Saving Lives on Both Ends of the Leash: Inside RedRover’s Mission

Katie Campbell: [00:00:00] For many people experiencing homelessness, they will say, this pet is my only emotional, social, and physical support. I've heard quite a few folks who say, my pet is my home. You know, insert dog, cat, iguana, bird, but that animal really is their home, and so it's critically important that we create opportunities for them to get, you know, safety and service with their pet.

Jeff Holden: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion are simple to highlight the incredible nonprofits that make our communities stronger. Each episode is a chance for these organizations to tell their story in their words, sharing not just what they do, but why it matters. To the people they serve, to their supporters, and to all of us who believe in the power of community.[00:01:00] 

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When you think about leaving a dangerous situation. Most people think about safety, shelter, and survival, but what if the reason someone stays is because they can't take their pet with them? [00:02:00] In this episode, I sit down with Katie Campbell from RedRover, an organization working at the powerful intersection of people and their pets, and what we uncover is something many of us have never fully considered.

That for someone facing domestic violence, homelessness, or disaster, that bond with or animal can be the deciding factor between staying or finding a way out. Katie shares how RedRover is stepping into bridge that gap, providing emergency care, safe housing support, and disaster response for animals. So families don't have to choose between their safety and the ones they love most.

This is a conversation about compassion, about connection, and about what it really means to keep families whole, even when those families may have four legs, feathers, or fur. And speak with a bark, a squawk, or a per. 

Scott Thomas: Katie Campbell, 

Jeff Holden: [00:03:00] welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Katie Campbell: Ah, Jeff, I'm so delighted to be here.

Thank you for having me, 

Jeff Holden: and we're excited to have you because I can't wait to hear the story of RedRover. Yeah, but. Previously we were talking 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And you have an incredible story. Yeah. That I think gives a lot of basis and foundation to the organization. Sure, sure. Share that with us. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. I love it.

Um, I, you know, it's, it's one of my favorite stories to tell because it's a, it's a part of how I came to RedRover and part of the reason why I love RedRover so much, and obviously I'll tell you a little bit more about RedRover. But we really sit, I think, at the power of the human animal bond, you know, and, and understanding that people and, and pets are together, right?

So. I grew up in North Carolina, small town in North Carolina, lifelong animal lover. My mom was the president of our local Humane society, so we always had animals around. Right? Fast forward, I moved to Sacramento, California way too many years ago for me to say [00:04:00] on air right now, and I start working in the nonprofit world.

I'm a proud AmeriCorps member, so I know we just passed AmeriCorps. Congratulations. Yes, and thank 

Jeff Holden: you so much for that service. 

Katie Campbell: Thank you. Thank you. And I found myself working at a family resource center in Oak Park, which is a part of our Birth and beyond collaborative here in Sacramento County, and I was working with people.

Experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence and homelessness and other crises. Right. I never put those two things together, so I never put animals in crisis together. And so I had my light bulb moment 10 years ago when I heard about RedRover and I. Realize that people might not leave an abuser or they might not go access those services at a homeless shelter if they can't take their pets with them.

And so we are true believers that pets are family. And so being here today with you and sharing about RedRover's story is a, you know, it's, it's a [00:05:00] fun conversation and it's a little bit of a full circle moment for me 'cause I'm sure we'll talk a little bit about. What I'm gonna be doing here tomorrow in Sacramento.

So yeah, 

Jeff Holden: give me the genesis of RedRover. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, so we started in 1987. We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary next year. Next year. Yeah. Really, really excited about that. We, we started pretty big actually. We worked internationally. You know, we worked with. All different kinds of animals. So wildlife, all different kinds.

It was really around 2000 actually that we, we started refining things a bit more. We started refining our geography and so at this point we are national and we do a little bit in Canada as well, and we've also really refined our species focus and so we are much more focused on companion animals and I'm sure we'll talk about it a little bit, but.

By extension through some of our work with other organizations, we do help like some livestock animals. And so that's an [00:06:00] important part of, you know, who, who we help and, and serve. But much more focused now, many years later on the United States, Canada, and companion animals. 

Jeff Holden: And what we would say is companion animals, dogs, cats.

Katie Campbell: Yep, yep, yep. 

Jeff Holden: Predominantly. 

Katie Campbell: Yep. Yeah. And so I will often use those terms interchangeably. So companion, animals, pets, and yeah. Yeah, A lot of dogs, a lot of cats, birds, snakes, some 

Jeff Holden: rabbits, 

Katie Campbell: chickens. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. We've had some fun deployments over the years where, you know, our responders volunteers are really helping to care for a wide variety of animals, which I'm sure we'll get into as well.

Jeff Holden: I can only imagine some of those stories too, too. Yes, 

Scott Thomas: yes, yes, yes. 

Jeff Holden: This pet has to come with me. Yes. You've got to be kidding me. 

Scott Thomas: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Right. 

