I read Mark Opperman’s column discussing how veterinary practices can address funding for their charitable cases [“All for a Good Cause,” December 2021/January 2022]. I was surprised he didn’t mention a much more cost-effective approach that over 1,000 practices have adopted by either forming their own 501(c)3 charitable foundations or partnering with existing organizations like the Veterinary Care Foundation.
The real opportunity for practices isn’t budgeting a portion of their funds to use for charity cases but to offer an attractive opportunity to their grateful clients to partner with them by making tax-deductible contributions to fund charitable veterinary care at the practice. This approach is by far the most creative and cost-effective way that practices can address this important issue.