I'm sure you've all seen the transparency posts on social media this week, and discussions on record keeping, stemming from one particular large rescue making a comment that they don't have a "master list" of all horses they've cared for. They have since backtracked and said they have an app ... so who knows, but I will say I have yet to meet a rescue that has been in business any length of time that does not have some kind of record keeping. I have met smaller groups that maybe have one person doing it all that don't have true records, but most at least have a spreadsheet or text document of some sort.
In the spirit of "transparency" - I want to reshare this graphic we shared in January.
Later, I will share a video showing the software we use to track all horses, adoptions, owner surrender requests, community service requests, and more ... and how we got to that point. This week I've seen many groups share their systems and we've tried most, if not all, systems I've seen shared and have to say life improved significantly when we got everything, including the website listing, in one place. I'm hopeful our experience helps.
I do think the discussion should be on the definition of transparency. I think just about every rescue will claim to be transparent. However, the definition of transparency varies. Some groups held up as very transparent don't actually share their numbers and have higher euthanasia percentages than the public might think - while other groups who have shared their full numbers get lambasted for doing so. There is absolutely no way to please everyone.
Legally, the only thing a non-profit of any kind is required to report to the public for transparency sake is 3 years of their 990s (tax returns) and their application for non-profit status with the IRS. Anything else a group chooses to share, such as these numbers, is literally that - a choice. No, as a donor you do not have the right to demand that you get full access to internal business records like their accounting software or records. Yes, showing donor impact is important to development - so updating donors on how funds are used (beyond the 990) is often important - but also not legally required. Grants and directed funds (which isn't the same as "for soandso horse) may have different requirements, but still, not at the level of opening your doors and computers for someone to see every aspect of your internal records.
Our definition of transparency has always been to be as open as possible. We share every intake, every adoption, and every loss on our social media and our website. We provide annual numbers like this and do our best to answer questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible. We do not ban people unless they are truly belligerent (we've banned 12 people in 14 years and about 8 of them are bots) and we will leave criticism, and our answers, on our pages for all to see.
But that doesn't mean we share everything. We have 2 horses on medical rest for minor concerns - an abscess, and a soft tissue injury - that we haven't shared. We have one horse on short-term hospice that is difficult for us emotionally to discuss so we haven't publicly shared that either. We don't talk often about the horses we are watching closely to monitor their quality of life; and we don't necessarily share our intake list, community support requests and assistance, or other ways we help behind the scenes. We aren't hiding those things; they are just part of the every day life of rescue and just not necessarily something we put out there. When we lose the horse on short-term hospice, you will know. If an injury requiring emergency medical care happens, and not something routine like an abscess, you will know. But all the little ins and outs and every day things - we don't necessarily post. Does that make us less transparent? Maybe. But to us, we are comfortable with our level of transparency. If you are not, feel free to reach out and ask your questions. It may take some time, but someone will eventually answer.
Stay tuned for a video tour of our systems. We are always happy to share.