JOIN THE EQUINE WELFARE NETWORK
Charity Request
Thank you for expressing interest in joining the Equine Welfare Network. The listing is provided free of charge to eligible organizations. The listing of an organization on this site does not imply any endorsement or recommendation by the EQUUS Foundation.
Please review the
Eligibility Requirements below before completing the request. Please use proper grammar when completing this form. Check your spelling and do not use ALL CAPS.
Please complete all the information and press SUBMIT. We will respond back to the email of the primary contact with either 1) login instructions to complete the request, 2) a request for additional information or 3) a notification that the request to join the Equine Welfare Network has been declined.
Eligibility
To be accepted as a public charity on our network:
I. The organization must certify that
• The organization is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as tax-exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) to which contributions are tax deductible pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 170(c)(2) as a public charity and the organization is not a private foundation.
• The organization provides or conducts real services, benefits, assistance, or program activities related to horse welfare in the United States.
• The organization does not engage in any activity that disregards the welfare of animals of any kind, causes an animal to feel pain or fear, exploits or harms an animal to benefit the organization, or willfully slaughters an animal to benefit the organization.
• The organization's programs and activities are directed by an active and responsible governing body, whose members have no material conflict of interest and a majority of which serve without compensation.
• The organization prepares and submits to the IRS a complete copy of the organization's IRS Form 990 or certifies that the organization is not required to submit an IRS Form 990.
• The organization conducts publicity and promotional activities based upon its actual program and operations, and that these activities are truthful and non-deceptive, include all material facts, and make no exaggerated or misleading claims.
• The organization has operated as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity for at least one full operating year.
• The organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, disability, handicap, age, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
• The organization does not promote or use donations for religious education or religious purposes; require participants to be of a certain faith or participate in religious activities or services; or require participation in prayer, worship, or other religious activities as a condition of receiving social or secular services offered.
II. The organization must provide programs that involve one or more of the following:
• Shelter and rehabilitation for America's equines subjected to abuse and neglect, and at risk for slaughter;
• Retraining and re-homing of America's equines in transition with careers as athletes, companions, teachers, and healers;
• Peaceful and humane retirement and end of life for aged equines that ensures that they are able to live out their lives in comfort and with dignity;
• Mutually beneficial opportunities for people and equines to partner for the purpose of contributing positively to cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being.
III. The organization must have a presence on the internet, i.e., a unique domain/url address that clearly defines its equine programs and ensure that the content displayed is kept current and based on actual programs and operations. A Facebook page is not acceptable.
IV. The organization must keep its Guidestar profile current. The EQUUS Foundation expects all charities that are accepted on our network, regardless of their size and scope, to be accountable and transparent to the public. The EQUUS Foundation requires that the Guidestar seal reflecting the current year be displayed on the charity's Guidestar profile. GuideStar is a free information service specializing in U.S. nonprofit companies. Please update your organization's GuideStar profile at
https://www.guidestar.org/Login.aspx with the required information. If you have not done so already, you will need to create an account; otherwise sign in to update the report.
Definitions
Equine Assisted Services (EAS): Any activity that incorporates equine interactions and/or the equine environment, mounted or unmounted, to include 1) psychotherapy and/or mental health counseling aimed at achieving goals set forth by the licensed mental health professional and the client, 2) occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology treatment strategies utilizing equine movement set forth by the licensed therapist and the client, 3) horsemanship instruction adapted to the ability/disability of those receiving services, for the purpose of contributing positively to their cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being conducted by a certified professional, and 4) experiential learning approaches that promote the development of life skills to achieve educational, professional and personal goals conducted by a licensed educator, mental health professional or coach. Please refer to our
Guidelines for Conducting EAS for additional information.
Special Needs: Any difficulty or difficulties (such as a physical, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive disability or impairment) that require or benefit from instructors, specialists, counselors, trainers and/or facilitators who have certified training for their scope of practice applicable to the people participating in the programs and specific to the program offerings. The difficulty may not be limited to a health issue but may result from the interaction between the individual and the society in which he or she lives arising from an abusive or unhealthy environment or situation and/or a lack of resources, including economic resources, placing them at risk of a future with less than optimal outcomes.
At-Risk: Refers to being at-risk of a future with less than optimal outcomes. Youth are considered at-risk for a number of reasons, such as if they are homeless or transient, involved in drugs or alcohol, abused sexually, physically or emotionally, mentally ill, neglected at home or live in stressful family environments, lacking social or emotional supports, and involved with delinquent peers. At-Risk youth are likely to be involved in a number of risky behaviors, such as running away, skipping school, drinking underage, engaging in sexual behavior, displaying disruptive behavior, bullying/harassment, fighting, and committing acts of vandalism.
Community Outreach: Refers to public education programs aimed at educating the public about the horse-human bond, issues impacting the welfare of horses, and how horses change lives and activities that include, but are not limited to, any activity OTHER THAN Equine Assisted Services (EAS) that require a credentialed service provider, such as off site visits with horses at hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, crisis response, workplace well-being, on site tours, seminars and clinics, camps, community service hours, able-bodied mounted and unmounted lessons, etc.
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