Central Kentucky Riding For Hope, Inc.

Overall, our goals are to increase community awareness that equine therapy is a valid, safe and nurturing treatment for people with disabilities and to offer opportunities for equine and non-equine organizations to support our efforts. Specifically, we will strive over the next year to accomplish the following goals:   1)To continue the upgrade of our Equine Herd so we can better serve our growing, diverse population. 2) To adequately assess our current & future organizational capacity, and adjust accordingly so that we do not deplete human, equine or financial resources. 3) To correct IT deficiencies so that we can manage our facility, program services and personnel more efficiently. 4) To increase the number of non-equine partners in our constituency. 5) To market CKRH's impact more thoroughly in the community.

Many of the specific goals noted above have similar strategies to accomplish their ends (i.e. wider marketing efforts can bring awareness to non-equine corporate prospects.) As to specific strategies, they are as follows: 1) Equine Herd: We have two staff members who assess equine health & soundness regularly. As horses need to be retired due to age or abilities, previous inquiries from people who want to donate their horse are contacted to begin assessments. Generally, staff will start 3-6 months out from a projected retirement date to find a replacement. Our issue is not a limited prospect pool as we get several calls a week about horse donations. However, not all prospects will be a good fit as an equine therapist. A three-stage assessment process is in place: Telephone Interview for initial intake details, Site Visit to observe prospect in home setting and assess temperament, soundness or recurring health issues, and the 90 Day Trial Period at CKRH if prospect seems workable. Through such diligence, we're able to winnow out prospects that won't work and incorporate new equines in a thoughtful, safe manner. 2) Development Assessment: In 2016, our Board and staff members worked with a consultant agency to identify ways to improve and increase our fundraising efforts. We are now working hard to build our fundraising capacity and better educate the community about our program. 3) Infrastructure: In 2017, we bought and began the implementation process for Salesforce. We chose this system as it allows for all areas of our center to be organized and accessible for our staff. Records regarding donors, clients, volunteers and horses are able to be maintained and cross-referenced. We hope to continually expand our use of the system and be able to hire a staff person to manage. 4) Non-Equine Partners: As our programming continually evolves, more opportunities for collaborations arise. This has slowly brought more awareness to CKRH. Moving forward, our development staff will be taking an active role in community organizations to become better acquainted with local non-equine industries and identify mutually beneficial marketing opportunities. 5) Marketing; Staff is developing a marketing plan to create a refreshed website and marketing materials. This new look for our brand will be carried into our social media presence. Strategies will be made to reach more non-equine venues, such as commerce & health publications and cooperative marketing efforts with corporate partners.

1) CKRH has been providing life-changing therapeutic activities for 38 years. During which time, we honed a strict adherence to operational standards earning us recognition as a Premier Accredited PATH International Center. 2) Our program staff of therapeutic equine instructors hold current state/national licenses or certifications. Senior staff on average have held their current position for more than seven years; while year-round volunteers have typically been with us for three years or more. Some have provided services for as long as 15 years! 3) Our facilities are state-of-the-art, including indoor and outdoor riding arenas, comfortable horse stalls for 20 equines, 11 well-fenced paddocks with automatic watering troughs & large run-in sheds for weather protection, five grooming bays, two wash bays, specialty areas for medical, tack, feed and hippotherapy, an outdoor sensory trail, three classrooms, a family observation area, two meeting rooms, a volunteer room, administrative offices and a lobby area. We also have a large hay shed adjacent to the barn which offers drive-through access for large hay trucks and ample storage space. 4) CKRH is a therapeutic riding center located in the Horse Capital of the World, which is an ideal blend with the culture of our community. 5) In 38 years of existence, we have never experienced major financial setbacks, litigation or community ill-will. We attribute that to strong financial stewardship of only spending what resources are available to us. It is best exemplified by our $4 million capital campaign which took six years to complete as we built the facility in stages as funds became available. 6) We have numerous, on-going community partners with local health, education, military and social service industries.

CKRH has made exponential leaps over recent years. The use of our full-service facility has enabled us to expand programming and partnerships with local organizations. We have proportionately kept our revenue/expense ratio in check and stand on solid financial footing. We have added to our staff with experienced, dedicated personnel who work far more than 40 hours a week without complaint. We have upgraded our equine herd in both numbers and abilities to meet the increased service demand. We have expanded our national reputation as a credible resource for industry training & certifications and maintained goodwill among our participants and the community at large. Lastly, we are most proud to have established an endowment for the maintenance of our facility, which builds our long-term sustainability.