Scott Thomas: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: As far as the organization goes, what are some of the more popular services you provide? Mm-hmm. What do people come to RedRover for 

Katie Campbell: sure. Sure. I think especially in, in California, um, over the last several years we're really well [00:07:00] known for our RedRover responders program, which.

I can actually see behind us here, um, for those 

Jeff Holden: who are watching on YouTube. 

Katie Campbell: Yes, yes. You know, we help provide that daily care for animals displaced in natural disasters. So for California, you know, that's certainly been a few of the wildfires over the last, several, several years. Wildfires, 

Jeff Holden: mudslides. 

Katie Campbell: Yep.

Yep. And you know, we. Are always asked to into a community. We are never self deployed. And so interesting, the local community will ask us to come in. We basically mobilize our volunteers and we send a team in and we literally provide the daily care for those animals, um, while they are separated from their, their families, from their pet parents.

And that's where, you know, certainly we are caring for dogs and cats. I've personally been on a couple of our deployments where. We had pigs and cows and sheep and goats, uh, and chickens and rabbits because. You know, it's not just dogs and cats that people consider to be family. Mm-hmm. It really is all different [00:08:00] types of species, uh, that are gonna need that help.

And so I think especially for our California folks, like that's one of our really well-known programs. I would also say our RedRover Relief Urgent Care Program. And so that's where we're helping to provide small grants. To get some emergency veterinary care, um, done for animals Under that umbrella is also where all of our domestic violence and our homelessness, um, granting lives, which I think we might talk about a little, little bit later.

We're gonna dig a little bit 

Jeff Holden: deeper on that. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. And then of course we also have our RedRover readers program, and so it's really all about, 

Jeff Holden: it's one that I love. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah. You know, it's, it really is about teaching. Kids, kindness, compassion, empathy for animals and people. And so really, I think fostering that for the next generation.

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. So, 

Katie Campbell: yeah, in a nutshell, that's that's what we do. 

Jeff Holden: That's the surface of the nutshell that we're gonna start to crack. Yes. And get into a little bit here. Yeah. So when you look at the people you serve, who is it? Literally that, that you see on a day-to-day [00:09:00] basis. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. You know, on a, on a day-to-day basis.

That's where I think our urgent Veterinary care grants come in. You know, and it's also, I would say our safe Escape grants. You know, those are the, the, the types of services that we're providing daily. You know, for our urgent care grants, we're, we're communicating with the pet parents themselves. You know, they have taken their pet to the vet.

There is an emergency need and they're reaching out to us and applying, you know, for that grant. And so our case managers are working with them one-on-one. Also for our Safe Escape grants, our case managers are working with domestic violence organizations, and so a survivor has gone to an organization, they have a pet.

For whatever reason, that organization is not able to keep the pet on site, and so they're helping to submit a grant to us so that we can help cover the cost of boarding for that pet. Our case managers do a wonderful job day to day, you know, just helping folks through. Really crisis and traumatic [00:10:00] situations.

And so that I would say, is what we do on a day-to-day basis. There's also a lot of behind the scenes stuff that our team is doing with training and support in some of our other programs as well. 

Jeff Holden: Tell me a little bit more about the, the service part of somebody with a pet. Mm-hmm. There's, there's an issue.

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Who are those collaborators that you work with? I'm imagining you, you're probably touching SBCA, you're touching mm-hmm. Domestic violence centers and mm-hmm. And organizations that are for those in crisis. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: From domestic violence. Mm-hmm. What does that look like? How does anybody even know to engage with you?

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah. You know, for our veterinary grants, there are so many clinics across the country who just know about us. Okay. So, so many vet clinics that some way or another over, you know, the last almost 40 years, know that we exist. And so, you know, there, there. Sending their, the pet parents to us When it comes to some of our domestic violence work, which is a little bit younger for us, you know, we, we really started in 2012.

We've done [00:11:00] a lot of work, um, to engage with communities across the country and so engaged with some of those organizations you just mentioned, domestic violence organizations. Animal shelters, animal rescues, and make sure that they know that we're there and that they can send folks to us whenever they do run into those situations.

I think, and I'm sure we'll talk about it later, our partnership with Purina. Mm-hmm. And the Purple Leaf project has really been a game changer for us. And helping to make sure, especially for domestic violence, that domestic violence survivors know that we have resources available. 

Jeff Holden: And to expand just a little bit on that.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: For people to understand. You are actually bridging two. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Huge, huge gaps here. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: You know, the domestic violence escapee. Mm-hmm. Who's trying to get outta the situation, as you mentioned earlier, may not leave if they can't get their pet Absolutely. With them. Yeah. And those pets can be held hostage in so many instances where the pet doesn't go.

Yep. Meaning you are stuck. 

Katie Campbell: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: Because the [00:12:00] relationship is much stronger with the pet. They get to that point where, okay, we're gonna figure this out. Yeah. So you're supporting them through the services in support of a, a third party domestic violence 

Katie Campbell: Yes. Yep. 

Jeff Holden: Center, so to speak. 

Katie Campbell: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: And from the pet side for whatever care that pet needs as well, because in many cases, sometimes the pet's abused.

