28 years now, delivered by animal control and by people just walking in with their pets. The amount previously paid for animals by the county was barely 30% of the actual cost to accept them. Now, based on this archaic 1980's contract, we loose money with each animal and have been for some time. Many people coming in with pets cannot afford to pay, yet compassionately we take their pet in. Some of these turn-ins are adoptable and yet many others are old or sick and or un-manageable and have to be put down.

The county has recently stopped giving us feral cats and strays and refuses to pay us for them. That is actually a good thing, because we were loosing money with spaying and neutering each of these unadoptable animals or being the entity that eventually is frced to put them down. Just taking an animal in is a costly proposition. You must house, feed and medically treat each one. By forcing us to put down unadoptable animals delivered to us by Animal Control, we were again chastised by them and by the community at large, in having a high euthanasia rate. Damned if you do and damned if you don't!

The fact is that AWL runs a major animal refuge center in and for the residents of Charlotte County and relies on 100% contributions to fund its mission. Clearly the AWL needs your financial help in being able to sustain this service going forward. AWL processes through over 5400 cats, rabbits and dogs annually, besides some other less cuddly critters such as snakes. They house them, feed them, give them all shots and spay or neuter them where needed before adopting them out. The cost of this effort is significant because it has to come from somewhere. Unlike our incompetent Federal Government, who can spend whatever they wish on anything thy wsh and then simply print more money to cover the shortfall, unfortunately we cannot. The reality is that when a person or Animal Control rolls up to our door with an animal, we have little choice but to take it in. Many animals coming into the shelter are euthanasia requests from the owner. Feral cats and many aggressive dogs cannot be adopted much less be handled by our staff, yet they come in daily and that must be dealt with. The dilemma is clearly how do we fund these activities going forward to work with the community and Animal Control and yet have the financial resources to survive?

The overheads at AWL are also significant. We get no tax breaks on our land, we pay full price for propane to run our dryers, we buy our own food (contributions here do help but are barely 20% of our needs) and we pay our staff. We do repairs to our cages and property, we buy everything we need at retail prices and we maintain an on site hospital and lab. We have grounds to maintain, regulations to adhere to which require dedicated staff and we clean and dispose of a lot of poop! We have a vet and operating room, intake facility to quarantine sick animals. We fund medicines for rabies, address broken bones, do training, community outreach and deal with the day to day issues in a shelter of our size. This operation is not simple or cheap!

What the AWL needs, only the community can deliver. The best way our community can to do that is to establish Charitable Trusts to tke atleast 30% of your tax burden out of he handsof Washington ad into your on hards! When you set up a Charitable Trust you have no associated costs besides a tx return and yet you can chose where the money goes. You can give to ay 51C3 you wish ad hopefully the AWL wll be on that lit. To set up a Charitable Foundation/Trust simply ask your CPA, it easy simple and inexpensive. It will cost about $300 with your accountant and there is a nominal and annual state filing fee for the new 501C3 corporation. What the trust does is simply that it allows you to dedicate resources to the 501C3 charity of your choice rather than letter the morons in Washington do that for you. Rather than supporting big government use your tax dollars for good in our local community.

A Charitable Trust is funded with what would have been 30% of your annual tax liability. In lieu of paying Uncle Sam, you simply put that money in an account, under your control, and dedicated to the Trust's mission. Our mission (The Hoffer Family Foundation) is to fund activities for saving animals and kids. We put 30% of our taxable liability into this savings account annually. You are obligated to spend (with a cause of our own choosing) 5% of the gross amount per year. This gives you total control of your funds, while allowing you to support local charities! It puts the decisions on where the funds go in your hands and not the governments! No money to fund this is out of your pocket. THIS IS FUNDED 100% BY WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE PAID IN TAX LIABILITY ANYWAY.

If you want to get more information on this just call me and I will provide you with everything you need to know. You can also simply call your accountant. This is for everyone, not just high rollers. No matter what your taxable liability is, you can set up a Charitable Foundation/Trust in a matter if weeks. If you do establish a trust you can contribute to the AWL and of course any 501C3 charity that you choose… this can be your church, a school, a food bank or a shelter or whatever makes you happy. You make the decisions!

Please help us help the animals!