LEADERSHIP CASE STUDY · NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT · ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY · COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Pet Savers Veterinary Clinic: Reimagining Possibilities

The opportunity: Help a nonprofit veterinary clinic strengthen its organizational foundations, expand fundraising opportunities, and move from an aging, repurposed residence into a more functional and sustainable facility.

Building the Foundation for Change

My work with Pet Savers began with a capital campaign intended to support construction of a new veterinary clinic. But advancing that goal required more than raising money.

Working with organizational leadership, I helped create and revise foundational nonprofit documentation, develop business and capital campaign strategies, and reestablish an engaged and productive board. These efforts helped position Pet Savers to pursue larger donors, grants, and long-term development opportunities.

The work required looking beyond the immediate fundraising goal to understand what the organization needed to accomplish its mission sustainably.

Understanding the Work Before Designing the Space

As Development Director, I was tasked with helping relocate Pet Savers from a retrofitted older house that constrained clinic operations. I began by listening to the people who understood the daily work: staff members whose needs and workflows would shape whether a new facility succeeded.

I interviewed staff about clinical flow, work areas, and practical space requirements, then developed a preliminary floor-plan concept for discussion with the executive director, veterinarian, and team. The goal was to translate firsthand operational knowledge into a clearer picture of what the organization actually needed.

When the Original Plan Became Less Practical

As new-construction estimates increased, I examined the assumptions behind the plan and explored alternatives. I worked through development questions with municipal reviewers and public-safety representatives, including infrastructure requirements that could add substantial cost.

I recommended considering a different path: sell the existing property and identify an established building in a more visible location that could be adapted to the clinic’s needs.

Leadership adopted the relocation-and-remodel strategy. I helped identify the new location, advance the purchase and renovation planning, coordinate with the City of Spokane Valley, interview and select a general contractor, and develop the facility layout with the project team.

With the project established and progressing toward its intended outcome, I transitioned from full-time employment into consulting and ultimately stepped away during the remodel. Pet Savers opened in its renovated facility in fall 2022, fulfilling a goal the organization had pursued for more than a decade.

Development Beyond the Building

Alongside facility planning, I supported grant stewardship through research, applications, and reporting, and pursued funding opportunities aligned with the clinic’s services. I also contributed to community outreach supporting affordable spay/neuter care and community-cat services.

DawgHAUS + Katz: Making Fundraising a Community Experience

I co-developed the DawgHAUS + Katz Challenge, drawing inspiration from other community doghouse-design competitions and the Spokane Symphony’s Christmas Tree Elegance (CTE) fundraising model.

The concept invited businesses and community groups to design and build themed doghouses—and later cat condos—paired with donated items, displayed for the public. Central to the concept was the $1 raffle ticket, adapted from the established CTE fundraising model. The affordable ticket price made participation accessible to a broad community.

The campaign brought together creative participation, business relationships, public engagement, and fundraising in a format designed to make supporting Pet Savers both enjoyable and accessible.

Community Education: Connecting the Campaign

To address grant-related public education requirements and reach underserved communities, we initiated the development of a quarterly outreach program designed to rotate among libraries and community centers throughout the region. The framework connected the clinic’s educational mission with places where residents could more readily access information.

I created and produced Mythbusters and Trivia videos as approachable educational resources. We also developed a two-page infographic handout to reinforce the campaign’s messages in a format people could take with them. The videos were played on a monitor in the clinic lobby, extending their educational use beyond the proposed outreach events.

Strategic Storytelling: Bringing the Mission to Life

Recognizing the value of telling Pet Savers’ story through more than traditional fundraising appeals, I developed a multimedia storytelling initiative intended to introduce the organization’s mission to prospective supporters and donors across different media formats.

I drew on professional media relationships to bring ILF Media into the effort. Their team professionally produced the campaign films. They also helped us produce a live-streamed auction fundraising event. This partnership complemented the educational videos I created independently and allowed the organization to use different forms of storytelling for different audiences and purposes.

Selected supporting documents: The Professional Writing & Work Samples page includes the historical capital campaign plan, case for support, and a redacted ASPCA grant application. These are examples of a broader range of development and operational work; financial projections and grant requests are not presented as realized outcomes.

Leadership Reflection

Pet Savers reinforced my belief that responsible development begins with discovery. The most valuable question was not simply how to build the proposed facility, but whether the proposed solution best served the people, resources, and mission of the organization.

Listening closely, testing assumptions, and remaining open to a different route created room for a more practical direction.