Welcome to Sanctuary Sounding Board, a place for staff members of The Open Sanctuary Project to provide dedicated, one-on-one support to animal sanctuaries, rescue organizations, and passionate individuals.
This program is for folks looking to refine operational strategies, get granular with evolving staff and volunteer roles, discuss infrastructure improvements or considerations, review humane educational strategies and programming, or navigate specific organizational challenges with tailored support beyond our 800+ free online resources.
How Sanctuary Sounding Board Works
After you submit your inquiry or conversation topics via this form, we will review them to ensure we are a good fit to help. Once confirmed, we will offer you a one-hour block of time to discuss your questions with a staff member. Each Sanctuary Sounding Board session is offered for a $100 donation.
Topics We Can Help With (Examples):
Not sure whether your question fits? You’re welcome to ask!
- Resident Care & Enrichment: “We are looking to upgrade our turkeyUnless explicitly mentioned, we are referring to domesticated turkey breeds, not wild turkeys, who may have unique needs not covered by this resource. enclosure to better accommodate aging residents with arthritis. Can you take a look at our current setup and ideas for modifications and let us know what you think?”
- Volunteer & Staff Management: “We are experiencing a lot of volunteer burnoutA physical and emotion reaction to prolonged, unmanaged workplace stress. and high turnover. Can you share some strategies or structures for keeping volunteers engaged and organized?”
- Educational Strategy: “We’re launching an all-new onsite visitor program. Would you be willing to go over our approach together?”
- Philosophy & Ethics: “Our rescue is transitioning from a traditional adoption model to a lifetime sanctuary model for some of our residents. How should we navigate communicating this shift to our existing donor base?”
- Operational Workflow: “We are trying to streamline our daily morning feeding and cleaning routines to save time without compromising resident care. Could you review our current schedule and give us feedback?”
Getting Started
To ensure you receive the most actionable support during your session, please follow these steps:
- Submit Your Questions: Tell us about the specific topics, questions, or challenges you would like to discuss.
- Fit Check & Scoping: Our team will complete a quick fit check to confirm we can address your inquiry within the one-hour call. If your topic requires extensive document review or additional preparation beyond a standard session, we will work with you to refine the request or discuss custom scoping before scheduling.
- Confirm Boundaries: Agree that our conversation will focus on topics outside of certified legal, financial, or veterinary parameters.
Confidentiality Statement
We respect the privacy and sensitive operational nature of the organizations and individuals we serve. All information shared before, during, and after your Sounding Board session will remain strictly confidential. We will not record the session. You can speak openly with our team, knowing that your operational hurdles, data, and questions will not be shared outside of The Open Sanctuary Project staff.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the Sounding Board program, eligibility, or the submission process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to support you in creating a safer, more sustainable world for sanctuary residents.