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We are often able, when we're giving a grant for a domestic violence survivors pet, we are often able to help with the, the veterinary care. You know, it's. There was a report that came out a few years ago now, urban Resource Institute in New York City. Mm-hmm. Partnered with the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

They surveyed, I think it was about 2,500 survivors, about their experience of domestic violence and animal abuse. 97% of those survivors said, keeping my pet with me factors into my decision to leave. Mm-hmm. 97%. At the same time, 72% didn't even know that pet housing programs existed. And so I say [00:13:00] that because I think it is so important that we help make sure that folks know these services exist and that there is support and help.

And there was also a majority of those folks who said, I'm already noticing changes in my pet's behavior because of the abuse. And so to your point. We absolutely know that it's the people that need support and help, and it's also their pets too. And so anytime we're working with an organization on our larger grants or safe housing grants, we're really coaching them through that.

Mm-hmm. You know, it's, it's really, we can't, we can't really help one without helping the other and like, you know, both of these species coming in are gonna need, need that support 

Jeff Holden: and both living beings that Yes. Require and deserve the support too. Yes, 

Katie Campbell: yes. 

Jeff Holden: Tell me a little bit about the homeless side of that, because mm-hmm.

It's domestic violence. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: As well as, yes, homeless, because many of our homeless population hit have pets. Yeah. The pets are necessary for them. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: [00:14:00] What does that look like? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. I think this is a really exciting, and I would say natural progression for us in terms of our safe housing grants.

We. Started with our homeless shelter grants in 2024, and now it's a permanent part of our programming, our Safe housing grants programming. And, and you said it, you know, for many people experiencing homelessness, they will say. This pet is my only emotional, social and physical support that I have. Mm-hmm.

You know, I, I've heard quite a few folks who say my pet is my home. You know, insert dog, cat, iguana, bird, but that, that animal really is their home, and so it's critically important that we create opportunities for them to get. Safety and service with their pet. So very, very natural progression. I will also say there's a big crossover between people experiencing domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness.

The majority of women specifically, who find themselves experiencing [00:15:00] homelessness, cite domestic violence as the immediate cause for that. And so this, I think, was a very, very natural progression for us, and we're excited to, to keep doing it. It's, it's a wonderful, I think, part of our, our programming. And I would also say that the organizations that we're working with who are applying for us, you know, who we see in coaching, who we're giving training to.

Are thrilled to be able to offer this because they see the benefit on the ground of keeping families whole, you know, of keeping these people and their pets together, 

Jeff Holden: which makes perfectly good sense. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: In Sacramento. Yeah. Having started so long ago, there's probably a keen awareness. Yeah. And many organizations are familiar with 

Katie Campbell: Yeah.

Jeff Holden: You and the services. How did it grow out? Into the rest of the country. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Gosh. So you're, you're taking me back. So I've been at RedRover for about 10 years now. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Katie Campbell: You're, you're taking me back to when we started in, in 2012, we started with our safe housing grants. [00:16:00] Preemie, I would say we did Not much though.

Yeah, I, I would say we had. A very California focus, right? Yeah. You know, we were very much trying to focus in California. That started to transition around 20 16, 20 17. When I joined RedRover, we intentionally wanted to go beyond the, the California border, and so we started looking for opportunities to present at national conferences.

You know, I, I sent a lot of emails and made a lot of phone calls to organizations throughout the country, and I was just like, Hey. We've got grant funding for you. You know, it's really, really important that you recognize pets when you're working with domestic violence survivors. And I'm not gonna lie, Jeff, I had a lot of people not return my phone calls or, you know, not respond to my emails because they just weren't ready for it.

Mm-hmm. You know, I come from the human services space. I know what I'm asking is hard. I know. It's scary. Yeah. Which is part of the [00:17:00] reason we created a training program that I'm sure we'll talk about later. But we transitioned and we realized that it's not enough for us to just provide grant funding. We need to walk this, walk with them.

And so in answer to your question, I think we, we saw the need to expand and the need to do more. We need to provide training. We. To provide that consultation to help organizations along this path. I do not remember what our number was way back when in 2012, but I can tell you at this point, we've now given over six and a half million dollars in safe housing grants.

Jeff Holden: Wow. 

Katie Campbell: To domestic violence organizations, homeless organizations and animal organizations throughout the country. And so, you know, it, it grew because we had a desire and a knowledge that we needed to do more. 

Jeff Holden: And you were accepted. 

Katie Campbell: Yes. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And then people were saying, the need is here. We, yeah, we, 

Katie Campbell: yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Like what you're providing.

Yeah. And that opportunity presented [00:18:00] itself. Probably 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Domestically first. Yeah. Into then the realization these people have pets. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: How do we service these pets? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. I, I often say that I'm very good at compassionately hounding folks, and it took some time, and it took some time for me to say, this is important.

You have folks who are not gonna come into shelter because they have pets and they wanna keep their pets with them. And it just took some time to say. Hey, we're gonna, we're gonna do this with you. You know, we know you have challenges, we know that you have concerns. We're gonna support you through that.

