30K in 30 Days Challenge
Tax deductible
As a licensed, 501c3 non-profit, St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines strives to fill the gap in service between the feral cat community Trap-Neuter-Return efforts and the work that Animal Controls, Humane Societies, and Shelters do with domesticated strays and owner surrendered cats. There are many Animal Controls, Trap-Neuter-Return organizations, and shelters working to reduce the stray and feral cat population in Illinois, however, there seems to be no shortage in calls from these and other organizations that need help in placing cats and kittens that just don’t “fit” into their shelters or backyards.
Our rescue has partnerships with local TNR organizations as well as with high-kill animal controls, including DuPage County, Chicago, Kankakee, Kaneville, Kendall County, Herrin County, Sangamon County, and Aurora, Skokie, and Joliet Township animal controls, as well as many others throughout the state. Our mission is to provide the best temporary care for cats in transition; it is the expectation that cats and kittens in our care will only be with us temporarily as our goal is to find them permanent forever homes.
St. Sophia's has grown exponentially in the short time since establishment. Our first year saw 110 adoptions, working with 1 pet store partner location and 5 foster homes. Almost 8 years later, we have 46 licensed foster homes, 6 pet store partners with on-site kennels (in which we rotate our available adult cats), over 100 volunteers, and an average of 275 cats in our care at any given time. In October 2016, we were excited to announce the opening of our new facility in Westmont; which serves as the hub for our volunteers and fosters, and at only 997sf is only able to house roughly 15 cats. To date, we have found forever adoptive homes for over 3,000 cats, the majority of which were found through our pet store partners and outreach events. We are now completing around 850 adoptions a year, averaging 16 adoptions a week.
St. Sophia's is one of the largest cat rescues in the Chicagoland Area (in capacity for care and number of cats we take in annually) but the only rescue at this level of care that is 100% volunteer (no paid staff). While our first few years as a rescue were foster-based, having a central location has put our name and services at the forefront of the public eye making our shelter a go-to source for assistance with strays and surrenders. Our rescue is a staple in the community and known for taking on difficult cases -- injured, ill, senior and other hard-to-place cats. With our rapid expansion and growing base in our community, we are finding that our needs are quickly outgrowing the size of our facility. We find ourselves in the position of needing a larger facility to make the biggest impact towards reaching our mission.
As a non-profit organization, with no government funding, we rely on public donations and corporate sponsorships to carry on many of our current activities, support our mission, and to develop new programs and services.
In 2017, our Board approved a 3-year strategic plan to start a capital campaign with the goal of purchasing a property that can grow with our organization as the community needs arise. We have started looking into properties, setting aside funds on a monthly basis into our campaign account, but we need YOU to make this dream happen.
With the generous support of a Saint Donor, all donations will be MATCHED up to $25,000!
Your donation will be worth double! All donations are tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt for your contribution.
Our rescue has partnerships with local TNR organizations as well as with high-kill animal controls, including DuPage County, Chicago, Kankakee, Kaneville, Kendall County, Herrin County, Sangamon County, and Aurora, Skokie, and Joliet Township animal controls, as well as many others throughout the state. Our mission is to provide the best temporary care for cats in transition; it is the expectation that cats and kittens in our care will only be with us temporarily as our goal is to find them permanent forever homes.
St. Sophia's has grown exponentially in the short time since establishment. Our first year saw 110 adoptions, working with 1 pet store partner location and 5 foster homes. Almost 8 years later, we have 46 licensed foster homes, 6 pet store partners with on-site kennels (in which we rotate our available adult cats), over 100 volunteers, and an average of 275 cats in our care at any given time. In October 2016, we were excited to announce the opening of our new facility in Westmont; which serves as the hub for our volunteers and fosters, and at only 997sf is only able to house roughly 15 cats. To date, we have found forever adoptive homes for over 3,000 cats, the majority of which were found through our pet store partners and outreach events. We are now completing around 850 adoptions a year, averaging 16 adoptions a week.
St. Sophia's is one of the largest cat rescues in the Chicagoland Area (in capacity for care and number of cats we take in annually) but the only rescue at this level of care that is 100% volunteer (no paid staff). While our first few years as a rescue were foster-based, having a central location has put our name and services at the forefront of the public eye making our shelter a go-to source for assistance with strays and surrenders. Our rescue is a staple in the community and known for taking on difficult cases -- injured, ill, senior and other hard-to-place cats. With our rapid expansion and growing base in our community, we are finding that our needs are quickly outgrowing the size of our facility. We find ourselves in the position of needing a larger facility to make the biggest impact towards reaching our mission.
As a non-profit organization, with no government funding, we rely on public donations and corporate sponsorships to carry on many of our current activities, support our mission, and to develop new programs and services.
In 2017, our Board approved a 3-year strategic plan to start a capital campaign with the goal of purchasing a property that can grow with our organization as the community needs arise. We have started looking into properties, setting aside funds on a monthly basis into our campaign account, but we need YOU to make this dream happen.
With the generous support of a Saint Donor, all donations will be MATCHED up to $25,000!
Your donation will be worth double! All donations are tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt for your contribution.
Organizer
Lauren E. Rizzo
Organizer
Westmont, IL
St. Sophia's Forgotten Felines
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
