It hasn’t been too long since my last update, but I’d like to address several important developments and answer several questions that have come about. So instead of a mini-essay like I normally do, here’s a question and answer type formatted post that should help answer and explain what has happened and is happening thus far.
Q: So how are the fundraising efforts going?
A: Fundraising efforts are going very well as several local organizations have recently given collectively about $2,000 and there may be another organization or two coming through shortly as well. This is on top of donations being made online, donations being mailed in, and money being given through our scattered donation boxes around Oakland. The combined “fundraised” dollars (which is actual dollars in the bank) PLUS savings that will be realized when work is done (as several businesses have committed to providing a discount for work they can do for the dog park efforts) is now at about $25,000.
Of course, more money still needs to be raised and I’m continually reaching out to a variety of businesses, individuals, and organizations to see who can help contribute towards this project. I still need to hear back from additional individuals and businesses who can potentially help us save money on expenses by donating or discounting labor or services for the dog park, and I’ve tried making a few connections with other local organizations like the Boy Scouts to see if they can help reduce costs in other ways, for example by building park benches instead of me having to buy them.
Q: So, it sounds like you are off to a good start, but how are you planning to raise the additional funds that you will need?
A: I am presently in discussions with a few individuals who have offered to help organize fundraising events. I have no news to announce about that yet, but the hope is to do something before the end of the summer. If you are interested in hosting a fundraiser yourself for the dog park efforts, please reach out to me and I can assist in getting the word out and helping to organize. Besides a larger scale fundraiser that I’m trying to do presently, any small to mid-sized fundraiser that a local or nearby resident could host or co-host with somebody else would be amazing and extremely helpful. In addition, it is likely a small scale fundraiser will occur with car magnets of the dog park logo being sold to raise money, while also serving as a good promotional tool to spread the word even more so.
Q: Have you considered applying for any grants? If you have applied to any, when will you hear back?
A: Yes, we have and in fact we just applied for one and we’ll be applying for another one shortly! Over the years, I’ve heard from several of you about a grant from a company called PetSafe. While it has been on my radar for those years, the time wasn’t right to apply because I wasn’t granted the okay yet to start mass-scale fundraising efforts. Well, since I was approved to do just that in December, grants are very much on my radar. A grant writer has volunteered his time and efforts to help write the PetSafe grant that has now been submitted and another grant we hope to work on and submit soon. The Borough formally approved me going for the PetSafe grant when they passed “17-180, Support Grant for Dog Park” on June 14, 2017, which besides letting me apply, also means the Borough accepts that if we get one of the grants PetSafe is offering in their contest (a grant for $5,000 towards park equipment or $25,000 towards a new park), it must be used for a dog park within 3 years of receiving it.
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