Post by Exceller Fund on Mar 23, 2008 4:40:32 GMT -5
This is really an addendum to our February update as we have not taken in any new horses or had any adoptions.
Right now we are in a holding pattern as we wait for the Spring thaw to hopefully bring out people looking to adopt. However, thanks to the sub-prime mortgage melt-down and it's after affects on Wall Street and the real estate market, coupled with even higher gas prices, and hay and grain prices, 2008 is shaping up to be a very challenging year.
NEW WEBSITE
Our new website should be going "live" by the end of the month. OOur current is showing its age after 10 years which is just ANCIENT in terms of the internet. With the help of a wonderful college student, we have re-designed the website with a fresh new look and much simpler layout. Here is your SNEAK PREVIEW to take a look - www.excellerfund.org/revamp
So don't be surprised if you go to our website in about a week and see an all new site!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
We have a few changes on our Board of Directors. In late February, after many years of service, Catherine Deely asked to step down due to other committments. In mid-March, Darlene Robinette asked to step down due to some personal and family situations. Darlene has been invaluable to The Exceller Fund with her calm wisdom and guidance that has helped us navigate some stressful situations, and her input will be greatly missed. Both Catherine and Darlene will continue as members as they fully support the mission of The Exceller Fund.
Nicole Smith was then approved to be our corporate Secretary, and I am temporarily taking over the role of Treasurer in addition to President.
We are VERY excited to welcome a new board member, Corey M. Williams, DVM of Lexington, Kentucky. We have another nominee for a board member and just need to complete some formal steps to welcome this person also.
We would like to have at least one more member on our board. If you would like to be considered for the Board, or would like to nominate someone, please contact Nicole Smith at Niki.Smith@excellerfund.org
MEMBERS CHALLENGE
I am sorry to report that our Members Challenge did not seem to generate donations. This means our winner is Sandra Warren is the winner! I will ask Sandra which item she would like, and we'll figure out something else for the other item.
Speaking of donations, we have had a bit of a drop off in regular donations. As of this point in March, we have about 40 members who have not sent in donations for this month. Please remember that we take Thoroughbreds into our program based, in part, on the monthly support that our members have pledged. When some of that support doesn't show up, we risk not being able to properly care for that horse. So PLEASE, if you have forgotten to send in a donation, remember to do so. The horses are counting on US and YOU!!!
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
There are other ways you can help generate funds for our horses:
EBAY AUCTIONS
Speaking of eBay, I will not have any out of town assignments for my job in the month of April, so I am planning on doing a bunch of eBay auctions as we build up to Derby Fever 2008. I will announce the eBay auctions as they go up. Some of the items that will go include:
EXCELLER FUND ARTICLE AND ADVERTISEMENT
And speaking of Derby fever, be sure to sign up for your complementary copy of the Triple Crown Betting Guide which will feature a full page article about The Exceller Fund as well as a full page COLOR advertisement. You can't buy these guides on the newstand, but you can receive one by registering for it at
www.theyareatthepost.com/component/option,com_registration/Itemid,0/task,register/
This is the 3rd year we have been included in this publication. The Guide contains information about handicapping each of the Triple Crown races as well as historical articles and an article about Thoroughbred retirement and adoption (that's us!)
That's it for now - I am waiting to get new updates on our horses from our foster providers. It's been a hard winter in so many areas, and everyone is looking forward to Spring!
Be sure to send in your donations:
By check - please note the new address:
The Exceller Fund
P.O. Box 33274
Granada Hills, CA 91394
Credit Card donation through our Gift Shop: excellerfund.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=E Credit Card - automatic deduction - Gayle Pruitt now does the credit card authorizations. You can send an e-mail to Gayle at gpruitt@frontierwireless.com for instructions.
PayPal - The PayPal address is donate@excellerfund.org
American Express now offers cardholders the opportunity to donate using their American Express card and earn Reward Points at the same time: www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=donateonline
Right now we are in a holding pattern as we wait for the Spring thaw to hopefully bring out people looking to adopt. However, thanks to the sub-prime mortgage melt-down and it's after affects on Wall Street and the real estate market, coupled with even higher gas prices, and hay and grain prices, 2008 is shaping up to be a very challenging year.