Mm-hmm. Um, and over time we, you know, we have grown to, I think it's roughly 20% of domestic violence shelters in the US are pet friendly, so they're able to keep survivors and pets on site at the same location, at the same human services shelter. That's grown. Obviously percentages always grow from somewhere from zero, right?

Yes. But in, in 2016, I think we are at like three or [00:19:00] 6%. And so we have seen this massive growth and it's wonderful. It's been wonderful to see organizations say, yeah, okay, we can do it, and we're also gonna bring others along with us. 

Jeff Holden: And they're accepting. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: they're absolutely accepting. Yeah. Saying, okay, this is a necessity for the wellbeing of everybody.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, included. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Tell us a little bit about the funding of the organization. Sure. How are you funded? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. We are funded predominantly by individual supporters, so I did some math a little bit earlier for this. I'm gonna say roughly 75% of our funding comes from individual donors and to borders.

Jeff Holden: That's amazing. 

Katie Campbell: Yep. Um, 

Jeff Holden: and that's wonderful too, because you're not reliant so much on grants that maybe go away Yep. As an AmeriCorps member, you know that that changed. 

Katie Campbell: Yes, yes. You know, things are, can be a little, um, dicey from year to year. Mm-hmm. We have no federal funding. We do have some grants, of course, and we have some wonderful corporate sponsorships and partnerships, [00:20:00] but.

Most of it's from individual donors and it's, it's from small to to big, which we're extremely proud of. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. That just that right there mm-hmm. I think indicates the need for the organization, number one, because it's individual supporting it. Yes. Yeah. But it also gives you that comfort and sustainability.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And as you get more and more familiar in or areas of the country where maybe you're not as familiar, that only grows and those other organizations then say, Hey, there's an org, there's another organization to help us with this pets, this pet thing. We've got these people coming with their pets. What do we do with them?

Katie Campbell: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: It just kind of fuel itself. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: How many people do you employ? 

Katie Campbell: 25. 

Jeff Holden: And And how big is the budget? 

Katie Campbell: 7 million. 

Jeff Holden: That's amazing. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. 25. 

Jeff Holden: And I know you have a. Cadra of volunteers out there. 

Katie Campbell: We do. We do. Yeah. We like to say we're a small but mighty team and we could not do what we do without our 4,800 plus volunteers.

Mm-hmm. Throughout the US and Canada as well as our [00:21:00] partnerships. You know, we do a lot because of, of our partnerships and so small but mighty team, 

Jeff Holden: so many nonprofits. Yeah. That's just the story, right? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: A donor comes in since you have the majority of your funding from donors and says, Katie, we love what you are doing.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: As a matter of fact, we'd like you to do more of it. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And if the vision's big enough, we're gonna fund it. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: What would it look like? What would you say? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. The, the vision. What's the big 

Jeff Holden: vision? What would the vision look like? Right. 

Katie Campbell: Well, ultimately, big Vision, we're no longer needed. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. We work ourselves out of a job.

Katie Campbell: We work ourselves out of a job for us that looks like people and pets can stay healthy and together. Right. So, you know, it looks like every community has a disaster plan and they know what to do and they have the people to do it locally. Right. And we, we train communities on that. Mm-hmm. It looks, and 

Jeff Holden: that's what we'll touch on in just a second.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. And it looks like accessible vet care, you [00:22:00] know? Cost, but also location and geography. Right? It looks like domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness. Don't have to make a choice. Mm-hmm. And every organization has services for them. And it looks like, I think us creating a more compassionate future generation that really, you know, understands and values living beings, you know, animals and people, ultimately it's, it's putting ourselves out of a job, I think is the big vision.

And I, I would've never. I really considered myself a fundraiser. I would not say it's, you know, like high up there on my skillset, but I have found that I've really, really enjoyed it because when I think of a donor and somebody who is willing to trust us with their money, I really, really value that.

Mm-hmm. Whether it's $5 one time or it's, you're gonna leave us, you know, with [00:23:00] that bequest. You are trusting us to do really good things with your money, and we're gonna help you create impact, because I think that's what donors want, right? Like if you're gonna donate somewhere, 

Jeff Holden: that's why they give, 

Katie Campbell: you wanna create change.

And so I see us as the vehicle of, of creating that change. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And you're stewarding both ways. You're stewarding the donor 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: For that contribution. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: But they expect you to be a good steward 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Of that contribution. 

Katie Campbell: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. And it's, it's a high expectation. 

Katie Campbell: It is. It is. And we try and be very, very good stewards.

You know, you can go onto the website, you can see all of our financial documentation, and we're actually in the middle of our audit right now. And we, we are as transparent as we can be. Mm-hmm. I, you know, transparency is something that's really, really important to us. From our everyday donor communications to our annual meeting.

You know, we really value folks knowing what their money is doing and being able, being able to see that. [00:24:00] I mean, I'm sure it'll come up later. We're really proud to be telling our story, I think, in exciting new ways. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. '

Katie Campbell: cause that's important, you know. You give money, you wanna know what your money is doing.

