Statement of Values of USESR

• Commitment to the public good;
  
• Accountability to the public;
  
• Commitment beyond the law;
  
• Respect for the worth and dignity of individuals, both human and equine;
  
• Inclusiveness and social justice;
  
• Respect for pluralism and diversity
  
• Transparency, integrity and honesty;
  
• Responsible stewardship of resources; and,
  
• Commitment to excellence and to maintaining the public trust.

Personal and Professional Integrity

Mission

Governance

• Ensures that its board members have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that officers and directors understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of the organization and its public purpose;
  • How we do this: New board members are issued a special orientation packet which covers such topics as nonprofit accounting, lobbying, fundraising, time management tips and other helpful topics.
• Ensures that the organization conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;
• How we do this: We have a strict Code of Ethics in place, as well as written penalties for violating said Code. We use written contracts to avoid misunderstandings. Contracts protect our relationships, as well as our assets.
• Ensures that the organization promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;
• How we do this: By keeping an ‘open door’ policy in effect. USESR Headquarters responds to most contact immediately. Our members can be assured that help or guidance is just a phone call away. USESR’s open-door policy extends to the caring people who donate and entrust their equine to the United States Equine Sanctuary & Rescue. These donors are given the option of remaining in contact with equine they donate. We always welcome questions about our organization. Our toll free phone number and interactive website help us extend this policy to the general public.
• Ensures that the organization is fair and inclusive in its recruitment practices for all board and volunteer positions;
• How we do this: We use an Officer's Pledge and officers sign a Code of Conduct Contract. We do not seek to recruit officers or members who only agree with us. We prefer people who think independently and are willing to bring fresh ideas to our policies, procedures and programs. One of the things Officers pledge to do is vote the way they believe, even if all of the other officers vote against them.
• Ensures that policies of the organization are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted;
• Ensures that the resources of USESR are responsibly and prudently managed;
• How we do this: Our officers are able to be in contact with each other on a moment's notice most of the time. "When in doubt, call the cell phone", is our unofficial motto. Any urgent matters that arise are dealt with immediately or on the day they arise.
• Ensures that the organization has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.
• How we do this: Knowledgeable, well-equipped representatives help us carry out our many programs smoothly and efficiently. We provide training and materials to equip our representatives with the tools they need to carry out our important mission. We are always open to new ideas that will help us meet the needs of the community, our supporters, and our organization. This is supported by a strong, active board of directors. Board members equip volunteers with what they need to carry out the organization’s mission; they do this through decisions they make in regard to governing the organization.

Legal Compliance

Responsible Stewardship

• USESR spends a reasonable percentage of its annual budget on programs in pursuance of its mission;
• USESR compensates staff, and any others who may receive compensation, reasonably and appropriately;
• USESR has no paid staff. The above statement refers to reimbursement for costs associated with fostering USESR equine, fuel costs for transport of equine, and reimbursement or payment for reasonable maintenance of personal equipment used to carry out necessary USESR business.
• USESR directors ensure reasonable fundraising costs;
• USESR does not pay a professional fundraising company to raise funds for us. We do have a program in place whereby anyone who raises funds for us can, with the permission of the board and a written contract, be compensated for said fundraising.
• USESR does not accumulate operating funds excessively.
• Any time our cash reserves surpass $5,000.00 not ‘earmarked’ for a special program, USESR will make financial grants available to smaller equine rescues.
• USESR ensures that all of our spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfill the mission of the organization; and,
• All financial reports are factually accurate and complete in all material respects.
• The USESR checkbook and check register are available for anyone's review at every USESR meeting where business is conducted (meaning regular meetings of the Board of Directors. The accounting program we use is Quickbooks, which our Certified Public Accountant, Jackie’s Tax & Bookkeeping Service in Runaway Bay, Texas, set up for us during a recent voluntary audit. In 2007, we hope to furnish financial reports on our website.

Openness and Disclosure

Program Evaluation

Fundraising

• The United States Equine Sanctuary & Rescue is a publicly funded nonprofit charitable corporation. As a nonprofit, we provide services that the government or businesses either cannot, or will not provide; that is what all nonprofits do. In economic terms, businesses can only be successful if they produce profit. Our profits are used to fill the gap between what it costs us to rescue, rehabilitate, and place equine who come into the care and custody of USESR, and what income adoption fees they bring in. Without adequate funding, we cannot carry on. Money is very important to any business, and we wish we could tell you that every equine rescue will use your donation in the way you intended it to be used, but we cannot. Our strict ethics policies ensure that each representative of the United States Equine Sanctuary & Rescue adheres to the words of this page, to the great benefit of the people and equine who place their trust in us daily.