The Pegasus Foundation2003 Annual Report |
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INTRODUCTION
The Pegasus Foundation, established in Massachusetts in 1996, is a private independent foundation that supports animal and environmental protection programs. The Foundation believes that all forms of life warrant compassion and respect, and that human beings must strive to make the world a more humane place for all living things.Through a strategy of engaged philanthropy, the Pegasus Foundation serves as a catalyst to help non-profit organizations achieve their potential by forming partnerships, building capacity, leveraging resources, and educating the public. Pegasus Foundation grantees are encouraged to include all communities and all peoples in developing collaborative partnerships that will lead to lasting change. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals; rather, it focuses attention on animal and environmental protection programs with which the Foundation has developed a personal connection.
SUMMARY OF 2003 ACTIVITIES
In 2003, the Pegasus Foundation focused more resources on a select few programs while phasing out funding for programs that have become sustainable. Pegasus expanded its Florida staff and increased its presence in that state. The Foundation also participated in various coalitions, alliances and networks.The Foundation’s expenses and distributions totaled $436,082. Funds were distributed to non-profit organizations that provided services in three broad issue areas: wildlife and habitat protection; companion animal welfare, with a focus on population control; and education and outreach. In addition to grantmaking, Pegasus assisted grantees in obtaining additional funds from other sources, provided consultation to non-profits, and attended conferences and meetings to develop additional resources for programs the Foundation supports. The following report highlights some of these efforts.
WILDLIFE AND HABITAT PROTECTION
The Pegasus Foundation provided ongoing support to programs protecting the buffalo herd of Yellowstone National Park, manatees in Florida, and the wildlife of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Foundation also participated in coalitions and alliances to protect marine mammals, Florida’s Everglades, and other wildlife and habitat.Yellowstone Buffalo
The Pegasus Foundation both funded and actively participated in the Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance, a coalition of more than 15 organizations working to protect the American buffalo of Yellowstone National Park, located in northwest Wyoming on the Montana border. These animals, also known as bison, are protected inside the Park, but once they leave Yellowstone’s borders, they can be shot and killed by the Montana Department of Livestock because of a perceived threat of buffalo spreading brucellosis to cattle. This herd, which represents the country’s last wild and genetically pure population of buffalo, now numbers about 4,000 animals. During the winter of 2002-2003, a total of 244 buffalo were killed by government officials.
The Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance, which formed in 2002, has three primary goals: ending the current policy of managing buffalo by slaughter, providing habitat in Montana for Yellowstone buffalo, and transferring management of wild buffalo from the Montana Department of Livestock back to wildlife biologists.
In 2003, the Alliance obtained significant national media coverage for the Yellowstone buffalo. The issue also received considerable attention in Congress, culminating in the November 2003 introduction of the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act, which calls for federal agencies to adopt common sense measures that are ethically and fiscally responsible to end the ongoing buffalo slaughter.
In addition to funding the Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance, the Pegasus Foundation provided ongoing support to the Buffalo Field Campaign, a grassroots organization that is also a member of the alliance.
For more information, go to:
Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance
Florida Manatees
The Pegasus Foundation coordinated the work of the manatee coalition, ensuring that gains made through lawsuits settled in 2001 with the United States and Florida governments were implemented and enforced.
Along with protecting hard-won manatee speed zones and refuge sites, one of the coalition's great challenges in 2003 was preventing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission from reducing the manatee's status as an endangered species under the Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Act. Although the commission twice considered downlisting manatees in 2003, a final decision was delayed for a year or more.
Another manatee protection victory in 2003 was the establishment of additional federal manatee refuges on three rivers that run through four Florida counties: Lee, Volusia, Duval and Clay. These additional protections, along with others achieved in previous years, led to a decrease in the number of manatee boat-related deaths in 2003. Unfortunately, total manatee deaths for the year increased due to other causes.
More information about the manatee coalition and the lawsuit settlements are at:
The Manatee Protection Lawsuits
Summary of the Federal Manatee Lawsuit Settlement
Cape Cod Marine Mammals
After significantly funding the Cape Cod Stranding Network (CCSN) for five years, the Pegasus Foundation supported the organization in other ways in 2003. The Foundation’s executive director continued to serve on the network’s board. Pegasus also helped fund both training and volunteer recognition events. CCSN expanded its capacity through the hiring of three additional staff with funds from the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Network was significantly involved in a number of scientific gatherings, which included serving as co-host of the Northeast Region Stranding Network Conference and speaking at the annual meeting of the federal Marine Mammal Commission. CCSN also responded to 426 marine mammal strandings and helped birds caught in a major oil spill in Buzzards Bay on Cape Cod.
