ANIMAL FRIENDS RESCUE PROJECT Year Founded: 1998 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 12 paid, 165 volunteers Budget: $1,550,000 (831) 333-0722 animalfriendsrescue.org BIG IDEA: At Animal Friends Rescue Project (AFRP), caring foster families help dogs and cats find forever homes. Rather than operating a standard shelter, AFRP prioritizes animals most at risk: strays, victims of abuse and pets with medical issues. That means expensive veterinary bills are common. Your gift helps provide medical care for these animals and supports the individualized, everyday care offered by community volunteers. “When we connected with AFRP, our plan was to foster dogs while they waited for their forever homes. Then we met Muriel, our first foster, and everything changed. This little 11-pound, blackand-white mixed breed quickly became part of our family. Before long, we couldn’t imagine life without her. We’re proud to be ‘foster failures.’ AFRP made the foster experience wonderful from the start. They provided Muriel’s extensive medical care, medication, food, bedding and even grooming, allowing us to focus on helping her settle into her new life. Today, Muriel fills our home with joy. She reminds us every day how rewarding rescue can be.” -Deb and Dan Beals HOPE, HORSES & KIDS Year Founded: 2010 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 13 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $499,800 (831) 596-6693 hopehorseskids.org BIG IDEA: A diverse team of barnyard animals works tirelessly to support the kids and teens who visit Hope, Horses & Kids. This Big Idea funds care for the horses, donkey, cow, rabbits and even a turtle, all of whom provide comfort and teach life skills to visitors. Youth benefit from equine-assisted learning and wellness programs, including a horse-powered reading program with miniature horses, and a blacksmithing pilot program is in development. “People ask me why we keep a donkey, a cow, a flock of chickens, even a turtle, alongside our horses. My answer is always the same: because healing doesn’t come from one animal, it comes from connection, and every one of our animals offers a different door in. I’ve watched a teenager from Rancho Cielo who wouldn’t make eye contact spend 20 minutes coaxing our shyest goat to eat from his hand and walk away standing taller. I’ve seen a child with autism find calm she couldn’t find anywhere else, just from leaning against a horse’s side and matching her breathing to its own. That’s why animal care goes hand in hand with our mission. Healthy, well-cared-for animals are what make those moments possible.” -Lori Tuttle, executive director MARINE LIFE STUDIES Year Founded: 2006 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 2 paid, 253 volunteers Budget: $340,000 (831) 901-3833 marinelifestudies.org BIG IDEA: In July 2026, a daring rescue freed the whale Duchess of Anchovy in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. She was seen days later, in good condition. The success belongs to Marine Life Studies’ Whale Entanglement Team (WET)®, a rapid response crew fully equipped, thanks to generous donations. Your support keeps this MoBig Idea mission-ready, including upkeep of the R/V Current’Sea, their custom inflatable whale entanglement ambulance. “Marine Life Studies is an integral part of the whale entanglement response community in California. Based in Moss Landing, they are in a key location to help locate, document and rescue entangled whales. Beyond their work to free individual whales, the information the team collects helps identify the entangling fishing gear so fishery managers can work to reduce future entanglements. Their expertise in boat handling near whales, deploying grapples, photo documentation and communication is a major asset to the response network.” -Lauren Saez, West Coast Take Reduction Team Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region 18 Monterey County GIVES! 2026 mcgives.com ANIMALS DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM “Healing doesn’t come from one animal, it comes from connection.” -Lori Tuttle, Hope, Horses & Kids BIRCHBARK Year Founded: 2013 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 4 paid, 40 volunteers Budget: $365,622 (831) 471-7255 birchbarkfoundation.org BIG IDEA: PetAid, BirchBark’s Big Idea, steps in when a family’s pet faces critical veterinary care that is out of budget. Donations don’t just reduce medical bills: BirchBark also maintains relationships with local veterinarians who offer discounts to families and pets in need. Beyond PetAid, BirchBark supports pet parents through every phase of a pet’s life, with quarterly webinars and a free pet loss support group. “BirchBark has been a blessing in my family’s life. You helped us during a scary time. It is because of your help that my daughter still has her pup. You brought us hope and we will never forget that.” -Marlyn R. SPOTLIGHT
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