Jeff Holden: Yeah, exactly. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And collaboration. Yeah. I think one of the key words we're seeing as budgets change 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And funding changes. Yeah. Is the significance of collaboration amongst organizations and, and what does that look like, and how do you better serve the constituents working together. Mm-hmm. And in many cases, just being aware.

Yeah. 'cause people don't know. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: They, I I was gonna ask you, do you work with the Red Cross? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: I'm thrilled. See, that just made sense. We've had them in here and I'm hearing 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: This, this whole pet situation is catastrophic. Yeah. During a catastrophe, 

Katie Campbell: it's Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: For the, the families, the pets, and for whatever that particular situation is.

And everything's a mess. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And somebody's gotta bring it together. 

Katie Campbell: Yes. Yeah. You know, and we will, we'll often work alongside Red Cross. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Katie Campbell: Whenever they are. [00:25:00] Serving a community after a disaster, but they are also big supporters of us. So even if, let's say a disaster happens, we're not being called in to ask because the community doesn't need our support right then and there.

Often what we will do is actually create a list of pet friendly resources in that community. Right? Okay. And so we're vetting them, making sure that they're open, giving addresses, that sort of thing. And the Red Cross will often share that for us. And they really value that because. While they may not be able to meet the needs of pet parents all the time in their responses, they know that it's an important part of it.

Mm-hmm. And that, you know, folks may not leave a disaster zone if they can't take their pet with them. We've seen, we've 

Jeff Holden: seen so many times 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Couldn't find you name the pet. 

Katie Campbell: Yep. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And you know, people get injured. Yeah. And in some cases perish because they wouldn't leave without 

Katie Campbell: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Without that pet.

Katie Campbell: Absolutely. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So the significance of what you do mm-hmm. [00:26:00] Is life and death in some situations. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: We'll be back with more from Katie Campbell of RedRover right after we hear from those responsible for helping this story get heard. 

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Western Health advantages more than a health plan. It's a partner in your [00:29:00] purpose. Explore your options today@westernhealth.com. Western Health Advantage Healthcare with Heart designed for those who give back. Let's talk a little bit back about the training. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Because you have several elements of it.

Yeah. There's training for organizations to learn how to deal with pets Yeah. For the people that they serve. Yeah. But there's also training for schools. Yeah. You're in schools with the program. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So let's start with the one that's for the, the other organizations that serve. People with pets. 

Katie Campbell: Yep, yep.

Yeah. So some of that behind the scenes work. And so, you know, often oftentimes folks don't get to see it 'cause it's behind the scenes. We, so one, we do a lot of training with individual communities on disaster response. So that's our responders program. Um, you know, really just making sure. Local communities know what to do, what supplies they need, how to do it.

So there's that training. The training that I am here in Sacramento for tomorrow is part of our, don't forget the Pets [00:30:00] Collaborative. So we've been collaborating with Greater Good Charities since 2019 now. Mm-hmm. And we travel all over the country. And we provide free training to human services organizations, animal services organizations, veterinary community law enforcement, anybody else who's interested on how to create pet housing programs.

And so it's essentially bringing folks together from these different sectors into the same room to talk about why it's important and how to do it. So. From collaboration, who do you collaborate with? How do you start that to program design? To like physically, like what does your space look like to policies and procedures, which I know everybody loves policies and procedures.

Yes. It's one of my favorite parts of the talk, but we talk about policy just 

Jeff Holden: ahead of. Fundraising, right, 

Katie Campbell: just ahead of fundraising. You got it. Yes. Fundraising is, is honestly probably the easiest part of all of it because a lot of people like donating to animal causes, but we really kind of walk them through that, that [00:31:00] process.

So it's kind of 30,000 foot view after the training is done. We offer a ton of support after the fact, so we do free coaching, one-on-one coaching with the organizations or you know, an organization and their collaborative partners. The reason why I love the training so much is because we, in the nonprofit world, tend to get really siloed.

You know, we don't really talk to the other folks in the community. Right. And, and I know that from my days working here in Sacramento mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Improving, but still a long way to go. Yes. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, absolutely. Until we tend to get really siloed. So we're just physically bringing people together to meet each other, and that for me is the really, really exciting part of this training that we do.

And so we're gonna be doing that tomorrow. Can I share why I'm personally excited about that training? Absolutely. Okay. So I think I mentioned a little bit earlier, this feels like a full circle trip for me to, to Sacramento. Um, I was AmeriCorps member. I worked at the Family re resource Center in Oak Park.

We're gonna be doing the training [00:32:00] at La Familia Counseling Center and the one of the co-hosts was my former trainer at the Child Abuse Prevention Center when I was an AmeriCorps member. So it's just, it's really, really exciting to, I think, you know, be working with these folks. They're at the Sacramento Family Justice Center now.

