Grant ID: 1741
Title of Proposal: Spay It Forward
Agency Type: Non-Profit
Total Funding Requested: $25,000.00
Check Payable To: Animal Coalition of Tampa
Application Information
Demographics
Name of Applicant Agency: Animal Coalition of Tampa Website Address: www.actampa.org
Person Submitting Proposal: Linda Hamilton Position: Executive Director
Person Submitting Proposal Email Address: [email protected]
Agency Head: Linda Hamilton Agency Head Email: [email protected]
Organization Business Address: 1719 W Lemon Street City: Tampa
State: Florida Zip: 33606
Phone (xxx-xxx-xxxx): 813-250-3900 Fax: 813-250-3925
Cell: 813-760-1568    
 
Agency Details

Date of 501(c)(3) Incorporation: 10/01/2001
Dates of Last Fiscal Year: Begin: 01/01/16    End: 12/31/16
Organization Income in Last Fiscal Year: $3,308,788.67
Organization Expenses in Last Fiscal Year: $3,141,728.86
Number of Paid Employees: Full Time: 40  Part Time: 4
Number of Active Volunteers: 75
Total Volunteer Hours per Week: 100.00
How did you learn of the 2009  Florida Animal Friend grant competition? We have received prior FAF grants.
Year(s) of previous Florida Animal Friend grants (if applicable):
Previous Florida Animal Friend Applications: Years Funded: 2011,2014,2006,2007,2008 Year(s) denied/incomplete: 2010
Auto-Generated (Previous Applications):
Grant #Proposal YearProposal TitleStatus
1802010Subsidy for Cost-Burdened FamiliesDenied
2532011SpayDay EveryDay (Ferals)Funded
14232014Trapper Tuesday (Ferals)Funded
16002006 Funded
16012007 Funded
16022008 Funded
17412017Spay It ForwardFunded
Describe your Organization:
Services Provided Organization Structure:











List your current board of directors:

NameTitlePhoneOccupation
Frank Hamilton PhDPresident813-250-3900Business Professor
Linda HamiltonDirector813-250-3900Executive Director
Paul GiovaniDirector813-250-3900Attorney at Law
Tamera HolmanDirector813-250-3900Controller
Yvonne PaintonDirector 813-250-3900CEO Max Communications

Applicant Qualifications
For your organization, in the last complete fiscal year:
0  cats and 0  dogs were admitted.
0   cats and  0   dogs were adopted.
0   cats and  0    dogs were euthanized.
7508   cats and  3374    dogs were sterilized.
  
Briefly describe your animal programs:
 
If your program performs adoptions, are all animals sterilized before adoption? 
Yes
If not all, what percentage of animals are not currently sterilized before adoption? 
If not all, how are animals selected for sterilization before adoption? 
If not all, describe your sterilization policies and procedures for assuring sterilization after adoption:
 
Give additional background information on your organization's programs as they relate to this application and the qualifications of the personnel who will be in charge of this program. Show that you have the ability to carry out this program. 
Our primary mission is to end the killing of healthy animals as a means of population control. Our founding program, SpayDay, monthly sterilizes from 75-110 ferals on the 2nd Monday of each month and has sucessfully completed thousands of feral cat surgeries for $10 per cat. Ear tip, distemper and rabies vaccines and necessary medical issues are applied at the time of spay/neuter and the caregivers are coached in colony maintenance when not an established caregiver with ACT. Linda Hamilton, Executive Director and CoFounder of ACT, will manage this new program with the help of her senior staff: Denise Greno, Operations Mgr, Dina A, Outreach Mgr and Kim Benkowski, Medical Supervisor. Their "will-do" attitudes are a result of the successful results of previous similiar programs and from their dedication to the mission.
If you currently have a program for sterilization of cats and/or dogs, describe your current level of funding and productivity and why additional resources are needed? 
Our pricing structure is set to cover our normal operating expenses. SpayDay, as a founding program, is supplemented with budgeted funds because it has worked so well for so long. We use grants to provide assistance for targeted areas or new ideas that will have positive impact on cat and dog overpopulation. We will use this funding to execute our program, Spay It Forward, which is a community collaboration program involving hand holding through the unfamiliar stages (example - trapping). This service is originally provided by either ACT or by a volunteer trained by ACT, and the only cost to the caregiver is a commitment to "Spay-(ing) It Forward for the next request received. ACT will educate feeders on the TNVR program and then the current caregivers will S-Pay it Forward by educating new colony feeders on how to trap and neuter and the importance of this program to help stop overpopulation. ACT will continue this program in the years to come by adding a database of educated caregivers and act as a liaison between current caregivers and new feeders.

