# Woodleigh Cats readiness roadmap

The best plan is to work in three lanes: use pending-friendly resources now, use a fiscal sponsor only for a specific worthwhile opportunity, and have the post-IRS packet ready before the letter arrives.

## First: resolve six facts

These answers change eligibility more than any prose in an application:

1. **Exact Texas certificate-of-formation date.** SNIP requires at least one year; United Spay Alliance describes two years as ideal; Best Friends Binky requires no more than five years.
2. **Federal application type and submission date.** Record Form 1023 versus 1023-EZ, IRS receipt/control number, requested effective date, and whether filing occurred within 27 months of formation.
3. **Requested public-charity classification.** Locate the application section requesting public-charity rather than private-foundation treatment. The eventual determination letter should state the approved classification.
4. **Exact street jurisdiction.** Confirm whether both the caregiver and colony are inside City of Houston limits; “Houston” in a postal address is not enough for BARC.
5. **Property and utility arrangement.** Record who owns or leases the sanctuary property and whose name/type appears on the CenterPoint meter. This controls facility and property-tax opportunities.
6. **Current governance and records.** Confirm board size/independence, bank account in the legal name, bookkeeping method, insurance, veterinarian relationship, policies, and annual filing status.

## Next 72 hours

- Confirm the city boundary and BARC colony-manager record.
- Find the Texas formation certificate and IRS submission receipt.
- Email HumanePro about eligibility for the August 23 Community Cats mentorship.
- Email United Spay Alliance about pending status/fiscal sponsorship for the August 31 matching grant.
- If at least one year old, open the SNIP checklist for September 30.
- Contact CAP, Friends For Life, and Houston Pets Alive! for current TNR availability and pricing.
- Request the City of Houston free nonprofit legal consultation.
- Create a Zeffy account with Woodleigh's organizational bank account and careful pending-status disclosure.
- Publish a focused Amazon wish list; register for Cat's Pride and Kuranda.

## Reusable grant kit: finish within 30 days

Create one folder with dated PDFs and editable originals:

- one-page organization profile: place, problem, two programs, accomplishments, next-year goals;
- certificate of formation, articles, bylaws, EIN letter, IRS submission receipt, and eventual determination letter;
- board roster with roles, independence, terms, short bios, and contact details;
- conflict-of-interest, whistleblower/document-retention, volunteer, animal-care, TNR, and financial-control policies;
- W-9 and bank letter/voided check in Woodleigh Cats' legal name;
- current 12-month operating budget and next-year budget;
- year-to-date profit/loss and balance sheet, even if simple;
- most recent Form 990-N/990 filing or an explanation of startup filing status;
- veterinarian letter/reference, service quotes, discount confirmations, and two outside references;
- insurance certificates or a written insurance plan;
- resident-cat census and separate TNR/community-cat dataset;
- high-resolution photos with ownership/consent notes;
- Candid profile and an annual report or two-page field report; and
- two reusable project budgets and narratives.

### Track the two programs separately

**Community-cat / TNR metrics**

- unique cat ID, colony, ZIP/council district, caregiver;
- intake/contact date, sex, age estimate, socialization status;
- sterilization, rabies/FVRCP, ear tip, provider, cost, funding source;
- return, transfer, adoption, medical exception, and follow-up date;
- outreach contacts, trap loans, volunteers, and colonies stabilized; and
- 12-month totals and cost per completed TNR.

**Lifelong sanctuary metrics**

- beginning/ending resident count and reason for permanent placement;
- food, litter, routine veterinary, emergency veterinary, and shelter costs;
- quality-of-life/medical plan and annual exams;
- volunteer hours, donated goods, and restricted gifts; and
- capacity limit and intake policy.

Never call permanent residents TNR outcomes. In proposals, restrict each grant to the program its rules actually support.

## Two proposal concepts to keep ready

### A. Targeted southwest Houston TNR project — $2,000–$8,000

Use for United Spay Alliance, SNIP, Petco Love, and a future local application. Include a defined colony/geography, number of cats, surgery/vaccine/ear-tip costs, trap and transport needs if allowed, caregiver engagement, return/follow-up, and shelter-intake prevention. Exclude permanent-resident costs unless the funder expressly allows them.

### B. Durable feline capacity project — $1,500–$15,000

Use for CatCause, Mission Meow, Houston Foundation, or Mary Jane Carvel. Examples: quarantine/holding improvement, weather-safe shelter project, transport equipment, catio, inventory/data system, or one-time governance/accounting implementation. Match every expense to the funder's exclusions; Mission Meow does not fund food, litter, medical bills, or spay/neuter.

## Fiscal sponsor decision rule

A fiscal sponsor is an existing 501(c)(3) that legally receives and controls restricted charitable funds for Woodleigh's project under a written agreement. It issues acknowledgments, handles compliance/reporting, pays approved expenses, and usually charges a percentage fee. It is not merely “borrowing an EIN.”

Pursue one only when all four are true:

1. a real grant or donor needs assured deductibility before Woodleigh's letter;
2. the funder expressly allows a sponsored project or confirms it in writing;
3. the expected value materially exceeds the fee and administration; and
4. a sponsor accepts live-animal sanctuary/TNR risk and has relevant experience.

The agreement should cover legal discretion/control, fee and fee basis, deposit/refund treatment, payment timing, permitted expenses, reporting, insurance, ownership of equipment, records/donor data, fundraising claims, termination, and transition after Woodleigh receives its letter.

The two clearest grant reasons found are United Spay Alliance Sustainable Solutions and the Hershey Latitude Fund. Players Philanthropy Fund is a possible sponsor to interview, not an endorsement or grant.

## Immediately after the IRS letter

1. Check the legal name, EIN, effective date, and public-charity classification on the letter.
2. Save the original and create a shareable PDF with sensitive correspondence removed.
3. Confirm IRS database/Candid visibility; expect verification lag.
4. Apply to Houston Humane GOODS first.
5. Complete Walmart Spark Good and Deed verification while the November 30 cycle remains open.
6. Submit Mary Jane Carvel and the next appropriate Houston Foundation project.
7. Join the Best Friends Network if Woodleigh meets age and data requirements.
8. Launch Chewy, Walmart Registry/Round Up, PayPal Giving Fund, Randalls, and Kroger.
9. Apply separately to the Texas Comptroller for state exemptions.
10. Apply for Google for Nonprofits only after assigning someone to maintain the products.

## Website tax-language review

The live donate page currently says Woodleigh is not a 501(c)(3) and gifts are not tax-deductible. Because an application is now pending, that flat statement may no longer communicate the full situation. The IRS explains that donors have no advance assurance while an application is pending; if timely filed and ultimately approved for the donation period, qualifying gifts may become deductible, while denial means they are not.

Ask a qualified nonprofit attorney or tax professional to approve revised wording. A discussion draft—not legal advice—is:

> Woodleigh Cats has applied for recognition as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), and the application is pending. Donors do not have advance assurance that direct gifts are deductible. If the IRS grants recognition effective for the donation period, qualifying contributions may be deductible; if recognition is denied, they will not be.

Keep donation receipts factual: legal name, date, amount, and whether goods/services were provided. Do not promise deductibility.

Useful official explanations:

- [IRS: deductibility while an application is pending](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exempt-organizations-general-issues-deductibility-of-contributions-while-application-pending)
- [IRS: public charity versus private foundation](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/determine-your-foundation-classification)
- [National Council of Nonprofits: fiscal sponsorship](https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/administration-and-financial-management/fiscal-sponsorship-nonprofits)