You know, they recognize the, the need to recognize pets with the folks they're serving. And so, you know, in our own backyard here in, in Sacramento, it's just wonderful, I think to be, to be bringing this community together, to be talking about this and how we move forward as a community. 'cause that. Is one of the most important parts of of this housing program work is it takes a community.

It can't be one organization doing it on their own. They absolutely have to have that community support to do it well and to do it long term. So, yeah, 

Jeff Holden: couldn't agree with you more on that. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And breaking down these silos is so necessary. Back to the conversation about collaboration. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: It's absolutely necessary today.

Katie Campbell: It is. 

Jeff Holden: And it's hard for [00:33:00] some people to do. It's. It's, it's gonna have to happen. Or their, you know, organization may not be here two years, three years, four years from now. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. And it's work. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Katie Campbell: You know, I, it's 

Jeff Holden: difficult when you only had to do your thing yes. By yourself, and you didn't have to engage all these other people.

But today you must engage other people. 

Katie Campbell: You must, and it's, it's building a relationship. You know, it's, we've had, we have longstanding partnerships with, uh, a number of organizations. I would say, you know, one of the best examples of this is actually with Greater good charities, you know, it's work like we talk all the time about like, Hey, what's working?

What's not working? What do we need to do? You know, what are the gaps that we need to fill? Okay. Like, what are we doing? What are you doing? And it's, it's building a relationship and it's continuous conversation. And in the end it is so worth it. I think we've trained through this alone, I wanna say more than 3,600 people.

And you know, it's like that's really impactful work. And that's [00:34:00] in multiple communities across the country. Those 

Jeff Holden: are boots on the ground. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Those are people actually doing the work. 

Katie Campbell: Yes. Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Let's talk a little bit about the school system. 

Katie Campbell: Yes. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Because what I think is so important there is if we can educate our youth mm-hmm.

Our children. Yeah. That this is the way things are or should be. 

Katie Campbell: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: We save ourselves a lot of trouble down the line. 

Katie Campbell: Yes, yes, absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: And you've got a program for kids. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Tell me how that thing gets implemented. What's it do in, in the school system? Yeah. How do you engage it in the community?

Katie Campbell: Sure, sure. Yeah. And you know, I'm gonna tie it back to, Hey, what is it? What's the big vision? Yeah. The big vision is we prevent abuse, cruelty, neglect before it even happens. Right. And I think that is what. It was really at the core of our RedRover readers program and our kind news magazine. So in a nutshell, kind News magazine, I often think of it as Ranger Rick.

That's what I had when I was a kid. But it is a animal themed magazine that goes into a classroom, free to the classroom. It goes in free [00:35:00] five times a school year, and it's, it's based on science, it's based on animals, animals from all around the world and and teaching kids about. Animals and getting them engaged.

And it's similar to the RedRover Readers program in that it uses open-ended non-judgmental questions. Mm-hmm. You know, to really engage kids in conversations, start building that perspective, taking, you know, understanding how to take that perspective, which builds into empathy. Right. And the readers program.

It is a bit more formal. And so I call it a train the trainer model. And so we train folks, usually teachers or humane educators on how to use children's books again to engage kids in conversation. Mm-hmm. And so each book in the curriculum comes with a guide and it. Walks the reader through how to read the book, when to ask the questions, and, and again, it's all open-ended.

Non-judgmental questions, folks can actually take the RedRover readers [00:36:00] training for free. Right now it's online at our website. Their support on the backend for folks as, as they have questions. But we've, you know, we've seen just these wonderful stories of, you know, a kid, I think it was actually maybe a local Sacramento child many, many years ago.

They were reading, I wanna say it was Community Cats was the book. Nobody's Cats. Nobody's Cats is the name of the book. And they read the book in school and. The kid, the student realized that he had a family member who was throwing rocks at some of the, the cats in his neighborhood. After reading the book, he went home to his family member and he said, Hey, I don't think we should be doing that anymore.

Can we not throw rocks at the cats anymore? And the family member stopped doing it. And then the, the kid got to go back to his, his teacher and, and report that. There's another wonderful story of, this is a little bit of a more recent story. Kids were reading the kind news [00:37:00] magazine in the classroom and they heard a story 'cause we use real life stories.

They heard a story of another classroom, another group of kids who are helping an animal get some veterinary care that they needed. The kids were so inspired by it that they started talking and working with their local like neighborhood animals to see how they could help them get the emergency veterinary care that they needed.

And so I think the most powerful thing that it shows kids is that they have the control, they have the ability to have impact in their own lives. Right. They have impact to change what their relatives do. They have impact to change what happens in their neighborhood. And I mean, how powerful is that right now to like show kids what power they have?

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Katie Campbell: I, I think it's, it's amazing. It's, it's an amazing part of our work, so Yeah. And 

Jeff Holden: so many times when that student child [00:38:00] sees the effect 

Katie Campbell: mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Of a pet passing. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: It. It's an emotional, it's as in many cases, as much as a family member. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Or if it's their pet. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And they, they realize it at an early age, they realize the value Yeah.

