We have a few new prints just in time for Valentine’s Day!
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You can see those and more in the fundraising shop.
Zipper Pouches Added to the Shop
We have some new handmade zipper pouches in the shop now. Some feature cat prints; all are cute! They are lined in coordinating fabrics and measure about 8.5″ x 6.5″. Take a look!
January 1, 2021
Here we are at the start of a new year. This time last year we were putting the finishing touches on all of our documents so that we could file as a corporation and then apply for tax-exempt status. We started a Facebook page in February but didn’t promote it right away, as we wanted to be sure our nonprofit status would be approved. We opened our bank account at the end of March (thank you to Carmen at Bank of the Sierra for making that happen when the shut-down was brand-new and businesses were reeling!). Since then we’ve raised money, researched retail spaces, made new friends, and reached more supporters both locally and across the country.
We’re starting the new year feeling supported and encouraged. We can see that the idea of a cat lounge and adoption center in Ventura appeals to people, as does the mission of saving more cats and kittens. One of our big goals, once we have the lounge open, is to expand our network of volunteers, train fosters as needed, and involve more of our community in our efforts.
As we begin 2021 I wanted to record a few numbers, as I think it’s good to be able to look back and see progress. Eventually, we’ll be able to track cat adoptions!!! We’ve raised nearly $12,000. We have 412 Facebook followers and 394 Instagram followers. In 2020 we fostered 19 cats and kittens. Of those, 4 are still here in foster and 1 is still waiting to be adopted (Sequoia, now known as Teba, at Greyfoot). We’ll continue to raise money with handmade items like masks, toys, and note cards, and we’re adding zipper pouches to the store later this month too! Once the lounge is open we envision having those things for sale as well as t-shirts and other items. If you haven’t seen our Bonfire t-shirts and sweatshirts, take a look!
If you’d like to get more involved this year I encourage you to fill out a volunteer application. I’d also suggest following us on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with our activities. Once there’s more to report we’ll send out regular newsletter updates as well. Once we have a place leased we’ll share an online registry where supporters can shop for gifts like toys, beds, food, and more for the future cats!
2021 will be our year!
We Did It!
And you did it! Together, we have raised over $10,000 this year! In fact, we’re closing in on $12,000, which is simply astounding. Thank you to everyone who has helped us realize this goal. Cassie’s Cats will always be fundraising, whether it’s admission to the cat lounge once it’s open, special events, or selling merchandise. To have a solid foundation to start with gives us the confidence to know that when the time is right, we’ll be ready to lease a space, get it ready, and bring in the cats!!!
If you want to contribute and be a part of bringing this dream to life here in Ventura you can shop in our online store or simply make a donation. At the bottom of every page is a PayPal button and using that, you can donate with a credit or debit card (or PayPal, if you have an account). If you use Venmo you can donate to cassies-cats.
THANK YOU!
December Updates
It’s kind of hard to believe the final month of 2020 is here. I know January of 2021 won’t magically be all better but I have hope that overall, 2021 will be better than 2020!
Some updates to the data I like to track:
- We’ve had 70 people (that we know of!) support us through financial donations, participating in fundraisers, and/or in-kind donations.
- We started with seed money of $130 the day we opened our bank account and now have about $5400 in there.
- We’ve sold at least 125 masks since August.
- We have over 350 Facebook followers and over 350 Instagram followers.
- We’ve fostered 19 cats and kittens.
- We’ve had 3 newspaper interviews.
- We’ve spoken to 1 volunteer mentor from SCORE and 1 commercial real estate broker for advice as we move forward.
So what’s to come? We’re making a big push to raise $3000 by the end of the year. Donations to Cassie’s Cats are tax-deductible so we hope our supporters will consider that as they make end-of-year donations. We need our mission to be shared with others in Ventura and the surrounding communities as well as further out, to anyone who shares our values and wants to see cats and kittens finding their “fur”ever homes! Rent in midtown Ventura is not cheap but we want to be visible and attract as many visitors and potential adopters as we can.
Ways to donate:
- Use the yellow PayPal button at the bottom of any page
- Mail a check (use the contact form for our current mailing address)
- Send us a donation through Venmo (Jennifer-Thompson-75)
- Make a purchase in our fundraising shop
As always, thank you for your continued support as we work to make this dream a reality!