Target Population
Geographical target area (name of city, county, zip codes, geographical Information service (GIS), etc.):
 Hillsborough County 
Total human population in target area: 1376238 
Percent of residents living below poverty in target area: 15.8 
Estimated number of pet cats in target area (human population divided by 3.3): 417042 
Estimated number of pet dogs in target area (human population divided by 4.0): 344060 
Estimated number of feral cats in target area (human population divided by 6.0): 229373 
Number of cats admitted to animal control shelters in the target area last year (if known) 7889 
Number of dogs admitted to animal control shelters in the target area last year (if known) 8545 
Number of cats euthanized in animal control shelters in the target area last year (if known) 1357 
Number of dogs euthanized in animal control shelters in the target area last year (if known) 812 
Please explain if you believe your target area animal population is significantly different than above.
We believe the above information to be reflective of our area.
Please explain what you believe are the most substantial sources of dog and cat overpopulation in the target area:
 We believe that the reason our cats did not make as much improvement in live release than dogs is due to the feral cat situation. Our feral cat issue can be attributed in a large part to lack of education and opportunity for advantages of feeders becoming caregivers. Feeders are caregivers who feed routinely because they do not want the cats to "go hungry" yet they don't either know the importance of spay/neuter or they don't know how and where to take them for an affordable price.
What kinds of spay/neuter services are currently available in the target area and in what ways are these resources currently insufficient to meet community needs?
Currently, there are two formal programs in the local area that address this issue: ACT's SpayDay Monday and Humane Society Tampa Bay (HSTB) Feral Cat Program. Both programs offer consistent and aggressive pricing to service the known trappers and caregivers, and as such, have made a lot of progress in the “N” part of the TNVR formula. HSTB has one field person that is booked out for “several months” to provide trapping services for the community. What we believe to be insufficient is the ownership by the community of the feral cat issue as an issue that the community issue that can be solved by the community. A great number of feeders don’t know what next steps are required to take care of the cat(s) they are feeding. They need to be and can be empowered to take the next right step. Spay It Forward educates, assists, and shows them it is not only possible and then expects them to share their knowledge and newly attained skill to another feeder at the same crossroad. ACT and its staff and volunteers can manage the program and offer the medical solutions, but we need to find and hold precious the community’s commitment to responsibility of the solution. When we, as an empowered group, can increase our sterilization by 2 more cats per day—two cats that wouldn’t have otherwise been fixed, we can cross over our 90% live release rate with the cats, just as we have with dogs, in Hillsborough county.
Florida Animal Friend is highly supportive of proposals that are focused on animal populations that are identified as substantial sources of dog or cat overpopulation rather than being diluted over too broad of a geographic area or diverse animal populations. Describe the specific target animal population of the spay/neuter project proposed for this grant:

  
 
TNR Managed Colony Feral Cat Program/Community Cats (Free-Roaming and/or Owned) Program
Define the precise boundaries of the colony or targeted area, including estimate of square miles.
 Our targeted area is Hillsborough County, which includes 1,020 square miles. Athough we will begin our efforts in an area of the county, we will be prepared, as the results accumulate, to go where the needs become self evident.
 
What is the criteria used for determining the target area(s) and/or eligibility for this program?
The cats need to be in traps, and will be ear tipped and vaccinated during the surgical procedure. They must have an address in Hillsborough county, as we measure success on the numbers that are produced at our county animal shelter.
 
Describe whether the targeted area is rural, suburban, or urban. Is it commercial, residential, agricultural, or a designated special land use?
Hillsborough County includes urban areas within Tampa city limits, suburban area’s surrounding the city as well as large rural community. Feral and free roamers exist in all three types of areas.
 
Estimated number of cats in the target colony area : 229373  
Estimated number that are currently sterilized: 75693
Projected reduction after utilizing the grant:  24978
 
For TNR program, describe the ability to maintain lifelong care for remaining cats, commitment level of volunteers/organizations, etc.
Although ACT will not take over colonies for maintenance, we train and enforce the responsibilities of proper lifelong care, stressing that the colony is now apart of the extended family and as such, a lifelong commitment. We also train that records need to be kept regarding each "member" cat and his/her history, including sterilization and vaccine dates and dates of medical care needed. We focus on ways to stablize and reduce the colonies, stressing removal of young or socialized cats.
 
Do current city/county ordinances address TNR or free-roaming cats?
Yes

Please explain what is allowed:
Our county has progressively responded as its occupants have voiced their opinion to support TNVR after our political involvement as a community a few years ago. Under the leadership of Scott Trebatoski, allows for TNVR to be practiced as long as certain conditions exist. The feral cats are to be routine provided with adequate food and water. Caregivers must be able to provide proof of vaccines. County license tags are not required. This is consistent with the packages we are providing.
(NOTE: FAF will not fund any program this is inconsistent with local ordinances.)
 