Of that pet 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And that relationship that they had with the pet. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, all the way through. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Those can, those can be traumatic experiences. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I think kids tend to be so engaged and interested in animals and Yeah. Even if a kid, for whatever reason already has some fear around an animal, you know, our RedRover readers program in his true ascent, we intentionally don't bring live animals into a reading because of this.

Mm-hmm. Because of those, those kids who might already have a fear of animals after reading it. We are giving them the opportunity for like a, a different story of what it means. Mm-hmm. To like share your life with animals. And we've heard that like quite a bit. Like, you know, so and so was afraid of, of cats and now after [00:39:00] going through this program, they're not afraid of cats anymore or they're a little less afraid and, and, and they don't.

That's our goal is like, Hey, let's just work towards being a little less afraid, because I think kids really do love animals. They're, they're really interested in them. And so I think that's part, part of the reason why our books and the Kind News magazine works. So well 

Jeff Holden: get all the information through the website, which we'll post on the 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: the show notes of the, of the episode.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So we came off of your funding. What's the greatest need? Where do you need the most today? 

Katie Campbell: Where do we need the most today? I, I would say, uh, across the board is where, where we need the most today. So we always need volunteers, certainly. So that's, you know, one way non-monetary that, that folks can support.

Becoming a monthly donor, I think is one of the, the easiest and, and you know, best ways for us as an organization, you know, it allows us to be able to count on, hey, we've got this monthly donation coming in. [00:40:00] Every month. And it allows us to pivot, you know, where we need and when a crisis comes up, you know, we know that we're gonna have that funding available when we need it.

I think all of our, all of our programs at this point, they, they need it. I don't know that there is one that needs it more than another. Yeah. It's just a 

Jeff Holden: distribution of funding. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: However you wanna see it come 

Katie Campbell: in. Yes, absolutely. Good. Yeah. Yeah. Flexibility is always great as a, as an organization. So 

Jeff Holden: when you look at the organization.

On an annual basis. Yes. And you say, okay, I think you mentioned this is the biggest revenue year you've ever had. 

Katie Campbell: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Congratulations. That's awesome. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: What does success look like? Yeah. How do you gauge your success and say, we are making the impact we expect. Yeah. And here's what it looks like. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah.

Yeah. It's a wonderful question, and I think it's an important question. I will say certainly there's success in numbers, right? So there's success In last year we just helped our 9000th animal, um mm-hmm. With the urgent [00:41:00] care, with a, a veterinary grant. You know, I mentioned it a little bit earlier. We've provided six and a half million dollars in safe housing grants to keep people and pets safe and together there's success in numbers, right?

For me, when I measure success as an organization, I think it's a little, it's a little more intangible for us. I should also say we also had our 300. RedRover responders deployment last year as well, so Awesome. Yeah. Again, success in numbers. What I think is at the base of all of that is that we are meeting people with compassion and empathy across the board, and so what do I mean by that?

I mean that every pet parent who applies for an urgent care grant. Gets that compassionate, empathetic response. Right? You know, every domestic violence survivor, while we're not talking directly to them, but every domestic violence survivor who gets that boarding grant, is [00:42:00] met with a compassionate response.

So we are telling people it is, it's okay for you to be nervous about your pet. It's okay for you to want them to be safe. And I think honestly that's, that's the best success that we have. Mm-hmm. Is just meeting folks with compassion at potentially one of the most traumatic times of their lives and not judging them because they're worried about their pet.

That might sound a little cheesy, but I, I think that's success for us at 

Jeff Holden: the Yeah. I don't think so. And I think you can see it on the smile on their face when they realize that the pet's gonna be taken care of. You can see it in the tears of joy that 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Oh my gosh, you, you got me to stay with my pet.

Yeah. In a situation that I had to leave. Yeah. I had to leave. Yeah. And I didn't have to leave my pet alone. 

Jeff Holden: So I think those, those faces in the individual, which you don't get to see all the time because they're going through third party 

Scott Thomas: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Organizations. Even there, I think they feel the same way.

That if I couldn't have taken some care for this pet Yeah. This woman wouldn't [00:43:00] be here. 

Scott Thomas: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: She might still be in a bad situation or the family or he, you know, whatever, whatever that situation is. 

Scott Thomas: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You deal with an emotional element. Yeah. And you come from an empathic 

Scott Thomas: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: History. Yes. Yeah. In, in your career.

Yeah. Just what you do. 

Scott Thomas: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Serving the community the way you have. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Somewhere along the line, we all need a little bit of a break. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: What does Katie do to kind of get away from it, to refresh to, to relax? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. It's, I think it's, it's one of the most important conversations that I think we as folks from the nonprofit world can and should have.

This is, this is passion work. You know, and I think that is what makes people good at it, is they're passionate about it, but it is also the thing that makes this work really, really hard. So first, I will just say as an organization, because I don't get, you know, I'm not as directly involved with, with pet parents, it is something that our team is [00:44:00] really, really committed to and they support each other and we have a lot of compassion, empathy around it.