For more information, go to: Cape Cod Stranding Network
COMPANION ANIMAL WELFARE
In 2003, the Pegasus Foundation greatly increased its support of companion animal population control programs in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The Foundation also provided funding for dog and cat spay/neuter programs in Florida and on the Navajo Nation in the southwestern United States.Caribbean Animal Welfare Initiative
As the result of a request for proposals sent to Caribbean animal welfare groups in late 2002, the Pegasus Foundation funded a total of nine spay/neuter programs in 2003:
* International Veterinary Assistance, for a three-year spay/neuter initiative in St. Lucia.
* Spay-Neuter Incentive Program, for a project begun in 1999 to spay and neuter stray dogs on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
* St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, to launch a spay/neuter program on the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John.
* World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), to support spay/neuter programs operated by two organizations:
-The Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society, and
-The Turks and Caicos Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
* Three groups in Puerto Rico, all of which offer spay/neuter services: PARE Este, Inc.; Save a Sato Foundation; and the Puerto Rico Animal Welfare Society.
* The Anguilla Progressive Association of New York, to support spay/neuter services provided by the Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation.
These grants were part of the Foundation’s Caribbean Animal Welfare Initiative, which also included development and maintenance of an E-mail network among Caribbean animal welfare groups as well as other support, such as technical assistance and training. Foundation staff members conducted site visits to eight Caribbean islands and made contact with organizations on more than a dozen other islands. In addition, information was shared and collaborations were built with national and international animal welfare organizations and foundations with an interest in the Caribbean region.
More information about this initiative is available at:
Pegasus Foundation Caribbean Animal Welfare Initiative
Navajo Nation Spay/Neuter Programs
The Pegasus Foundation continued its long-term commitment to the Navajo Nation and its people in their efforts to address dog overpopulation issues on this 27,000 square-mile Native American nation located within portions of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Almost 4,000 dogs were spayed or neutered by four different organizations in 2003: the Navajo Nation Veterinary and Livestock Program, the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), Plateauland Mobile Veterinary Clinic and Rural Area Veterinary Services, a program of the Humane Society of the United States. Pegasus provided funding to SNAP and Plateauland for their spay-neuter programs. Additional funds were provided to the Arizona Humane Society for their assistance with a Navajo puppy adoption program.
In 2003, the Pegasus Foundation was also pleased to strengthen its partnership with the Robert T. Wilson Foundation, which is providing core funding for the Northern Arizona Second Chance Center for Animals. The Second Chance Center, which broke ground at its new facility in Flagstaff in September, will serve all of northern Arizona, including the Navajo Nation. The Second Chance Center will form collaborations and networks with other animal welfare programs throughout the southwestern United States in providing the following services: rescue, spay/neuter and other veterinary care, adoption and humane education.
More information about Navajo Nation animal welfare programs can be found on the Web at: Desert Animal Companions
Florida Feral Cat Population Control
Large numbers of companion animals are abandoned by their guardians each year. This problem is particularly acute in Florida where many winter visitors leave their cats behind when they return to their homes in the north. Many of these cats join feral colonies and breed unchecked as they become more wild, or feral. In 2000, the Pegasus Foundation helped establish the Hobe Sound Animal Protection League (HSAPL) to humanely address the feral cat problem on Florida’s Jupiter Island.
Since its founding, HSAPL has spayed or neutered approximately 400 cats, preventing the births of thousands of unwanted kittens. Through a trap-neuter-release program, the number of cats on Jupiter Island and neighboring communities has been significantly reduced, as has the cost of feral cat control for local municipalities.
In 2003, HSAPL opened a new cattery, which is now home to more than 20 formerly wild cats and kittens. These cats live in enclosures that have indoor and outdoor sections, so they are protected from both predators and prey. The cats receive human attention and learn to trust people, making it possible for some previously feral cats to eventually be adopted into permanent homes.
The long-term goal of HSAPL is to reduce the numbers of feral cats through sterilization and adoption. For more information, go to:
Hobe Sound Animal Protection League
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
The Pegasus Foundation’s education and outreach funding in 2003 focused on the Compassionate Traveler Web site and the Florida Conservation Alliance Institute. The Foundation also developed and participated in coalitions, alliances and networks with other organizations and foundations that support animal and environmental protection programs. Particular support was given to the development of the Florida Environmental Funders group, which now involves more than a dozen foundations that meet periodically to share information and coordinate funding strategies in Florida.
The Pegasus Foundation fully funded Compassionate Traveler, a Web site for travelers who care about animals. Compassionate Traveler provides information on animal welfare issues at tourist destinations. Monthly E-mail alerts offer specific action steps that travelers can take to help animals around the world. The Compassionate Traveler Web site is updated continually through a new and improved search engine that allows visitors to search for information by animal, country or topic.
Additional publicity and outreach in 2003, including news releases and exhibits at national animal welfare conferences, more than doubled the number of subscribers to the monthly E-mail alerts. Pegasus will seek to make this program self-sustaining in 2004.
