|
|
|
End-of-Year Giving
We are regularly asked about ways our donors can contribute to The Pegasus Project for their end-of-year giving. We are always grateful for holiday cash donations to help us enter into the next year financially strong. In addition, here are a couple of unique ideas on how to help the horses of which many people are unaware.
CHARITABLE IRA ROLLOVER:
T
he charitable IRA rollover is a permanent provision in the tax code that allows individuals who are 70.5 years of age or older to make charitable gifts from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) directly to The Pegasus Project.
If you are 70.5 years of age or older, you can take advantage of a simple way to benefit Pegasus and receive tax benefits in return. You can give up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to qualified charities, such as The Pegasus Project, without having to pay income taxes on the money.
Why consider this gift? 1) Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the impact your donation is making. 2) You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer does not generate taxable income, and it also does not generate a tax deduction. 3) If you have not taken your minimum distribution for the year, your IRA charitable roll over gift can satisfy all or part of that requirement.
APPRECIATED SECURITIES:
As you consider making a year-end gift to The Pegasus Project, think about making a gift of appreciated securities. Given the recent growth of the stock market,
your gift will go farther this year.
Not only is your gift of appreciated securities meaningful to the Pegasus horses, it is also one of the most tax-efficient ways to give.
Here are two major advantages of giving securities: 1) You could avoid capital gains tax. 2) Stock donations are eligible for tax deductions for the full fair market value of the securities (up to 30% of your adjusted gross income).
As will all gifts made to The Pegasus Project, you can designate your gift of securities to the program that is most meaningful to you (i.e. training, rehab, etc.) or you can support the Pegasus mission and allow the securities to fund the most urgent needs.
For further questions and instructions on how to make your gift of a charitable IRA rollover or appreciated securities, please contact Allyson DeCanio at allyson@mypegasusproject.org.
|
|
|
~Fostering a Family~
In September, we were contacted by a wonderful woman named Sara Gardner who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was trying to save a pair of donkeys from a poor outcome. The donkeys, a male and female, were living in Southlake, Texas and being used to breed annually to maintain an agricultural exemption on a piece of land for their owner. Each year, he would breed them and then sell their baby. Since he was planning on selling his land, he no longer wanted the animals and was considering taking them to auction. Sara sprung into action and offered to purchase the donkeys from him.
Sara arranged to have Equine Express transport the donkeys to her home in Little Rock, but since the female was heavily pregnant, Equine Express said it could not haul them that far. Pegasus to the rescue! We agreed to accept the pair, birth the baby and get them trained for Sara. In exchange, Sara agreed to donate to Pegasus each month to cover our costs. Before the transaction could be finalized, the female gave birth to her new baby on September 24th. Fortunately, he was healthy, and the trio arrived at the Pegasus ranch on October 4th. We haven't been able to wipe the smiles from our faces ever since!
|
|
| Tex with his mother, Blaze |
Sara came from Little Rock to see them the day of their arrival. She decided to name the daddy "Bob," the mama "Blaze," and the 10-day-old baby boy "Tex." The donkeys had never been handled, and so we had our work cut out for us to get them halter broke and vaccinated and to get the male castrated. Pegasus ranch manager, Chelsea Hopson, went to work, and in no time she had them going our way. We successfully vetted them, and Chelsea continues to work with them daily as they get more and more trusting and manageable. Ranch hand, Maura Flaherty, and Pegasus co-founder, Mike DeCanio, also spend a lot of time handling the donkeys to expose them to different people.
We expect this adorable donkey family to be with us through December and perhaps into January, before they make the trip to their new forever home in Little Rock with Sara. We hope to have them fully manageable by then. Chelsea has already trimmed all their feet, wormed them, and we've had them fully vetted. Every day they get more interested in people. Little Tex is sitting in our laps and loving all the handling he receives.
We are so proud of Sara Gardner for stepping up to provide a safe landing for this lovely little family. Pegasus is thrilled to play a small part in their lives and to help guarantee them safety forever. It truly does take a village!!
Merry Christmas!!!