NEW WEBSITE
Our new website should be going "live" by the end of the month. OOur current is showing its age after 10 years which is just ANCIENT in terms of the internet. With the help of a wonderful college student, we have re-designed the website with a fresh new look and much simpler layout. Here is your SNEAK PREVIEW to take a look - www.excellerfund.org/revamp
So don't be surprised if you go to our website in about a week and see an all new site!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
We have a few changes on our Board of Directors. In late February, after many years of service, Catherine Deely asked to step down due to other committments. In mid-March, Darlene Robinette asked to step down due to some personal and family situations. Darlene has been invaluable to The Exceller Fund with her calm wisdom and guidance that has helped us navigate some stressful situations, and her input will be greatly missed. Both Catherine and Darlene will continue as members as they fully support the mission of The Exceller Fund.
Nicole Smith was then approved to be our corporate Secretary, and I am temporarily taking over the role of Treasurer in addition to President.
We are VERY excited to welcome a new board member, Corey M. Williams, DVM of Lexington, Kentucky. We have another nominee for a board member and just need to complete some formal steps to welcome this person also.
We would like to have at least one more member on our board. If you would like to be considered for the Board, or would like to nominate someone, please contact Nicole Smith at Niki.Smith@excellerfund.org
MEMBERS CHALLENGE
I am sorry to report that our Members Challenge did not seem to generate donations. This means our winner is Sandra Warren is the winner! I will ask Sandra which item she would like, and we'll figure out something else for the other item.
Speaking of donations, we have had a bit of a drop off in regular donations. As of this point in March, we have about 40 members who have not sent in donations for this month. Please remember that we take Thoroughbreds into our program based, in part, on the monthly support that our members have pledged. When some of that support doesn't show up, we risk not being able to properly care for that horse. So PLEASE, if you have forgotten to send in a donation, remember to do so. The horses are counting on US and YOU!!!
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
There are other ways you can help generate funds for our horses:
- Shop through iGive - go to www.igive.com and register. Then select The Exceller Fund as your charity. From the iGive webiste, you can find almost all of the major retailers and internet merchants for almost any kind of product. Want to order sheets from JCPenny? If you log into iGive first, and link to JC Penny from their website, JC Penny will donate 1.2% of our total purchase to The Exceller Fund. Ordering office supplies from Staples? The Exceller Fund would receive 2.8% of the amount of your order? Zappos has some GREAT shoes! And The Exceller Fund receives 4.8% of the amount you buy! Think of it as a win-win. You save the hassle and cost of gas to go to each store, and The Exceller Fund gets cash!
- Search the Internet using Goodsearch. Go to www.goodsearch.com, and select The Exceller Fund as your charity. The Exceller Fund earns 1 penny for EACH internet search you do from their site. For 2007 searches, The Exceller Fund got $245.10!!! If we had 100 people do an internet search 3 times a day, we would get over $1,000!
- Sell stuff for us on eBay. When you sell something on eBay, you can designate anywhere from 10% to 100% of your final price to be donated to The Exceller Fund! Find out more on eBay's Giving Works page for sellers - givingworks.ebay.com/sell/
EBAY AUCTIONS
Speaking of eBay, I will not have any out of town assignments for my job in the month of April, so I am planning on doing a bunch of eBay auctions as we build up to Derby Fever 2008. I will announce the eBay auctions as they go up. Some of the items that will go include:
- Old Friends and More Old Friends - signed by Barbara Livingston along with a hand drawing by Barbara.
- Secretariat memorabilia
- Items autographed by Laffit Pincay, Jr. and Chris McCarron
EXCELLER FUND ARTICLE AND ADVERTISEMENT
And speaking of Derby fever, be sure to sign up for your complementary copy of the Triple Crown Betting Guide which will feature a full page article about The Exceller Fund as well as a full page COLOR advertisement. You can't buy these guides on the newstand, but you can receive one by registering for it at
www.theyareatthepost.com/component/option,com_registration/Itemid,0/task,register/
This is the 3rd year we have been included in this publication. The Guide contains information about handicapping each of the Triple Crown races as well as historical articles and an article about Thoroughbred retirement and adoption (that's us!)
That's it for now - I am waiting to get new updates on our horses from our foster providers. It's been a hard winter in so many areas, and everyone is looking forward to Spring!
Be sure to send in your donations:
By check - please note the new address:
The Exceller Fund
P.O. Box 33274
Granada Hills, CA 91394
Credit Card donation through our Gift Shop: excellerfund.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=E Credit Card - automatic deduction - Gayle Pruitt now does the credit card authorizations. You can send an e-mail to Gayle at gpruitt@frontierwireless.com for instructions.
PayPal - The PayPal address is donate@excellerfund.org
American Express now offers cardholders the opportunity to donate using their American Express card and earn Reward Points at the same time: www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=donateonline