For more information, go to: Compassionate Traveler
Florida Conservation Alliance Institute
The Pegasus Foundation provided funding to the newly launched Florida Conservation Alliance Institute, which completed its first year of operation in 2003. The Institute’s goals are to provide capacity building opportunities for Florida's non-profit environmental organizations, build a strong network among environmental groups, and serve as a communications clearinghouse. Pegasus funding was specifically targeted toward developing Florida’s next generation of environmental leaders through programs such as Green Behind the Ears.
For more information, click on: Florida Conservation Alliance Institute
Memberships
The Pegasus Foundation is a member of the following organizations:
* Animal Grantmakers
* Cape Cod Stranding Network
* Consultative Group on Biological Diversity’s Marine Funders Working Group
* Endangered Species Coalition
* Environmental Grantmakers Association
* Everglades Coalition
* Florida Environmental Funders
* Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance
* Manatee Coalition
* Marine Mammal Funders
* Marine Mammal Protection Coalition
* Martin County Conservation Alliance
PEGASUS FOUNDATION 2003 GRANTS
GRAND TOTAL: $194,000
WILDLIFE AND HABITAT PROTECTION: $41,000
Yellowstone Buffalo:
Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers (support of Buffalo Field Campaign) - $2,500
Greater Yellowstone Coalition (support of Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance) - $17,500
Massachusetts Wildlife:
Cape Cod Stranding Network - $250
Center for Coastal Studies - $5,000
Humane Society of the United States Cape Wildlife Center - $8,250
New England Wildlife Center - $7,500
COMPANION ANIMAL WELFARE: $129,000
Caribbean Animal Welfare Initiative:
Anguilla Progressive Association (support of Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation)- $1,000
Global Wildlife Resources - $3,650
International Veterinary Assistance - $6,000
PARE Este, Inc. - $1,000
Puerto Rico Animal Welfare Society - $1,000
St. Croix Animal Welfare Center - $10,000
Save a Sato Foundation - $1,000
Spay-Neuter Incentive Program - $5,000
World Society for Protection of Animals - $22,000
Navajo Nation Spay/Neuter Programs:
Arizona Humane Society - $5,100
Plateauland Mobile Veterinary Services - $2,500
Spay-Neuter Assistance Program - $57,000
Florida Feral Cat Population Control:
Hobe Sound Animal Protection League - $1,000
Cape Cod Animal Emergency Plan:
International Wildlife Coalition - $7,750
Horse Rescue:
Aziizi Foundation - $5,000
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: $24,000
Compassionate Traveler:
International Wildlife Coalition - $20,000
Florida Conservation Alliance Institute:
Florida Wildlife Federation - $2,500
Other Education and Outreach:
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund - $1,000
Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts - $500
PEGASUS FOUNDATION GOALS FOR 2004
Wildlife and Habitat Protection:
* Develop a Florida endangered species network.
* Expand Florida boater education efforts to better protect manatees.
* Develop additional funding sources for select grantees, including the Cape Cod Stranding Network and the Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance.
Companion Animal Welfare:
* Support development of the Caring Fields Animal Sanctuary in Martin County, Florida.
* Sponsor the Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. * Develop and expand the Foundation’s Caribbean Animal Welfare Initiative.
* Expand and support the network of organizations working together to provide companion animal population control programs on the Navajo Nation.
Education and Outreach:
* Open an office in the building operated by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
* Move Compassionate Traveler toward a self-sustaining program.
PEGASUS FOUNDATION CONTACT INFORMATION
Pegasus Foundation Program Offices:27 Merrimack Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603-225-3918
Fax: 603-225-4624
1000 Main Street
P.O. Box 79
West Barnstable, MA 02668
Phone: 508-375-6355
Fax: 603-225-4624
700 South Dixie Highway, Suite 101
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: 561-835-2025
Fax: 561-835-3772
167 Third Avenue North
Naples, FL 34102
Phone: 239-403-7979
Fax: 239-436-1023
Pegasus Foundation Staff:
Peter A. Bender, Executive Director, pbender@pegasusfoundation.org
Cynthia Frisch, Florida Representative, cfrisch@pegasusfoundation.org
J. Kevin Hertell, Treasure Coast Representative, jkhertell@pegasusfoundation.org
Anne Ostberg, Communications Director/Program Officer, aostberg@pegasusfoundation.org
Pegasus Foundation Trustees:
Peter A. Bender, The Pegasus Foundation, Concord, New Hampshire
David Fitts, Esq., Day, Berry & Howard, LLP, Boston, Massachusetts
George Malloy, C.P.A., P.C., Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Steve Ziobrowski, Esq., Day, Berry & Howard, LLP, Boston, Massachusetts
The Pegasus Foundation
c/o Day, Berry & Howard, LLP
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Pegasus Foundation 2003 Annual Report
www.pegasusfoundation.org