Raising Funds the Hard Way - wow $165K is a lot of money!

Yes, yes it is. But starting and running a first class therapy center takes a lot money. Horses take a lot of money. Feeding horses and vet care for horses and foot care for horses all takes money. Then they need blankets and barns and bedding and shoes and quality feed and sometimes special diets - and we haven't even gotten to arenas and trails and lounges yet!

My dad asked me the other day how I came up with the $165,000 figure, and I think my supporters/donors would like to know the answer to that question as well, so here is a general breakdown.

$22,000 - Training. I need to go through an accredited EFEL course to become a facilitator, and I also need to complete NARHA certification.

$75,000 - Down Payment on Farm. In our area, the type of farm we will need would cost about $750,000 ready to go. We can do renovations and repairs and updating ourselves, which means we can buy a "fixer" farm for about $500,000. We will need to put 20% or $100,000 down. We have about $25,000 in equity in our current home, which means we need to raise another $75K for our down payment.

$30,000 - Barn, Arena and Lounge Improvements. Since we will be buying a "fixer" farm, we will of course need to fix the horse part of the place up before we can start accepting clients. Fixing includes making sure stalls are safe, arena footing is safe, fencing is secure and safe, and that our lounge for parents is completed.

$24,000 - Six Months worth of Operating Expenses. We will need some time to get the improvements done and our client list built up before we can expect the center to start bringing in any type of income. Covering six months worth of expenses will give us time to get that accomplished.

$14,000 - Advertising, Legal and Office Expenses. We will need to do a big advertising push to the get the word out that the center is open, and to show the world what we have to offer. Before the first client arrives, we will need insurance and contracts and release forms. We will need computers and forms and office supplies to keep everything running smoothly.

There are quite a few things that aren't listed, like HORSES! and tack and equipment and a truck and a trailer and 1,000 other things. I hope to be able to contribute most of those items on my own, and I do currently have several people who have offered donations of horses and tack (THANK YOU!!). So that is a general breakdown of what we need funds for. It is a monumental task trying to raise that amount of money with no advertising budget and basically just sending out emails and posting on the web. But I have faith that the funds will come through, and that through the grace of the Lord, we will get to exactly where we need to be!