Thoroughbred Funding Non-Profit

[After_the_Finish_Lin]

Today is the start of After the Finish Line™, a funding non-profit for Thoroughbred racehorses and broodmares. Below is our press release that includes our website address. Please forward our website to help spread the word of this worthwhile cause.

www.afterthefinishline.info/Press_Release.html

Media Contact: Dawn Mellen, (858) 350-1371
Dawn@AftertheFinish-Line.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
After the Finish Line™ Launches New Non-Profit and Website for Thoroughbred Racehorses

Our Mission: To provide funding for rescue and retirement organizations ensuring quality care and safe homes for Thoroughbred horses…after the finish line!

October 8, 2007 - San Diego, Ca - The newly formed San Diego-based National 501©(3) funding non-profit organization After the Finish Line™ has just been initiated to benefit Thoroughbred racehorses and broodmares that can no longer race or breed. The greatest victory for a Thoroughbred is not winning a race, but winning the race to live long past their days on the racetrack. Thoroughbreds can transition into second careers such as jumpers, trail and companion horses when they are done racing if given the chance.

After the Finish Line™ will provide funding assistance to Thoroughbred rescue organizations across the United States through yearly grants and an Emergency Fund to assist horses as needed. Rescue organizations bear the financial burden of caring for these unwanted horses. After the Finish Line™ was created for Thoroughbreds that have no means of support.

Dawn Mellen President/Treasurer of After the Finish Line™, along with Vice President Diana Baker and Lisa Amarino, Secretary have been involved in Thoroughbred racehorse rescue for 30 years collectively and have held Board positions with other rescue and retirement organizations. Mellen, with an extensive background in Marketing and Finance, realized there was a lack of funding to support and to ensure the welfare of these horses. Mellen became inspired to make a better life for the horses by bringing like minded people together who want to help via After the Finish Line™.

After the Finish Line™ relies on the generosity of a National community of individuals, corporations and foundations to support its commitment toward these noble animals. All donations and bequests are tax deductible. The launching of the organization’s new website www.AftertheFinish-Line.Org provides important information and easy ways to donate. You don’t have to be a racing fan to become involved.

After the Finish Line™ exists to honor, respect and provide a voice for Thoroughbred horses ensuring their welfare off the racetrack and by respecting them for their achievements. There are alternatives to slaughter.

Mailing address:
After the Finish Line™, 3525 Del Mar Heights Road, PMB 397, San Diego, CA 92130

For more information please visit www.AftertheFinish-Line.Org or call (858) 350-1371

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=After the Finish Line;2727192]
After the Finish Line™ will provide funding assistance to Thoroughbred rescue organizations across the United States through yearly grants and an Emergency Fund to assist horses as needed. Rescue organizations bare the financial burden of caring for these unwanted horses. After the Finish Line™ was created for Thoroughbreds that have no means of support.

Dawn Mellen President/Treasurer of After the Finish Line™, along with Vice President Diana Baker and Lisa Amarino, Secretary have been involved in Thoroughbred racehorse rescue for 30 years collectively and have held Board positions with other rescue and retirement organizations. [/QUOTE]

Why would a non for profit just starting up put the time and more importantly the money in securing a trademark name? There is an equine product line by that trade name, “Finish Line”, which is trademarked I though

Call me a cynic but isn’t this just a shadow organization to the long established, better funded and reputable Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation? That organization, not without some recent disputes within the board, is essentially the same: a blanket non for profit which takes in money and distributes it accordingly to those qualified organizations who seek their need.

I’m not a big fan of creating redundancy when it comes to bloated administrations and lack of clarity when it comes to qualified recipients. In fact one might argue that the next scheme some “rescue” organizations would try is to give themselves a big name and try and pitch themselves as foundation of sorts from which grants are given. I’m not saying that is the case here at all. However if the focus of this new group was, for example, just serving So. Cal horses who retired off tracks in that state I could understand then that they are seeking national and local dollars for a more concentrated effort vs. the TRF being national.

Otherwise it just seems to be yet another an organization looking to raise money for the end benefit of horses of which there are so many already in place.

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2727596]

Otherwise it just seems to be yet another an organization looking to raise money for the end benefit of horses of which there are so many already in place.[/QUOTE]

And if that were the case, that would be a bad thing, why??? Its not like there isn’t enough need to go around. These horses need as much help as they can get, the more helpers the merrier. Also, if I understand correctly, this organization would be more like Blue Horse Charities which is a clearing house for money donated specifially for rescues that deal with TBs. TRF raises funds to support only themselves.

[Glimmerglass]

See my prior comment regarding redundant organizations with administrations et al. This is a start up so no idea what costs they will have until their tax filing but frankly few such organizations tend to get away with anything less then 15 cents on the dollar getting wasted on paying for staffing, offices, phones, then of course there are mailing to keep the fishing for more money going.

My point was more that I only wish that enthusiasm was used to work with an existing organization for the same purpse. Yes there are many already.

[hitchinmygetalong]

You guys are all doing a MUCH better job than I am with this puzzle - see an identically-titled thread in Off Course - perhaps you can join the conversation there. I just don’t understand the incentive to donate to a new organization who will then rechannel the $ to another non-profit. Help!

[Blueshadow]

I’m not sure what “staff” you’re talking about. As far as I’m aware, the three women involved in establishing this are volunteers. You could check on that with them of course to assuage your fears. They also are all three very experienced already in TB rescue and adoption. They have specialized skills. Lucky for us we don’t have to pay them the value of their skill premium.