For TNR program, list any groups or government agencies who support this TNR effort:
TNR is supported by our county animal services and by many local volunteer groups in the area. Primary supporters include ACT, HSTB, St Francis Animal Rescue and Cat Crusaders. In the adjacent county, we also serve a group that is recently formed called Meow Now.
 
Describe any effort to lessen the negative impact on local wildlife.
Managed colonies seldom have a negative impact on local wildlife. Cats that are fed on a regular basis are less likely to hunt local wildlife for food, and often become socialized with other wildlife.
 
Describe efforts that will be made to mitigate current or potential nuisance issues.
Provide educational material to caregivers to be able to communicate the benefit of TNVR and its long term goals. Teach good colony maintenance routines, including health maintenance after fixing.
 
Will the cats be ear-tipped? Yes
Will the cats be microchipped? No
 
Provide any additional information that will help the grant selection committee understand how this program will operate to achieve its goals.
This funding will open new doors for a new level of caregivers. We will help the community help themselves by creating new experts and converts. The caregivers will retain responsibility for bringing the cats into the clinic, but our Neuter Scooter transportation van may be used to help when the trapping numbers are motivated. Any wounds and will be addressed and caregivers will receive recommendations. Cats healthy enough and old enough will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and ear tipped.
 
Objectives
What do you hope to accomplish with these funds (objectives should be specific and quantifiable)?
We hope that by digging a little deeper, we will bring this county into the 90% save rate for cats, as it has experienced for dogs. In January of this year, Pet Resources (animal services) released the preceding year’s results. We had passed the 90% save rate for dogs and puppies, but it was the feral cat deaths that kept the 90% from being a reality for the cats. We want that to happen next year. Extrapolating and projecting next year’s numbers from this years, we project that 2 cats a day, or 48 a month, or 600 a year will enable us to meet that vision.
How does this program increase the number of sterilization surgeries above the existing baseline?
It creates new communities that practice TNVR. It moves a those that care about the cats from the defeating feeder only status to being part of the solution as their caregiver.
Methods
What criteria will you use to determine eligibility for your program? 
All cats must be in a trap and must be registered for the Spay It Forward program. They will be ear tipped and vaccinated as well sterilized.
How will you advertise the program? Explain how the advertising will reach the target audience.
Much of the advertising has already begun and much of it is word of mouth. Local community knows local community. We have a standing reservation for workshops and interested party for a free room at the local library, and we have support and recognition in the communities. Now we need for those people to tell others and we need to be there when they need us.
How will you address barriers to full use of the program such as transportation, illiteracy, and cultural hurdles? 
ACT has several bilingual employees in both our medical and administration departments. We will provide flyers in Spanish for distribution at local pet stores and at the monthly workshops. Our email list contains 17,000 mostly local pet lovers and rescue groups to help us know who wants to work with us.
Does this project involve the transportation of animals by someone other than the client? If so, describe the vehicles, methods for confinement, personnel training, liability releases used to assure the safety of the animals and handlers.
 ACT has a van “Neuter Scooter” which already makes regular pickup of cats and dogs. We can expand the usage of that van to pick up traps depending on the number of cats in traps. We are fully licensed for animal pickup and selected ACT employees are covered for driving responsibilities.
Veterinary Services
 

What arrangements have you made with veterinarians to perform the surgeries? 
ACT has one full time surgeon that can sterilize up to 45 cats and dogs a day and one part time vet that can do 50 cats. We also have 5 in-house contract vets who can each sterilize 30-35 animals. We will schedule a dedicated surgery team responsible for the Spay It Forward cats.
Are they:  
 

Veterinary Practices
Practice NameAddressCityStateZipPhoneLead Practice
Dr SabshinACTTampaFL33606813-250-3900
Dr WagnerACTTampaFL33606813-250-3900

Fee Range
What is the fee range to be paid for spay and neuter and what is the distribution to be paid by the client vs. the grant program? Keep in mind that Florida Animal Friend grant funds may only be used for costs directly associated with sterilization surgery (including anesthesia and pain control) and not for other items such as vaccines, testing, licensing, and capital purchases.
Amount Paid by Client Amount Paid by Project Total Amount
Range for Male Cats
Range for Female Cats
Range for Male Dogs
Range for Female Dogs
Please check each item below to indicate additional services offered at the time of surgery, whether the client is required to pay for them, and if so what the fee is. For example, if an examination is required for surgery but is not charged to the client it would be marked: Required  Yes, Fee to client No
Required, Optional, or Not Offered Fee to Client?
Examination   
Rabies Vaccination if Due   
Other Vaccination if Due   
Pain Medication   
Parasite Medication   
HW Testing   
Feline Leuk/FIV
County License   
Ear tipping   
Microchip
Other   

None of the anticipated grant funds can be used for any of the above services, except for pain medication.
If necessary, please explain the procedures and fees described above: 
 $10 fee includes all required services including rabies, pain medicine, parasite medication (including earmites and parasites) ear tipping and (other) antibiotic and distemper. Antibiotic for ferals was an agreement within our vet community and distemper was requested by the county when they approved the practice of TNVR in the county.  
Is this a voucher program? No
 
If so, how will you assure compliance with the program?

