NATIONAL CENTER FOR EQUINE FACILITATED THERAPY
 

The Season of Gratitude
NOVEMBER 2015  
IN THIS ISSUE
Get ready for #GivingTuesday
NCEFT Fall-Winter Calendar
2015 Gala Results!
Charitable Veterans Organizations
Staff Spotlight - Heather Schilling
Odysseo by Calavia Discount Tickets

#GivingTuesday kicks off NCEFT's Year-end Appeal



W e have a day for giving thanks. We have two days for shopping. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back to your favorite cause. In its fourth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Observed on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. 
 
NCEFT will be looking at #GivingTuesday to kick off our annual year-end campaign. If you are thoughtfully considering a year-end charitable gift, we would be grateful for you remembering NCEFT. You can give on Tuesday December 1 as part of #GivingTuesday  or anytime throughout the month with your mailed or online contribution.
   
One of our NCEFT patients put it best: "Our daughter has been riding at NCEFT for three years now. It's had a huge impact on her core strength -- she could barely even sit on the horse when she started, and now she rides comfortably for half an hour at a stretch. Our daughter adores the trainers, volunteers and the horses. NCEFT is a magical place that offers children like ours a very special experience." 

Thank you for helping us continue our Programs that make a difference every day to each of our patients.   

2015 FALL-WINTER CALENDAR

NOV 26-27: Thanksgiving Holiday

DEC 1: #GivingTuesday

DEC 13: NCEFT Patient Family Holiday Party

DEC 21 - JAN 1: Session Break - Happy Holidays!

2015 GALA Results are In!


On a warm Saturday evening in September under a beautiful orange harvest moon, nearly 250 people gathered in our covered arena to imagine some amazing possibilities. The Heroes and Horses, Jewels and Jeans Gala is NCEFT's most important fundraiser of the year. Together with our Sponsors and Underwriters, our patrons generously supported NCEFT's life-changing work. We are grateful for the investment in our Financial Aid, Veterans, and Horse & Barn funds. 

During the evening, we debuted a wonderful new video, Imagine the Possibilities, that captures the breadth of NCEFT's different programs. Click on the image below to view the video:


We again acknowledge all our Sponsors and Underwriters for their visionary leadership and support:
 
DIAMOND LEVEL ($10,000+)
Dr. Douglas D. Boucher, DDS
Fast Response On-site Testing, Inc. & Terribilini Cattle Co./Casey Terribilini
Anne Van Camp and Peter Van Vlasselaer
 
JEWELS LEVEL ($5,000+)
Barulich Dugoni Law Group
Budd and Chalan Colby
Susan Lang and Robert Levenson
Bill & Sally Neukom
 
JEANS LEVEL ($2,500+)
Anonymous
Dr. Christopher and Martha Dunn
Cherie and Tom Hammer
Paul and Marianne Hoffman
Larry Pelzner
Dee and Laura Lou Tolles
Sarah and Dan Wernikoff
 
BOOTS LEVEL ($1,000+)
Karen Arimoto-Peterson
Lorna and Bruce Basso
Jennifer & Michael Buckley
Chris Iverson & Susanne Meier
Eve and Ross Jaffe
Vicki Juelsgaard
Meredith and Jonathan Meeks
Brenda and Greg Munks
Provident Credit Union
Sansoterra Group, LLC/Jim Sansoterra and Wendy Baum
Springdown Equestrian Center/Carol and Stan Goodstein
Village Square Veterinary Hospital/Dr. William St. Lawrence, DVM
Wells Fargo Advisors/Kristin Kendall
W.L. Butler Construction/Frank York  
 
