The mission of Marian’s Dream is helping donors help animals… through support of small or new programs/projects that have the potential to become breakthrough and sustainable programs for the humane field. Marian’s Dream has a remarkable track record in creating such programs and in identifying other organizations that needed a boost early on, in order to go on to create innovations for the field.
Examples include:
Focus on Animals – Initially a program of Marian’s Dream, more than 70 videos and films focusing on animal issues were made available at a reasonable cost. Marian’s Dream found a permanent home for the program with The National Humane Education Society. Today, the program is still ongoing with more than 100 titles loaned free-of-charge to educators.
SPAY/USA – Also initially a program of Marian’s Dream, SPAY/USA was an innovative program to not only connect people with low cost spay/neuter services in their area, via an 800 number, but also to actively work to create such programs where none existed. Marian’s Dream located and publicized existing low cost spay/neuter programs, helping them to flourish, and negotiated the startup of hundreds of affordable spay/neuter clinics and programs. In the mid-90′s, SPAY/USA found a permanent and sustainable home with The North Shore Animal League America.
Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) – Before there was SNAP, there was the Houston Animal Rescue Team, which had a dream of mobile clinics that could perform surgeries on location anywhere. While well-respected today, in 1991 mobile clinics were controversial and extremely rare or even unknown. Marian’s Dream helped the Houston Animal Rescue Team fund one of their first mobile spay clinics, which later went on to become the highly successful SNAP program of Houston, replicated many times over in other communities, often with help from Marian’s Dream. For example, the TEAM (Tait’s Every Animal Matters) van in Connecticut, which alters some 10,000 cats annually throughout the state, was assisted by a grant from Marian’s Dream as it first started operations in 1996. Marian’s Dream has funded startups of mobile vans in seven states.
Marian’s Dream uses the following four step process to locate talent and innovation and help programs become successful and sustainable.
- Determine needs– What service for animals is missing? What is holding up progress?
- Develop Solutions– Who has a dream that is sound, that delivers a solid answer to the need? Does it need tweaking? Some guidance? Some leadership development? A prototype?
- Direct Resources- How can Marian’s Dream support this effort and bring additional resources to help the program grow and become successful?
- Deliver Sustainability – Where is the best place for this program to be sustained and supported on into the future?
Won’t you join us in making a difference in cities and towns across the country!? Please see A Dozen Ways to Make Dreams Come True.