 
For your voucher program, how have you determined the capacity of the veterinarians listed above to handle the projected capacity?
 
 
Will you have the ability to report the number of vouchers issued and the percentage that result in S/N surgeries?

 
Community Collaboration
To assure the success of your program, are there any local groups (such as rescue groups, animal control agencies, TNR groups, local businesses, local media, social service agencies,etc.) other than your organization and your cooperating veterinarians who are committed to assist?
 
 
Please list them and detail their level of involvement with the proposed effort.
NameLevel of Involvement
Seminole Heights AssociationHigh level: this community group has members that are very foccuused on treating their animals with dignity and respect. They have asked for us to be a part of their community and help to advise and train.
St Francis Animal RescueMedium Level: This 501©3 organization provides education to the community about TNVR. They also collaborate with ACT to take kittens from ACT’s SpayDay if they are young enough for socialization.
Tampa Cat CrusadersHigh level; this 501c3 rescue/tnvr group is organized and active. ACT works occasionally with Cat Crusaders on community projects and often spays and neuters free roaming and feral cats for as little as we can afford.

 
Other Information
Provide any additional information that will help the grant selection committee understand how the program will operate to achieve its goals.
 ACT has been active in providing high quality spay/neuter service for 15 years. We have advocated for changes within our community and have followed them through to see some movement and success. ACT played a major role in the county’s change of standing in regards to the legality of TNVR. We take our commitments seriously and we expect the best from those in the position to make positive changes for the animals. We are being extremely conservative with our promises and requests for this grant funding request. We do so for two reasons: 1. We always want to deliver at least what we promise. 2. It is a new spin, with established solutions. Our expectations are that there will be unforeseen opportunities that we will be presented with. We need to be deliberate about our promises to avoid breaking our reason #1. Our focus is on county-wide community collaboration, but we begin by focusing in and around the Seminole Heights area, which has already reached out to us. However, we are prepared to move beyond that area if our requests take us there. We will be flexible in our approach to marketing: if the three listed collaborators get us reasonably
Budget
Total number of sterilization surgeries projected:
Cats: 624    Dogs:  0 
Total budget requested (Budget should not exceed $25,000): $25,000.00 
Average cost/surgery projected: $41.00 
Describe any expenses that are not included in the grant and how they will be paid for (for example, vaccines, microchipping, ear notching, etc.):
Additional expenses include ear tipping, antibiotics & distemper vaccines; client will absorb cost with copay.
 
Describe any other funding sources for this program, i.e. other grants, targeted fundraising efforts, budget allocation, etc.
Client will supplement cost with $10 copay. Any unforeseen issues will be absorbed by ACT and the caregiver will have the opportunity to donate to that service.
 
What percent of the total cost of the program would this projected grant cover?
78
Timeline
All projects must be completed within 12 months of receipt of funding.
Projected start date: 08/01/17/     Projected end date: 07/31/18
 
Unexpended funds
Any unexpended funds must be refunded to Florida Animal Friend within 30 days of the end of the project.

Requests for extensions
Requests for time extensions are discouraged and not often granted. If it is imperative to request an extension, such request must be made in writing at least 30 days prior to the end of the project. It is FAF’s policy to seldom grant more than a 30-60 day extension.

Failure to submit reports and requests within the required time period will impact your agency’s future grant applications.
 
Future Funding to Sustain Public Spay/Neuter
*Explain how the organization plans to fund this program in the future. Having sustainable plans including other grants, local donations and other services generating revenue enhances the chances of receiving this grant.
 We will factor this program into the next budget after the grant is completed, as we did SpayDay and the Community Cat special pricing. Future funding sources include fees from clinic activities, donations, payments by caregivers and other grants.
Promotion of Florida Animal Friend Spay/Neuter License Plate
*Applicants selected for funding are expected to publicize their grant in support of their spay/neuter program and promote the sale of the Animal Friend license plate via press releases, newsletters, website links, social media, etc. Please describe your plan to promote the Florida Animal Friend Spay/Neuter License Plate. Grantees are required to submit documentation of promotional endeavors with their final report.
 ACT encourages its employee to purchase spay/neuter license plates and provides a reimbursement as incentive. All new hires are advised of this policy, and employees share parking facilities with our clients who are then educated about the plates in a lobby poster. All flyers will introduce Spay It Forward opportunities and include the FAF logo and involvement.