My Nonprofit Reviews
Doglady
Review for Hill Country Animal League Foundation, Boerne, TX, USA
I have been volunteering with this organization since it's inception. Until six months ago, this was one of the best non-profits in our area. The organization reported to a membership that voted on it's board representation. In the past few months the board president (who has limited business knowledge) refuses to acknowledge her inaptitude to run a business of this magnitude. She was instrumental in forcing a membership meeting to oust the previous board, who at least knew what they were doing. Since her election, she arbitrarilly changed policies and bylaws so that members are no longer in control of the organization. She is using the non-profit for personal gain (transactions are run through a company she owns), decisions are made that benefit her husband's election (he has a political position) and she has multiple conflicts of interest which should have made her ineligible for office. The organization is being run by the paid bookkeeper and receptionist, neither of which are qualified individuals. Rescues and volunteers with business knowledge are being forced out of the organization. Inadequate staff is in place for providing safe and appropriate spay/neuter services. Unqualified consultants were hired at top dollar to restructure the organization, when numerious volunteers had far greater knowledge and had offered to conduct the reviews for free. Now we are hearing the president is appointing herself executive director, which is violation of the bylaws. Key personnel were recently fired in the thrift store, which resulted in a walk out of key volunteers. The thriftstore is the backbone of the organizatinon, funding the spay/neuter clinic. The organizatin is in operating in a chaotic state.
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I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
assisting the community with low cost spay and neutering, placement of dogs. It was doing great things until the change in direction
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Get rid of the president and current dysfunctional and complacent board members (the members who tried to keep the organization on a positive path were all told to quit when they disagreed with the president), give membership back it's control of the board (the president is refusing membership applications of any person/organization who disagrees with her) and terminate the administrative staff who have caused bad relations with the volunteers and general public.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
What one change could this group make that would improve your volunteer experience?
Get a competent board in place that will take action to make this a professional organization. The original bylaws prohibited this type of hostile takeover.
Did your volunteer experience have an effect on you? (teaching you a new skill, or introducing new friends, etc.)
Yes. Up until this recent activities, this was a very positive organization to be a part of.
How did this volunteer experience make you feel?
We always felt a sense of ownership in the organization. We felt like we were part of a team that made a real difference in the community. That is no longer the case.