Ever heard of information asymmetries? They screw up markets and cause resources to be misallocated. These organizations (and by the way, I’m not involved with any of them) basically are a mechanism to centralize information about the numerous individual TB charities out there - some of which are well established and some of which aren’t - sort the good from the bad, ensure that donations go to the good, and improve the efficiency with which donations are distributed. That’s their goal. Maybe (gasp!) by doing a good job with the monies donated they actually increase the willingness of people to participate in (through donations) TB retirement and rescue. Good luck to them, I say.

I love the part about broodmares in danger. That’s a huge deal, especially when weak TB markets (like that in CA currently) lead to broodmare band culls.

[After_the_Finish_Lin]

Thoroughbred Funding Non-Profit

Thank you to those who have congratulated us for starting After the Finish Line. It has truly been a rewarding experience. I have learned so much and I have so much yet to learn. I realized I would be putting myself out there for all sorts of comments. Yet the person I have to be concerned about pleasing is myself. No one making uneducated, negative comments has lived a day in our shoes getting this organization up and running.

Glimmerglass, let me clear up any questions you may have…

After the Finish Line has not incurred any expenses. I have been working on this since March of this year. I have used my own funds for all expenses. I was referred to an attorney who is a “horse person” and she is doing the legal work pro bono to set up the non-profit. This includes the trademark.

This is not a shadow organization to the TRF. If you had visited their website to learn about their organization before posting you would understand what they do and your paragraph about them would not have had to be printed.

We don’t have a bloated administration. We are three volunteers, not paid employees. If you are saying “I’m not saying that is the case here at all” why throw hype and state things that aren’t true in your post? Wouldn’t you want to educate yourself before posting to have a better understanding? We are not the next scheme. We are the real thing. I’m sure you wouldn’t want someone to judge you the way you have judged us. Having volunteered my time all these years to rescue Thoroughbred racehorses I have come to trust many rescues and not trust others. You really need to participate in Thoroughbred rescue to understand and print accurate statements. We are not looking to give ourselves a big name. I’d rather be understated and let the pictures of the horses we save do all the talking.

I hope you come to a better understanding of our organization over time. We will certainly give everyone reason to believe in our cause.

Hitchinmygetalong -

We are not the first of our type of organization. There are other similiar organizations that have been receiving donations to then disperse to rescue and retirement organizations. Many people want to donate to these organizations yet they don’t know which one(s) to donate to. They in turn donate to a funding organization like ours who has experience with and knowledge of the organizations. We can disperse the funds appropriately.

We look forward to working with the rescue and retirement organizations across the country.

[Acertainsmile]

Congratulations on getting this organization off the ground… I think it’s a wonderful thing, and the more people that get involved, will mean a better end for many more horses.

By the way, Grady is doing fantastic! I will Email some pics!

[After_the_Finish_Lin]

Thoroughbred Funding Non-Profit

Acertainsmile - I was hoping you would post. Thanks for the encouragement. I’d love to see pictures of Grady!

[caffeinated]

I think the nice thing about a group like this is that it can help identify those in the most need, or channel in money from sources that usually don’t pay attention to specific groups.

Say a CANTER affiliate that usually gets the bulk of its donations locally is in a real crunch, and needs help to feed some horses through the winter. An organization like this can recognize that need and help funnel funding in from outside the “usual” donor pool for that group.

I think there are some other groups doing things like this, but I can’t see how any means of getting funding to people who need it is bad or redundant…

[Full_Stride]

This sounds like a United Way for Thoroughbreds. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could get payroll deduction for a TB rescue the way that you can for United Way?

Speaking of culling broodmares, I recently took in a nineteen year old. I have no idea what to do with her besides brush her and feed her… but I couldn’t just leave her without knowing what they were going to do with her!!

Nat

[17handtb]

Congratulations!

This is very exciting news…and it meets a HUGE need - one that continues to grow despite the number of very hard-working groups and volunteers out there trying to help OTTBs.

I’m especially glad to hear about the help available for culled broodmares. I hear more and more about these older gals who have done so much for so many, and it burns me up that they are so often discarded without a safety net.

Kudos and best of luck!

[Blueshadow]

[QUOTE=Full Stride;2730150]
This sounds like a United Way for Thoroughbreds. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could get payroll deduction for a TB rescue the way that you can for United Way?

Speaking of culling broodmares, I recently took in a nineteen year old. I have no idea what to do with her besides brush her and feed her… but I couldn’t just leave her without knowing what they were going to do with her!!

Nat[/QUOTE]

And that is all she wants you to do!! Just a little love and attention goes an awfully long way. Thanks for taking her!

[After_the_Finish_Lin]

Thoroughbred Funding Non-Profit

We have received some press since we launched After the Finish Line on Monday. The Bloodhorse, New Nonprofit to Aid Retired Thoroughbreds | bloodhorse.com ran an article on Oct. 10. I am on a doing an interview with a Louisville, KY station tomorrow morning (Saturday) 6:20a pacific/ 9:20a eastern. The station is www.1570thezone.com. Next week After the Finish Line will be featured on a cable show covering Los Angeles county -Toluca Lake, Glendale, La Canada and all surrounding areas) and on Time Warner’s Channel99 (Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood and surrounding. It’s called Denise Ames, In the Mix. And there’s more to come…

In the past week, Friday to Friday we had almost 11,00 hits on our press release, www.afterthefinishline.info and website, www.afterthefinish-line.org.

Exciting!

[Laurierace]

Best of luck, I hope the success is just beginning!