November 20, 2024
Discovering Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary: An Interview with the Founder
RewardX Fundraising is more than a platform allowing you to raise money for your favorite nonprofit by doing your daily shopping. We are working hard to help said nonprofits gain more supporters and attention for what they’re doing. One way we're going to achieve this is by conducting "get to know us" interviews with various organizations. As a (potential) supporter, these will allow you to discover some great causes that don’t get a lot of attention from national media etc. These nonprofits often work on a community level, and can always use extra funds to continue helping others.
Today, we are meeting Ansel Santosa from Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary, who was happy to answer some questions so we get to know more about this amazing nonprofit.
Where many nonprofits focus on people or the environment, Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary is committed to saving the lives of animals. That's why we've chosen to put them in the spotlight as the first feature in our new blog series, presenting nonprofits making a unique impact.
About the founders
Ansel Santosa is the Secretary Treasurer and one of the founders of Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary. 6 years ago, he founded the nonprofit with his wife. She focuses on physical infrastructure and maintenance. Ansel focusses on bookkeeping, fundraising, marketing, and administration. They both take care of the animals.
When I asked Ansel what kept him motivated in this work, his answer was very clear: “The animals! Every day we wake up and there are animals in need. There is nothing more motivating that saving a life and we are very fortunate that's something we get to do on a regular basis”
About the organization
“Ballydídean rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes farmed animals who are unwanted, neglected, or abused. Through tours and community education, we give people the chance to make friends with animals they typically only meet on their dinner plate, giving them an opportunity to rethink their relationship with farmed animals. My wife and I started this organization because we always felt strongly about animal rights and welfare, specifically those that are exploited by the food system and we wanted to make a difference both by saving lives and educating people.”
“We serve the acute suffering of unwanted, neglected, and abused farmed animals all over the Pacific Northwest by taking in strays, dumped animals, private surrenders, and referrals through law enforcement, humane societies, and other regional partners.”
They believe that exposure equals empathy, so by presenting them to you on this blog, we are hoping to help them get an important message across.
How RewardX Fundraising can help nonprofits like Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary
"Many of our supporters are looking for new ways to support us. RewardX Fundraising is one great way that people can support us by just doing their normal shopping.”
Small or local organizations often struggle to find supporters and funds, especially because they don’t have a lot of time or the means to work on communication and fundraising events. RewardX Fundraising allows anyone in the U.S.A. to raise funds for these nonprofits by doing their daily shopping.
Their fundraising goals
As a (potential) supporter, you might want to know more about how the donated money will be used. Ansel explained their current fundraising goals:
“We are currently trying to raise $20k to build a "heavy use area" for our rescued cows. It's a combination of drainage projects, gutters, fences, and specialized ground cover designed in partnership with the Island County Conservation District and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.”
And here’s why they are working hard on this huge project:
“Constructing this area will preserve our historic barn, improve the health of the cows by keeping their hooves drier throughout the winter, and prevent any animal waste runoff from affecting the protected wetland near our property. Federal grants will reimburse much of the cost once the project is complete so not only will funding enable its construction but the money will get to be used again for animal care expenses like feed and veterinary care.”
The organization’s long-term goals
Like all organizations, Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary has important long-term goals, and they rely on funding to bring these visions to life. Their mission for the future drives their efforts today, aiming to create lasting change for animals in need.
“We are currently home to 130 rescued residents. We want to continue their care and also continue our foster and adoption efforts to maximize the number of lives we can save. We would like to expand our education programs to more preschools, elementary schools, and high schools as well as add summer camps to bring more kids to interact with and learn about the animals.”
Teaching the next generations about animal welfare might be one of the best ways to improve the way humans treat animals in the future. We hope the sanctuary will be able to attain their goals.
A few more questions…
Can you walk us through a few specific initiatives or projects that these funds will directly support?
Over the next year or two we are also looking to invest in a "pig lift" which would help us safely provide hoof trims and other medical care to pigs, sheep, and goats with less stress than other restraint methods.
Over the next year or two we are also looking to invest in a "pig lift" which would help us safely provide hoof trims and other medical care to pigs, sheep, and goats with less stress than other restraint methods.
Are there any upcoming events, campaigns, or programs that supporters can get involved in, besides raising money?
For local supporters, we have a volunteer work party on the 3rd Sunday of every month. They can get involved at https://ballydidean.farm/volunteer or sign up to take a farm tour at https://ballydidean.farm/visit
What's one thing you wish more people knew about your organization or the cause?
Visitors are often surprised to learn how much personality chickens, cows, goats, sheep, and other farmed animals have. "They're just like dogs!" is something we hear on almost every tour. It's so easy to imagine that animals you have never met are stupid, mean, or otherwise "deserving" of what humans do to them. But it's also so easy to see after just meeting one of those animals for a few minutes that they are kind, curious, trusting, and in every way deserving of the same empathy consistently afforded to cats, dogs, and horses.
Thank you Ansel for taking the time to tell us about Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary and using RewardX Fundraising!
Become a supporter for Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary
Making a difference for a nonprofit like Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary has never been easier. Sign up on our website and become a supporter to help Ansel and his wife take care of all these animals.
If you’re already a RewardX Fundraiser supporter, you can now change the nonprofit you’re supporting by logging in on our website. This allows you to help several organizations, one each month for example. It’s up to you how many you support and when.
Do you want your nonprofit to be featured on our blog?
Are you a dedicated volunteer or the owner of a nonprofit using RewardX Fundraising to make a difference? We'd love to hear your story! Reach out to us at editor@rxfundraising.com to be featured in our next blog and inspire others with your impact.