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The GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to regularly update key information directly to GuideStar. It provides richer and broader information about their programs, impact, finances, people and more.
Programs
Program:
Professional rehabilitative care
(GuideStar Exchange,The GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to regularly update key information directly to GuideStar. It provides richer and broader information about their programs, impact, finances, people and more.
November 2014)
- Budget:
-
$150,000
- Category:
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Wild Animals Preservation & Protection
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
-
None
-
None
Program Description:
Fellow Mortals has cared for 40,000 wild creatures since 1985. Even though many patients are newborns or critically-injured animals, 60-70 percent of those admitted for care are successful rehabilitations resulting in release to the wild or placement as education or foster animals.
Professional rehabilitative care is available 365 days a year at no charge to the public, making it accessible to anyone who finds a wild creature in distress, regardless of their financial situation.
In conjunction with providing professional and compassionate care, 40 permanently-injured wild creatures foster young of their own kind as surrogate parents. These include "Alberta," a great horned owl, and "Naomi," a Canada goose, which serve as behavioral role models for young of their own species,something that is critical for the orphans' survival and breeding success in the wild.
FM also operates a nature and education center which provides educational outreach to the public at special events.
In addition to its rehablitation and public education work, since 1992 Fellow Mortals has offered training in wildlife rehabilitation to students, recent graduates and newly-licensed rehabilitators, providing practical experience that is necessary before entering a wildlife-related profession.
Fellow Mortals' four licensed wildlife rehabilitators have degrees in biology and natural sciences and are paid for only a fraction of the time they give to the patients at the hospital. All staff are paid the same and average 70 hours a week, for a base salary of $25,000 a year.
Our 2012 success rate of 70% is a testament to how professional care can make a difference to the life of an injured or newborn orphaned creature.
Program Long-Term Success:
Relying solely on donations, Fellow Mortals has been serving wild and human communities without interruption for 28 years. Our program does not receive any tax monies, government grants or funding.
Program Short-Term Success:
Fellow Mortals admits wild creatures seven days a week, including holidays and weekends. If someone cares enough to find help for a wild animal, there is a rehabilitator available to help that creature.
Program Success Monitored by:
We are fortunate to receive the financial and organizational support necessary to help us continue to fulfill our mission, and judge our success by the number of animals we are able to help, and the number of people we are able to educate.
Program Success Examples:
In 2013, 70 percent of all animals admitted for care were successfully rehabilitated for release or placement as education or foster animals.
Program:
Wildlife Internship Program
(GuideStar Exchange,The GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to regularly update key information directly to GuideStar. It provides richer and broader information about their programs, impact, finances, people and more.
November 2014)
- Budget:
-
$40,000
- Category:
-
Wild Animals Preservation & Protection
- Population Served:
-
Young Adults (20-25 years) -- currently not in use
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General Public/Unspecified
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None
Program Description:
The intern program is offered to college students and recent college graduates in wildlife-related fields and offers them to opportunity to acquire hands-on experience to augment their formal training. Six internships are offered annually. Interns work an average 60 hour week for a stipend of $500 and the provision of housing, making this opportunity available to interested young professionals from around the world, regardless of their financial situation. Many of FM's former interns continue to volunteer at the hospital, helping with fundraising and animal care.
Fellow Mortals Internship Program provides the skilled care necessary to provide for the hundreds of orphans admitted to the hospital during the busy summer months.
Program Long-Term Success:
Fellow Mortals has provided training to young professionals since 1992. Former interns work in wildlife related fields from California to Nebraska to New Hampshire and abroad.
Program Short-Term Success:
Interns provide the necessary time and skills to help provide care for the hundreds of orphaned birds and mammals admitted to the hospital during the busy spring and summer seasons.
Program Success Monitored by:
A successful internship results in quality care for the wildlife at the hospital and a good experience for the intern. In the words of Cassie Seebart, 2013 intern: "Please continue to have very high expectations of your interns. Because of my time at Fellow Mortals, I feel extremely confident and equipped to handle any situation in my future."
Program Success Examples:
Many former interns return to FM to volunteer years after their first internship and many credit their experience at FM for helping them to obtain their first wildlife-related job.
Program:
Wildlife Education
(GuideStar Exchange,The GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to regularly update key information directly to GuideStar. It provides richer and broader information about their programs, impact, finances, people and more.
November 2014)
- Budget:
-
$40,000
- Category:
-
Wild Animals Preservation & Protection
- Population Served:
-
General Public/Unspecified
-
None
-
None
Program Description:
FM provides public education one-on-one to thousands of people annually, including every person who brings an animal to the hospital and through public outreach at our nature and education center, in schools and to special groups. Information provided includes natural history about wildlife species, as well as information on preventing unnecessary injury and orphaning of wildlife.
Educational materials are developed for these programs and for distribution to the general public.
Program Long-Term Success:
Fellow Mortals does not admit an animal for care without educating the person who brings it about how to prevent the situation in the future. Thousands of animals will stay healthy and with their natural parents every year because of our proactive approach to wildlife education.
Program Short-Term Success:
Making sure that the hospital does not admit healthy orphans and educates to prevent injury and orphaning of wildlife means that we keep our patient numbers at a level where we can provide quality care.
Program Success Monitored by:
Annual reports and feedback from clients served.
Program Success Examples:
Wildlife is often injured by domestic predators, such as cats. When a person brings a wild animal to the hospital that has been injured by their cat, they receive information to prevent another occurrence that also informs how to keep their cat indoors. Most people truly want to protect wildlife and keep their cat healthy and we rarely admit another wild animals which has been injured by their cat.