An Interview With Christine Orman, resource development manager, ReRun

ReRun is a place where retired racehorses go for a second career. The nonprofit organization was founded in Kentucky in 1996 by two women connected to the racing industry who pioneered the concept that ex-racehorses do not have to go to auction or be slaughtered once their racing days are over, Rerun Resource Development Manager Christine Orman says.

The organization, which also now has chapters in New York and New Jersey, works with race tracks to take in these unwanted horses before they even leave the tracks, and houses them on foster farms where they await adoption.

Here, we talk with Orman about the organization and its fundraising strategies and challenges.

Fundraising Success: What are the biggest challenges your organization faces as far as fundraising is concerned? How do you overcome them?
Christine Orman: Up until recently, the biggest challenge for ReRun was bringing in new donors and increasing the gift amount of current donors. We are slowly but surely overcoming this challenge by issuing more press releases, using the Internet to reach new people, and improving communication with our donors.  Our biggest challenge now is, of course, the poor economy. We still expect people to give, but the gifts will likely be smaller. So, we will need to reach out to a lot more people.

FS: Do you foresee any big changes in the way you reach potential donors and other supporters in the near future?
CO: Oh, yes. We will be investing much more time in engaging and really utilizing our current volunteers, as well as attracting new volunteers, so that they can extend our outreach and representation throughout the country. We will also be doing much more social networking. We’ve already begun utilizing the Internet and its associated technology/media formats to reach new and more people. At the moment, we’re only tapping a fraction of the Internet’s potential, but that is going to change. 

FS: How would you describe your fundraising philosophy?
CO: Diversified. I look for fundraising possibilities in all aspects of ReRun’s operations. And just like financial investing, this diversification can help buffer us from cyclical changes in the ways donors give and the type of donors who are giving.

FS: How do you reach out to supporters and potential supporters in ways other than purely fundraising?