Welcome to the

Illinois Equine Humane Center

Our fate is in your hands!

Dear members and friends,

When we founded the ILEHC nearly two years ago, I never in my wildest nightmare envisioned the enormous struggle that lay ahead in order to keep this rescue up and running. I don't think anyone knew at that time that the economy was about to tank and what the ensuing fallout would be, particularly for the non-profit sector.

I write to you today because the ILEHC has come to a critical crossroad, and the very fate and existence of this organization is quite literally in your hands. Without support (both financial and physical) from each and every one of you, the ILEHC will not be able to survive. With thousands of charities lined up for only a handful of grants, organizations like the ILEHC cannot solely rely upon funding from grants to pay the bills. The bulk of funding must come from the private sector - via donations made by individuals and through "in-house" fundraising events.

During the past few months the ILEHC has requested your help with several different fundraising events we have in the works and unfortunately, the response to our "call to arms" has not been very successful. To those of you that have contributed to our fundraising efforts, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! To those who have yet to contribute in some way, I beg of you to please consider helping us in any way you're able. The Temptation's song "Ain't too Proud to Beg" comes readily to mind and believe me...I ain't too proud to beg if that's what it takes to provide for our horses and to keep this organization afloat!

The following is a list of fundraising endeavors that critically need your support. If you are unable to make a financial gift, please consider helping in some other fashion.

• Donations are urgently needed for our "Let 'em Eat Hay" campaign. To date we have raised less than $1,000 toward our annual hay expenditure which totals more than $17,000. Without your help, we will not be able to purchase the hay we need to feed the horses and we will be faced with having to close our doors. I don't wish to frighten anyone with this statement, I just want you to realize that these are the facts. Without funds to feed the horses, the ILEHC will cease to exist. If you wish to make a donation to our hay fund, please
  
  or mail a check to:
  ILEHC - 9N673 Kendall Road - Elgin, IL 60124.


• Participate in the ILEHC Fundraising Challenge. If you are unable to make a financial gift at this time, please consider holding your own fundraising event. Funds raised from these events are critical in order for the ILEHC to be able to provide our horses with every day necessities such as feed, bedding, veterinary care, dental and hoof care, fly protection, etc., and to keep the ILEHC farm well maintained and in working order. To date, not a single person has signed up for our Fundraising Challenge. Please...please (begging again!) consider holding an event. Every single penny you raise will truly make a difference for the horses! Fundraising Challenge details


• Become an ILEHC Member. If you are not a member, please consider joining today! Your membership fee not only helps to feed the horses, it also serves to sustain the organization by providing funds needed to pay for insurance, educational materials, office supplies, etc. We must grow our membership in order give this organization the best chance of survival during these challenging economic times. Please fill out the membership form (PDF) to join or renew your membership.


• Support the ILEHC's Annual Dinner and Auction! This will be the ILEHC's FIRST EVER large fundraising event. If we are to be able to continue helping horses during 2011, this event simply MUST be an overwhelming success. The bulk of the funds we need to sustain the organization next year will need to come from this event. We are counting on you to help ensure that we do not let the horses down, so please consider helping (on one knee and begging now!) with one or more of the following:


• Donate an item or two for the silent or live auction.
• Solicit items from merchants for use in the silent or live auction.
• Post the event flyer to stables, feed stores, and other local businesses.
• Serve on the ILEHC Auction Committee. We need over 300 items for the auction and still need several people to help secure the items and to assist with preparations both prior to and during the event.

For more information on how you can help with this critically important event, or to purchase tickets, please go to our Second Chances dinner page.

• Last but not at all least...if you are in the market for a new horse, please consider adopting one of our wonderful and incredibly deserving horses. We have several fabulous horses in need of loving homes, many of which will make awesome sport or pleasure mounts! Please click here to visit our adoption page. We also need additional foster-care providers, and professional trainers who are willing to assist with the care and retraining needs of our horses.

In closing, please consider that the ILEHC has accomplished a great deal in its short history and has made a tremendous difference in the lives of a great many horses. We have rescued well over a dozen horses from slaughter, led the effort to keep the horse slaughter industry out of Illinois, rehabilitated injured and neglected horses, and retrained and successfully re-homed many deserving horses. Our track record with the horses has been an incredible success, however, our ability to meet our financial needs has not been so stellar.

With your help we can and will meet the challenges that lay ahead. With your help we can and will continue to make a difference. Our fate is in your hands. Please consider helping in any way you can.

Gail Vacca, President
Illinois Equine Humane Center, NFP