Preparing for the Future
When this rescue started back in 1997, Abi and I had no idea it would become what it is. We just wanted to help a few birds. As we’ve grown, we’ve become more concerned with how it might continue when I can no longer do the day-to-day operations.
While we are blessed with a wonderful board and great volunteers, there has to be someone in overall control, on site every day, and able to handle every facet of the program. I am fortunate enough to have found the time and acquired the skills to keep things running well… But nobody lasts forever. When I’m gone, it seems clear that the Rescue will have to hire a professional manager, one who can bring all of those skills with them.
The Solution
In order to hire a manager, the rescue must have some regular source of income, much more than it costs to pay the bills at this point. We need an endowment fund to accomplish this. We have a manager working full time, taking over most of the day-to-day business, adoptions, and surrenders, and we need to be sure we can keep them in the future. The Iowa Parrot Rescue Endowment Fund was established in March of 2013 with one object in mind, to generate enough income to keep us running for years to come.
Money donated to this fund is not available for general operations. It is handled by a trust officer at our bank, will be invested, and the income is rolled back into the Fund. The board of directors will be able to utilize this income to pay my replacement and until that time, it is untouchable. My guess is that it will require a capital of 1.5 million dollars to generate enough money to pay the sort of manager we need.
How to Ensure the Future of Iowa Parrot Rescue
You can mail a check to the rescue as usual, but include a note that it’s for the Endowment Fund, and we will hand it to the trust officer to deal with.
2479 Golden Ave. Letts, IA, 52754
You can also send a check directly to the bank, and identify it as being for the Iowa Parrot Rescue Endowment Fund.
Community Bank & Trust, attn: Trust Department
615 Cedar St. Muscatine, IA, 52761
If you want to make a bequest in your will, designate the Iowa Parrot Rescue Endowment Fund as the beneficiary, at the above address. Please feel free to discuss this with us, by email at iaparrotrescue@gmail.com or by phone at 563-506-5479.