Donor Participation Program
Club Partnership Programs
The Parent Club Partnership Program is designed to provide assistance to Parent Clubs attempting to resolve serious health problems in purebred dogs. All parent clubs of breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club are eligible.
The Parent Club Partnership Program is composed of three separate types of assistance. They may be used individually or in combination.
- Assistance with identification and review of proposed research
- Establishment of Parent Club Funds
- Parent Club Matching Fund Program
These programs are described as follows:
I. Assistance With Identification And Review Of Proposed Research
The purpose of the program is
to provide a means for Parent Clubs to obtain the technical
assistance necessary for them to pursue their health activities
and to provide the Foundation with information and advice
regarding the specific health needs of individual breeds. The
Foundation may provide Parent Clubs with expert assistance in
identifying promising research and research proposals that the
parent club may consider funding.
Administration -
The AKC/CHF may provide administrative services
including administering funds, overseeing research and reporting
results to the Parent Club.
Identification of Researchers
- Parent Clubs may ask the Foundation to assist in the
identification of researchers for the purpose of investigating
health issues of interest.
Research Review - Proposals
of interest to the Parent Club may be submitted to the AKC Canine
Health Foundation for review. The AKC Canine Health Foundation
will obtain peer reviews in evaluating proposals. The Parent Club
will have the advantage of their expert recommendations and
comments.
Research Collaboration - The
AKC Canine Health Foundation may identify with the Parent Clubs
mutual research interests and suggest collaborative research
programs between clubs and other foundations.
II. Establishment of Parent Club Funds
A. Purpose
The purpose of Parent Club
Funds is to provide a means for donors and Parent Clubs to
restrict the use of their gifts to their breed of interest and for
the benefit of the AKC/CHF professional management of fund,
research review, management and evaluation.
B. Features
Availability of charitable
tax deductions - As an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization
donations to the AKC Canine Health Foundation are tax deductible
to the extent provided by law.
Filings - The Foundation will
take responsibility for all filings a Foundation must make.
Investment of Funds -
Investment of Foundation funds is professionally managed.
Restricted funds will earn interest in an amount proportional to
the interest earned by the Foundation.
Proposal Evaluation - Both
the Parent Club and the AKC Canine Health Foundation will
participate in proposal evaluation. All proposals will adhere to
Foundation standards for proposal review. Proposals will be peer
reviewed by at least three scientists credentialed in and working
in fields related to the work addressed in submitted proposals.
Co-ordination of Research -
The Foundation where applicable and where opportunity permits will
attempt to identify health research issues of joint concern to
Parent Clubs. Parent Clubs with matching health interests and
priorities may be encouraged to join together to support mutual
interests with each other and with associated foundations.
Award and Disbursement of
Funds - The Foundation will take responsibility for award and
disbursement of grant funds, issuance of award letters, and
negotiation of the terms of Grant Agreement.
Grant Reporting and
Monitoring - The Foundation will take responsibility for grant
reporting and monitoring. Parent Clubs will be involved in the
monitoring process and will receive copies of all reports
resulting from research in which they participate.
C. Specific Agreements
Research Proposals - Parent
Club proposed research shall meet the following criteria for
funding:
- Available Funds -
Adequate available funds in the individual Parent Club Fund.
(Parent Clubs may elect to apply for Matching AKC Canine Health
Foundation Funds, as discussed in section III, if they do not
have enough funds to pursue the research.)
- Peer Review - The AKC
Canine Health Foundation will obtain scientific peer review for
all proposed research. Proposals must have a reasonable
expectation of contributing to knowledge in the field and of
producing results that will benefit dogs and their
breeders/owners within an acceptable budget. Peer reviews are
confidential. A summary of the results of peer review may be
shared with the officers of the Parent Club following their
acceptance and signing of a confidentiality agreement.
- Recommendation - A
Parent Club may request review of proposed research through the
AKC Canine Health Foundation review process. This process
includes three reviews by qualified scientists. The results of
the review are then shared with the person designated by the
Parent Club. The Parent Club Board of Directors may then
recommend support of the research.
- Approval - In order for
funds to be withdrawn from a Parent Club Fund the research and
the peer reviews must be submitted to and approved by the Board
of Directors of the AKC Canine Health Foundation.
Education Proposals - Parent
Club proposed education programs must meet the following criteria
to be funded:
- Adequate available funds in the individual Parent Club Fund.
- Recommendation by the Board of Directors of the Parent Club and approval of the Board of
Directors of the AKC Canine Health Foundation.
Fund Withdrawal - Funds
deposited in a Parent Club Fund are restricted and may be
withdrawn only for the purposes designated in such restriction and
for canine health research or education programs and under the
guidelines set forth above.
Parent Club Liaison - Each
Parent Club Fund must have a liaison to the AKC Canine Health
Foundation assigned by the Parent Club Board of Directors. The
Parent Club liaison may be asked to sign a confidentiality
agreement.
III. Parent Club Matching Fund Program
The purpose of the matching
fund program is to provide assistance to parent clubs attempting
to resolve serious health issues in breeds of purebred dogs. The
AKC Canine Health Foundation will allocate matching funds on a
competitive basis for proposals meeting the standards of the
Foundation Board of Trustees and the Parent Club Board of
Trustees.
A. Funds Available - The AKC
Canine Health Foundation Board of Trustees may annually designate
an amount to be set aside for matching funds. The Foundation may
match funds up to 50% of the total award for accepted research,
exceptions may be made for higher percentage support in special
circumstances.
B. Proposal Preparation -
Parent Clubs may request technical assistance in preparing their
applications for matching funds.
C. Funding Criteria - The
criteria for awarding matching funds will include the following:
- Quality of proposed
research
- Presence of documented
need for research including information provided by the Parent
Club such as: information from professionally conducted breed health surveys.
- Evidence of support for
utilization of research results by Parent Clubs.
D. Award and Disbursement of
Funds - The Foundation will take responsibility for award and
disbursement of grant funds, issuance of an award letter and
negotiation of the terms of Grant Agreement.
E. Grant Reporting and
Monitoring - The Foundation will take responsibility for grant
reporting and monitoring. Parent clubs may be involved in the
monitoring process if they wish and will receive copies of all
reports of research in which they participate upon the signing of
a confidentiality agreement.
F. Grant Evaluation - At the
conclusion of the grant funding period the Foundation will work
with the Parent Club to evaluate the completed research program.
G. Payment of Matching Funds
- Matching funds may be paid on an alternate year basis in the
case of multi-year grants. If AKC/CHF supports the first year of
funding matching must be on deposit for the second year before
research commences for that year. If the matching funds are for a
one year project the funds should be paid before the research
commences.
H. General Conditions - Any
agreement between the AKC Canine Health Foundation and a Parent
Club may be withdrawn or terminated upon receipt of an opinion of
counsel that the Foundation's participation in said program
jeopardizes its status as a public supported, tax exempt
organization.
