Part I – General Information

Date of Application: February 2, 2023

Legal Name of Organization: (should be same name supplied on IRS 990 and IRS determination letter) 

Simon and The Strays

Tax ID #:

12-345678

Year Founded: 1998

Contact: Jane Dough

Physical Address: 12345 Main Street, Pawling, NY 12564

Mailing Address (if different): P.O. Box 000, Pawling, NY 12564

Phone:   646-423-9916                             Email Address: janedough+adopt@gmail.com

Name of project or use of funds: We are seeking funds to help market Simon’s Book Nook, a cat reading center at the animal shelter  

Contact’s signature: Jane Dough

Part II – Purpose, Goals and Financial Status of Organization 

Brief summary of your organization 

Simon and The Strays is an animal shelter whose purpose is to undertake rescue operations and to provide essential care for orphaned, stray, abused and special needs cats and dogs.

Your organization’s mission, goals, future challenges, and long range plans (in 250 words or less) 

Through rehabilitation, socialization, and adoption, Simon and The Strays endeavors to provide a humane service to all animals that come into our care. Additionally, we generate awareness about the prevention of animal abuse and neglect as well as spay/neuter programs and their important effect on the dog and cat overpopulation crisis. Through the years our mission has evolved from just rescue and adoption to community service and educational programs to improve the quality of life to all residents of Pawling and beyond. 

In early 2019, we opened Simon’s Book Nook, a unique program that encourages young readers to come to the shelter to read to our adoptable cats. Beneficial to the cats and beneficial to the kids, Simon’s Book Nook offers rewards and incentives to make reading fun for our young visitors. All participants received a certificate of participation, plus special recognition after multiple visits with our cats.

The pandemic brought all of our plans to a halt. Our cat population needing attention and adoption continues to grow but it has been slow going to start the reading program again. We believe that if we had the funds to promote the program more, we’d be able to attract more readers and their adults to come to our monthly cat reading program.   

Outline of your current programs and activities

Since the beginning, Simon and The Strays have been dedicated to rescuing animals from the streets, overcrowded shelters, neglect and abuse situations and abandonment. We provide extensive medical interventions for the animals we help, including spay/neuter, vaccination and care for special needs animals, among other forms of help. 

In addition to our vibrant adoption and fostering program that relies on our valued volunteers and donors, Simon and The Strays also has two important youth programs. The Book Nook, described above, and an animal education/anti-bullying program. In the animal education program, we teach compassion for all living things through a visit from a friendly dog. We hold interactive sessions designed for schools and youth groups to teach important life lessons. 

Description of the population you serve

All who live and work in Pawling

Current operational budget: $250,000

Part III – Grant Request 

Amount you are requesting: $2,000

Profile of the request/Statement of Need (250 words or less)

Our main goal is to find permanent, loving homes for all the dogs and cats that we rescue. Our cats love to have company, and we believe there are many benefits to children reading to our shelter cats. 

Attendance at our monthly reading program on the first Saturday of the month has been low since we reopened after the pandemic. When we first opened before the pandemic, children came to our facility to spend time with the cats while reading stories to them. This helps the cats with socialization and helps the children improve their reading skills in a non-judgmental atmosphere. The children receive certificates for each level of reading that they reach. We saw that parents find this program very helpful for their children.

If we receive a grant, we would promote the program by: 

– creating and printing flyers to distribute among the community 

– place an ad about the reading program in Pawling Living Magazine

– buy resources needed to table outside of key locations in order to promote the reading program

Use of Funds and implementation, if applicable (100 words or less) 

We would use the funds to promote the Simon’s Book Nook reading program. 

Does your project need approval by the Town or Village of Pawling? ____Yes _X__No

If yes, do you currently have approval? 

N/A

How does the project align with PCF’s mission, which is improving the quality of life for all Pawling residents by developing community resources and public spaces, by furthering the community’s economic vitality, and by supporting the arts, cultural activities, tourism, and recreation? 

Learning to read and honing reading skills as a child is an important step in becoming a strong learner and towards building confidence as a student. Reading in a non-judgmental atmosphere like a cat shelter helps the cats with socialization and helps the children improve their reading skills. We believe parents benefit from having their children participate in our reading program, too. Our program helps build confident learners, teaches empathy, and encourages families to work together in a nurturing environment, which will contribute to Pawling’s future residents and leaders. 

Part IV – Attachments

Please provide a copy of your organization’s:

Most recent IRS 990

Itemized Current Annual Budget