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
A Note from Allyson
A Year in Review
As 2018 comes to a close, I am reflecting on the wonderful year we have had at The Pegasus Project. The ranch has remained full the entire year. With a maximum capacity of 43 Pegasus horses, we are closing out the year with 43 rescue horses on the ranch. We accepted 12 horses into our program in 2018. We directly adopted out 6 horses, and we have 2 others currently being sponsored for adoption who should be moving on to their forever homes before the end of the year or shortly thereafter.
In addition, we have helped dozens of other equine and their owners through 1) direct placement from one home to another, 2) safety net funding for hay, feed and veterinary care, 3) support of law enforcement in seizures and direct placement of horses, and 4) fostering and training of equine in transition between homes.
Our current staff is the strongest we have had since the inception of Pegasus nine years ago. Ranch manager, Chelsea Hopson, oversees three ranch hands and a number of fantastic volunteers each week. Our trainer, Anthony LaSpina, has brought a positive energy and a ton of talent to our mission. Anthony works under the guidance of board advisor and master horseman, Bruce Logan, to develop each horse to its fullest potential. Each horse is getting superior training and being allowed as much time as necessary to become the best horse it can be.
This year has not been without its challenges. We have found ourselves at odds with a growing trend in the equine rescue world. Some of the national organizations that provide grant money to horse rescues have made what we feel is an undesirable move toward rewarding quantity of quality. Rescue organizations that run high volume and flip horses without proper rehabilitation, training and future protection are being favored over organizations like Pegasus that dedicate extensive resources to the development and life-long safety of each horse. As a result, grants that we have been awarded in the past will not be coming our way. The Pegasus board of directors is in unanimous agreement that Pegasus must continue to operate with the best interest of each and every individual horse at heart, and we will not be altering our mission. We may adopt out less horses than some other organizations, but we ensure the future of every horse we touch. We are confident that our donors would never expect us to do it any other way.
We continue to be blessed with committed donors and more financial support than ever before. With the endowment fund provided by Gary and Kathie Heidenreich of San Jose, California, and their ongoing support, we feel financially stable. We are now in a position to move forward with confidence in our ability to do even more work to save the many horses in need in our community and beyond.
Despite this growth, we are not resting on our laurels! Every day, we work harder than ever to increase our donor base, remain innovative with fund raising, and push for more supporters. The need is great, but our determination is greater. We implore each and every one of you to continue your support and spread the word about the Pegasus mission. There is a never-ending supply of horses needing our help. Together, we can continue to change the world one horse at a time. Thank you for helping us give horses wings.
Let's make 2019 great!
Allyson DeCanio
President, The Pegasus Project
For questions or comments, email: allyson@mypegasusproject.org
|
|
|
|
2018:
December 20 - Pegasus Partners Holiday Dinner - Villaggio Del Vino
2019:
January 6 - Open House
Coming in the spring - Bruce Logan Clinic
Coming in the spring - Pegasus Mini Clinic
April 13 - Wings Over Pegasus (
tentative
date)
September 19 - North Texas Giving Day
November 2 - 9th Annual Ride for a Rescue
|
|
|
PEGASUS PARTNERS
Thursday, December 20th
6:30 pm
Villaggio Del Vino
Tyler, TX
SPECIAL HOLIDAY DINNER
Monthly, fun,
information-packed meetings for
Pegasus supporters at various locations throughout the year. All Pegasus Partners at the $25/month level and higher are Happy Hour members. Membership includes a car decal, a Pegasus hat or t-shirt, a Pegasus logo wine glass and an open invitation
to every meeting!
Discuss the latest Pegasus news and connect with other like-minded horse fans. (Your wine glass is free, but the wine isn't! We know how much you drink!)
Click here to join:
|
DO YOU LOVE
WHAT WE DO? BECOME A PEGASUS PARTNER!
Did you know Pegasus relies entirely on private donations? Our regular monthly donors, known as
Pegasus Partners
, are our most treasured assets. For as little as $10/month you can help provide us with a predictable source of income at a much lower cost than any other fundraising method.
While we are very
appreciative of
one-time donations, the monthly donations of our Pegasus Partners
allow us to plan ahead.
Our ability to save these helpless horses, donkeys and mules depends on YOUR donations!
We cannot do this without you! Please consider making a monthly donation so we may continue to rescue horses that have no future without us.
Click here to join:
PEGASUS PARTNERS
|
|
