The need for mental health services has never been more urgent. Here are some alarming statistics:

• 1 in 5 Vermonters live with mental health challenges.

• 40% increase in youth depression since 2016.

• 23% of Upper Valley youth have long-term emotional or learning difficulties.

• Six-month waitlists for mental health-related services, making immediate action crucial.

The campaign is driven by the need to expand services to meet these challenges, including helping underserved populations like seniors, veterans, and frontline workers. Through Harness the Healing, High Horses will provide much-needed therapeutic services and support systems that can make a lasting difference in people’s lives.

Focus Area #1

Expand and Develop Programs

Expand and develop programs to provide equine-assisted services to help meet the needs of a targeted group of citizens in the Upper Valley community:

• Youth at Risk

• Veterans & Frontline Health Care Workers/First Responders

• The Elderly Community

High Horses aims to expand services from its current 60 clients a week to 120-150 clients per week within five years.

A. Expand Programming for Youth at Risk In collaboration with local schools, social service agencies, and health care provider referrals, we aim to include children and youths who have experienced trauma, had contact with the Foster Care System, or adoption. We will enhance the impact of our youth services through a new mentor-based program called Stable Moments® and an academic learning development program called Horse Powered Reading®.

B. Expand Programming for Veterans In collaboration with the White River Junction-based Regional Veterans Administration Center and Hospital, we will serve women veterans , provide PT/OT and Adaptive Riding for male and female veterans, offer equine-assisted therapy programs for those in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, and support family members and caregivers.

C. Expand Programming Services for Elders We will expand our Kindred Spirits Program for seniors with dementia to include PT/OT programs and adaptive mounted and unmounted programs for seniors with non-dementia conditions. We will cultivate relationships with community assisted living and nursing facilities, as well as other health care providers, to build a network of community partners.

Expand our facility’s program capacity, improve safety and efficiency.

• Cover Main Outdoor Arena: $475,000 - Create year-round capacity for two simultaneous mounted/unmounted/group program spaces and replace degraded footing.

• Redesign Upper Barn: $150,000 - Convert unused box stalls into multi-use unmounted program space, remodel existing bathroom to meet ADA requirements, and convert one of five remaining box stalls into meeting/office space.

• Improve Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: $110,000 - Install a solar power system with generator/battery backup to run essential mechanicals and water during power outages.

• Electrical System Upgrades: $35,000 - Make necessary upgrades to electrical systems on property and install outdoor energy-efficient lighting for safety and extended program hours.

• Install Fire Alarm System: $30,000 - Install fire alarm systems in all buildings with connection to Emergency Services.

Building a more balanced and sustainable non-profit funding model for an equine-assisted services organization:

Key Drivers & Assumptions for Operating Revenue

Fees for Service – Direct Pay, Third Party Payers & Contract Fees for Service

Through the creation of new programs and services a new revenue stream will be created that will allow High Horses to work directly with or through Third Party Payers and Contract Fees for Service. Our goal is that within five years, total revenue from fees will increase from its current 15% to 32% which reflects industry standards.

Gifts from Individuals/Special Events/Community Impact Campaign

Although gifts from individuals and special events are and will remain an integral part of High Horses’ revenue portfolio, it is clear that at 80% this revenue stream is unsustainable and unbalanced. We
will continue to grow our donor base through the Community Impact Campaign and Special Events, however, our five-year goal is to reduce our revenue dependence on individual giving and special events from its current 80% to a more financially stable 34%. Funding from the Community Impact Campaign will be used to offset some of the start-up cost for implementing new programming/services and to provide the funding for the necessary capital investments to increase our facility’s program capacity.

Grants & Corporate Giving

With the creation of new programs and services, High Horses will be able to apply and receive grant funding from several different Grantors (Federal, State, Community & Private Foundations) that we currently cannot access. Over the course of the next five years, we expect to grow grant and corporate funding substantially with the goal of increasing the percentage of this revenue stream from 5% to 30%.

Scholarship Fund and Reserve Fund

High Horses is committed to ensuring our programs are accessible to clients who would benefit from our services regardless of their financial means. In order to honor this commitment, we will establish and grow a Scholarship Fund. We also recognize the importance of ensuring adequate financial reserves to sustain our facilities, horses, and programs. We are committed to increasing our Reserve Fund balance to ensure a financially sustainable future. 

Significantly develop the ability to gather data, analyze and assess program impacts and outcomes for our clients. Seek and engage with research opportunities that would otherwise not be available to High Horses.

Campaign Summary

In November 2023, the High Horses Board of Directors agreed to launch the ‘Harness the Healing’ Community Impact Campaign. The campaign aims to serve an additional 1,500 people over the next five years and ensure the continued expansion of the number and diversity of clients served.

Campaign Financial Goals

Organizational Capacity & Program Expansion: $1,100,000

Facilities Expansion for Increased Program Capacity: $800,000

Scholarship Fund and Reserve Fund: $600,000

Total Campaign Goal: $2,500,000