Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Despite extensive data emphasizing the role of unsterilized community cats in shelter overpopulation and animal abandonment, North Carolina's spay/neuter program excludes funding for TNR programs. LUYE provides TNR Phase I -- trapping community cats, returning them to their trap site after full recovery from sterilization surgery, ear tip, and protective vaccinations. TNR Phase II provides wellness care to eartipped outdoor cats, including parasite control, urgent vet care, and nutrition/cat food. LUYE's Eartip Team knows first-hand that trap-neuter-return (TNR) works: cat intakes dropped by more than half since TNR launched in Haywood County NC (in 2009). Cat euthanasia dropped from 77% of intakes (in 2008) to only 3% of intakes (annually since 2017).
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
Trapping multi-generational colonies in rural and low-income neighborhoods is our focus. Feral/free-roaming community cats are responsible for up to 80% of unplanned and found litters entering shelters each year. LUYE's TNR program helps keep shelter intakes low in Haywood County NC.
Wellness Clinics
Wormer and flea control are distributed to neighbors around the county at LUYE's free clinics. These events improve the health of community cats and help identify community cats in need of assistance.
Supplemental Nutrition
Colony feeders receive medium-quality dry food monthly to help offset the cost of caring for large numbers of eartipped cats. Program participation is based on need and on funds available through donations.
Where we work
External reviews

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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of shelter cat intakes
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Research shows that outdoor cat sterilizations lower the total number of shelter cat intakes. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely impact spay/neuter availability.
Euthanasia rate for shelter cats
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Total cats euthanized includes owner-requested euthanasia, which is honored by shelter policy unless a healthy-life alternative can be identified.
Number of animals spayed and neutered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Our volunteers trap and collect outdoor cats for sterilization/vaccination - then return them to their site. Every cat is eartipped to prove at a glance that it's fixed and vaccinated.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Increase wellness of free-roaming cats and reduce shelter cat intakes.
(A) Sterilize, vaccinate, and treat up to 450 free-roaming cats in 2022 as funding supports.
(B) Raise awareness of the connection between unfixed, free-roaming cats and kitten homelessness with a "spay kittens at four months" campaign.
(C) Provide urgent care for eartipped cats.
(D) Provide nutritional support for large colonies and kitten chow for litters of mom cats after spay.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. LUYE Helpline 828-550-3662 fields requests for outdoor cat sterilization and support.
2. Haywood County Animal Services (HCAS) forwards stray cat complaints to LUYE's Eartip Team for investigation/resolution.
3. Promote public awareness with flyers, displays, and similar activity.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
LUYE's trapping team prioritizes sites needing assistance with multi-generational sites are top priorities. LUYE's executive team maintains the cattery for weekly trap/transport/return cycles. The cattery provides pre- and post-surgical treatment and recovery as needed.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
LUYE was formed in October 2018 to keep trap-neuter-return (TNR) among the critical solutions available for free-roaming cats in Haywood County NC. LUYE's Eartip Team brought their expertise to the new organization, building upon the over 6.500 community cats TNR'd between 2009-2018.
With the generous support of donors and the determination of its volunteers, LUYE sterilized and vaccinated over 1,800 community cats since October 2018. LUYE benefits from ASPCA S/Neuter Alliance's low- to no-cost Community Cat package.
LUYE seeks grant funding to ensure success going forward, building on individual donations to continue our work. Demand for LUYE's Wellness program continues to increase.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Haywood County residents who feed outdoor cats.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
The board approved expanding LUYE's nutrition program to fill the gap created when a local nonprofit dropped its cat food support program. Community cat feeders with large colonies do their best but need additional resources to maintain colony health.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
LUYE is more responsive to needs aligned with our mission when we listen to our neighbors.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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LEND US YOUR EAR INCORPORATED
Board of directorsas of 08/04/2022
Susan Kumpf
Lend Us Your Ear, Inc.
Term: 2018 - 2022
Donna Murray
Kelli Miller
Henry Kumpf
Sydney Klocke
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
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