SPURS LEVEL ($500+)
Dominika Allan
Ralph and Donna Briskin
Faye and Emmet Brophy
Daniel and Katherine Chappelear
Darren McClung Estate Jewelry/Carol Young
Firehouse Bistro & Pioneer Saloon/Bill & Lee Ann Gilbert
Larry Franzella and Michael Dunlap
Dennis and Dianne Garcia
Betsy Glikbarg
Steven Goldenberg
Cynthia Jamplis
Ronald Kovas
Derek & Nicola Liu
David Lucas
Moore Buick GMC/John Moore
Susan and Charles Nichols
John O'Donnell
Agostino Paoletti and Gayle Wilbert-Paoletti
Risk Strategies Company/John O'Neill
Sarah and Doug Rivers
Roberts Market/George Roberts
Adolph Rosekrans
Stanford Park Nannies/Daryl Camarillo
 
IN-KIND DONORS & SERVICE PROVIDERS
Kevin Banford
Bi Rite Foodservice Distributors
Nancy Collins
Donato Enoteca/Chef Donato Scotti
ELLA Palo Alto
Erin Mac Jewelry
Bruce Fielding
John Glines Central Coast Auctions
Robert Hilton, Jeweler
Kerns Fine Jewelry
Emily Joubert Home & Garden
Mary and Jeff Kroll
Darrel La Blanc
Jonathan Livingston
Kavitha & Kishore Moturi
Ladera Garden Center/Juan and Mercedes Navarro
The Pomegranate Seeds
Recology San Mateo County
Adolph Rosekrans
Saier Services Audio & Visual
San Mateo County Horseman's Association
The Stanford Park Hotel
Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry/Christine Baur
Bonnie Sterngold
Todd Tankersley Photography
Weir & Associates Catering and Events
Carleen Whittelsey
W. L. Butler Construction, Inc.
Jennifer Zweben


About Us
For more than four decades, NCEFT has helped thousands of children and adults with special needs move beyond their boundaries through the healing powers of the horse and the expert skills of dedicated therapy professionals and volunteers.  Internationally recognized as a leader in the field, NCEFT offers Hippotherapy, Adaptive Riding & Carriage Driving, Veterans programs and School programs at its beautiful,12-acre facility in Woodside, California. 

We are a 501(c)3 public benefit organization (#94-2378104), top rated on  www.GreatNonProfits.org  and a bronze www.GuideStar.org  participant.

 

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large a mount of Gratitude."   A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Our hearts are overflowing with a rather large amount of gratitude, which is fitting for this season of Thanksgiving. All of us at NCEFT were humbled by the outpouring of support at our Gala, held in our own covered arena on September 26 . The Heroes and Horses, Jewels & Jeans Gala is our single biggest fundraiser of the year. This year we exceeded all our goals - dare I say wildest expectations - by raising more than 10% over last year. Our Sponsors and Underwriters boldly stepped up to lead the way, and 248 attendees enjoyed a fun and meaningful evening. Everyone together raised their paddles to support NCEFT's Financial Aid, Veteran's and Horse & Barn Funds. The funds raised at the Gala represent nearly 1/3 of the revenue we need to meet our budget. The simple words "thank you" say it all but never enough. On behalf of our patients, volunteers, staff and Board, I hope all our supporters know that our small hearts hold very large amounts of gratitude. Your investment in NCEFT means so much to so many.

During this busy fall and early winter season, NCEFT continues to bustle with activity and purpose. All our programs are in full swing, including Adaptive Driving and Social Skills Playgroup. We encourage you to mark your calendars for #GivingTuesday on December 1   kicking off our annual appeal and December 13 for our NCEFT Patient Family Holiday Potluck ( invitations  will be sent to families directly) . 
 
If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to view NCEFT's video, " Imagine the Possibilities" that debuted at our Gala. It so captures the essence of what makes  NCEFT a special place where horses, hope and healing converge and transformation begins. We remain privileged and thankful to serve the community as we do, and we take pride in the knowledge that we make a positive impact every day for those living with disabilities. Thank you for being part of our community.
 
