In late November and early December, The Horse Fund celebrated the 12 Days of Giving. Each day we featured one of the Wasabi Ventures Stables horses who retired in 2022. As of this writing, Wasabi Ventures has retired nine horses with our assistance, and The Horse Fund has privately purchased five horses in order to retire them. Every day we highlighted one of those horses, sharing information on its career and its path to retirement.

Setting New Goals

As this was a fundraising event, we also asked for donations to help support our aftercare efforts in 2023. We had three WVS club members who offered to be matching donors. The goals were $3,000, $2,000, and $1,500. To reach a total of $13,000 from our club (including the matches) seemed like a huge reach to me, as our total raised on Giving Tuesday 2021 was $4,100.

On the first day, we raised $1,175. That was a fantastic start, but I wondered if the final goal was possible. With the first day most likely having the greatest donations, would there be enough inspiration in the next eleven days to reach $6,500 in matching donations?

On Day 2 I received a pleasant surprise. A club member offered to make a $1,200 donation but wanted to add $100 each day to the total. Beginning every day’s fundraising with $100 definitely made for a good start.

During the campaign, I shared the day’s featured retiree on WVS Slack and social media, and donations would trickle in. On Day 3 we reached our first matching goal of $3,000. We reached our second matching goal of $2,000 on Day 8. Finally, on Day 12, we hit our final goal of $1,500. Once that goal was reached, the donations didn’t stop, as several more were made.

12 Days of Giving Totals

In total, we raised $13,195 from sixty-two different donors. This money should enable us to privately purchase four former WVS horses next year and provide them with safe and secure retirements.

I am truly grateful for every one of the sixty-two donors who helped The Horse Fund reach this incredible fundraising goal. Also, I want to extend an extra thank you to my three matching donors and my $100 daily donor, who made a huge difference in this year’s fundraising.

Words cannot express how fortunate I feel to work with people who believe in thoroughbred aftercare in their words, actions, and donations.

Last week, I was once again amazed by the Wasabi Ventures Stables club members and their commitment to aftercare. On Giving Tuesday, I made a post in our community channel on Slack, naming several charitable, thoroughbred-centric organizations, who they might want to support that day. I also mentioned that The Horse Fund would be glad to accept donations as well.

Within minutes I had received several donations. Shortly thereafter, I received a message from a club member, offering to match $500 in donations. Knowing the nature of our club, I guessed we would raise $1,000 that day, as our club would want to meet that goal.

Or surpass it. . .

We did reach $1,000. . .in two hours. Another club member offered to match the next $500 in donations, which was reached in another two and a half hours. The outpouring of donations continued throughout the day and overnight. By the time Giving Tuesday had ended, we had raised over $4,000. 

I know that the WVS community believes in aftercare, and I have now witnessed many instances of generous donations. However, the actions on Giving Tuesday went above and beyond what I imagined possible. I know that there are many worthy charities, in the world of thoroughbreds and elsewhere. The Horse Fund is not the only group that wants to be supported. And yet, our club gave generously and continuously to this charitable organization.

Truly appreciative

Every day I am grateful that I am able to combine my passion for animals with a charitable initiative to create happy retirements for our horses. On a day like Giving Tuesday, I am humbled and honored to do this in partnership with a community, whose generous nature seems to know no bounds. 

As I wrote a thank you to each donor, I knew it didn’t fully capture how appreciative I am. Instances, such as these, make my heart swell with pride and have me dancing in my office. To all who participated, please know that my thanks were heartfelt and genuine.

I am proud to be the executive director of The Horse Fund and to have the Wasabi Ventures Stables community at my side.