I have learned of many stories about the length that people will go for their Greyhounds. Jack & Amy Corrigan are an example of what I am talking about.
In September of 1995, they organized a craft booth for the National Greyhound Adoption Program's annual picnic near Philadelphia, PA. They donated 100% of the proceeds to NGAP. Their items were a big hit, and they were asked to attend the Make Peace With Animals picnic in Lambertville, NJ. There, Jack & Amy handed out a few business cards and started getting orders over the phone.
They had been looking for a way to donate 5-10 hours of their time per week to greyhound adoption but really did not want to have to leave their dogs for long periods of time. This crafting deal was just the ticket. They love to craft--they love greyhounds!! They also have the time to donate. Great idea brewing!!
Soon, Jack & Amy got on the Internet and a few more orders came in. Later, they subscribed to Greyhound-L (a mailing list for those interested in greyhounds-please ask me for specifics) on the Internet and things really started to take off. For a while, they were still able to keep up with the orders and donate 100% of the proceeds to greyhound adoption groups. The tax deduction for the charitable contribution almost covered the cost of materials and shipping. That meant they were meeting their goal of donating time to greyhound rescue without really leaving the house!! Just what the Corrigans wanted!!
In April, 1996, they put up the first web page and advertised their items. The orders came in---but too fast for them to keep up with. They were spending WAY over 5-10 hours per week on this endeavor. They examined their options--should they stop altogether or make Greyhound Manor Crafts into an official business entity? After careful consideration, they settled on a compromise solution. They discontinued sales to individuals. Instead, they only make donations of items to official non-profit greyhound adoption organizations for raffle prizes and other events. They have been amazed at all the support they have gotten from the community of greyhound owners. They underestimated the power of the Internet! They were sorry to disappoint their customers, but this was a necessary change. They will donate to almost any dog-related non-profit group, but will need plenty of notice for non-greyhound groups as they do not have stock
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