With a small heart full of gratitude,
Cherie

Cherie Hammer
NCEFT Development Director
U.S. Veteran Organizations by the Numbers
GuideStar's analysis of Veterans organizations

Thousands of nonprofits that serve Veterans and their families are registered with the IRS (including NCEFT). With Veterans' Day fast approaching, GuideStar, world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations, decided to take a closer look at them. We found their report, U.S. Veterans Organizations by the Numbers, ( access a copy here) quite illuminating and were surprised to learn that there are more than 45,000 nonprofits devoted to Veterans and their families. The majority (65%) are posts or organizations such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The next largest group (18%) is charitable organizations (such as NCEFT) providing services to Veterans. The remaining 17% fall among several categories of non-charitable nonprofits. California has the highest number of Veterans Organizations at 2,657. Surprisingly, more than a quarter (28%) of charitable Veteran organizations receive $50,000 or less in contributions annually.
 
NCEFT is grateful for the generosity our donors have shown year after year in support of our Veterans Programs. Our Veterans Program offers active and retired personnel the opportunity to participate in any of our services
at no cost to them. The Programs encourage physical and cognitive rehabilitation, providing Veterans with a safe environment in which to regain their independence, confidence, and strength. NCEFT receives no governmental funding (including from the VA) nor charges any Veteran clients fees for services. Instead we rely on the generosity of our supporters to fund the entirety of the Veterans Program via donations. Thank you for continuing this legacy of hope and healing for those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.
NCEFT Veteran client during an Adaptive Driving Session

Staff Spotlight: Heather Schilling
NCEFT's new, errrr old, Adaptive Riding Instructor 

This fall, NCEFT welcomed Heather Schilling as our new Adaptive Riding Instructor. Well, to put a finer point on it, we welcomed Heather back to  NCEFT! Heather started at NCEFT 10 years ago as a horse handler at our former location. Today she is both a PATH-certified therapeutic riding instructor and a certified EAGALA Equine Specialist. She has experience in everything from jumping to dressage, vaulting, carriage driving, and some cutting and ranch work as well.

Honey and her mom, Heather, NCEFT AR Instructor
 
More recently, Heather has found a special joy in halter gentling and starting under saddle young BLM mustangs. Learn more about her work at www.BeyondTheWild.org . We are all so pleased to have Heather back with us, but maybe none quite so much as NCEFT's therapy horse, Honey. Honey is Heather's horse, so if Heather shows a little extra love to her, you'll know why!  Here's a little more information about Heather:

Cherie: Where were you born? Heather: Stanford Hospital
C: How long have you been with NCEFT? H: 2 months (plus 2-3 years 10 years ago!)
C: What's the most unique job you have ever had? H: Gentling wild mustangs
C. Chocolate or Vanilla? H: Chocolate
C: What's your favorite horse color? H: I don't go by color! I like them all!
C: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go? H: Italy's Amalfi Coast.
C: What is your favorite non-horse related activity: H: Sleeping on a beach
C: iPhone or Android? H: iPhone!
C: Last book your read? H: Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson
C: Favorite cartoon character? H: Thelwell's ponies 

Thelwell's "Rodeo" cartoon

Odysseo by Calavia
Discount Tickets for NCEFT Community


Our friends at Cavalia have made a special offer available for the NCEFT community. Click here for discount tickets for select performances at the San Francsico production.
 
Known as the world's largest touring production, Odysseo marries the equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical effects at never-before-seen levels. This larger-than-life show sends hearts racing, but it is also a feast for the eyes that succeeds in delivering the spectacular with soul. Audiences of all ages are rediscovering with emotions the century-old relationship between human and horse. As friends, partners and inseparable performers on stage, 70 horses and 45 artists lead the spectator on a great journey in a world of dreams where, together, they discover some of the planet's most unforgettable landscapes.

Shop and support NCEFT 
Please support NCEFT while you shop this upcoming holiday shopping season! Sign up for Escrip and AmazonSmile with NCEFT as your designated beneficiary! It's fast, free to you and a surprisingly great source of donations for us! Go to www.escrip.com and www.smile.amazon.com