For me personally, times can be hard and so I. Personally find a lot of value in my own pets, in my own family. Of course. 

Jeff Holden: Well, I have to ask what 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Pets do you have? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, so we currently have, my wife and I currently have three dogs. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Katie Campbell: We have two Husky mixes and then our newest edition is Super Mutt.

He's got 17, 17 different breeds in him. He's about six months old and you know there is, I get so much. Just joy and just comfort from them, right? Mm-hmm. So there's certainly that. I also have to remind myself that I can't do everything, but I can do my part. 

Darrell Teat: Mm-hmm. 

Katie Campbell: Right? And, you know, it can be overwhelming, you know, to, to think about and to see, you know, the, the number of of folks who want or need [00:45:00] help.

And I, I can just do my part, you know, and I have a folder in my email inbox literally says, when I need a reminder. And it's those stories that, you know, have just really touched me over the years. And I put 'em in that email inbox and then when I need the reminder of like, okay, this is the good that we've done.

This is what we've done, I can go to that. And it's something that I, I do with the team as well. And you know, I think. We have other team members who also, you know, have really done that over the years too. Like, Hey, this is a wonderful story we heard in our program. We wanna share it with everybody because all of our team contribute to this amazing work.

You know, it's not just the case managers or the program folks who are doing, you know, the, the day to day, let's say. Right. It is absolutely. Every single person on our team who contributes to the work. And so I'm proud of just our culture of like, Hey, let's, let's share these successes with, with everybody.

'cause it's hard. 

Jeff Holden: I think that's a great reminder for everybody. Find something that demonstrates the good you do. [00:46:00] 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And whenever you're in that space of questioning 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Pull it back up. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Because that's, that's reality. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. It is reality. And I would also say it's also okay to have that moment where you're like.

Today just stinks, you know? That 

Jeff Holden: happens. Yes. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, yeah. And, and giving yourself, I think, permission to, to just be in that moment today stinks. Tomorrow's gonna be better. And then, you know, get those reminders, you know, whatever it is that you take care of yourself with, you know, do it. But also allow yourself to, to have that moment where today just stinks.

Jeff Holden: What's the best way for the community to support the organization? What should they do? Where do they go? Yeah. What do you suggest? 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. I feel like this is probably the response of every nonprofit that you have on the show. Go to the website. Yes, 

Jeff Holden: yes. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. RedRover.org certainly become a volunteer for us.

You know, you don't have to have all the knowhow, you just have to have a willingness to join us, and you can do the training for free RedRover.org/join responders. Of course, donate. [00:47:00] Again, go to the website red rover.org, you'll see all of the, the donation opportunities. Mm-hmm. You know, absolutely donate to us.

And I would say generally, anybody just talk about RedRover. Mm-hmm. You know, make sure folks know that our emergency vet care is there for folks. Make sure that they know that we have resources for domestic violence survivors. And make sure that, you know, they know that there's this magazine that. Can go free into the classrooms to the kids.

Yes. Yeah. And you know, teach, teach our kids about kindness, compassion, and empathy for animals and people. So baseline answer to your question, go to the website 

Jeff Holden: and we will have that posted in the show notes, like I said earlier. So it's easy for people. 'cause a lot of people are just listening or driving when they listen to the podcasts.

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Sometimes the smallest act of help you mentioned could be $25. Yeah. It could be $250, could be $2,500. Yeah. To provide a safe place for a pet. 

Scott Thomas: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: For somebody in a tragic situation. 

Scott Thomas: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Is all it takes to change a life. And that life changes in a community [00:48:00] and it changes the community by the community support.

Yeah. So what you and your team and those 25 and 4,800 volunteers are doing across the country. Yeah. I'm excited and proud to say that it originated here in Sacramento. Yeah. Yeah. And we have several organizations that we're seeing now make a much bigger impact outside one of MS and AmeriCorps organization.

Yeah. And so. To to, to have it originate here. You know, just that pride 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Of Sacramento. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Helping the country. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And now knowing and seeing you and hearing the story. Yeah. A $7 million budget. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Is, is huge. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Congratulations. 

Katie Campbell: Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: Thank you. And, and thanks for you guys do every day for us.

Katie Campbell: Oh my gosh. Thank you. Thank you. And, and I, I. I don't live in Sacramento anymore. I live in New York. I consider Sacramento a home still. I am so proud that Sacramento is our home base and Sacramento's like, be proud that you have an organization in your backyard that has been making change [00:49:00] since like Hurricane Katrina, right?

Like we have really helped transform. On a national level, how we respond to disasters across the country. Like, you know, Sacramento, like we're driving how people respond to people in pets and crises, you know, from domestic violence to homelessness, to access to vet care. Like you have an organization in your backyard that is not just creating ripples, I would say, is creating waves across the country and internationally.

Mm-hmm. At this point. So, yeah, be proud Sacramento. 

Scott Thomas: Couldn't agree 

Jeff Holden: more. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Thank you. 

Katie Campbell: Yeah, thank you. 

Jeff Holden: Thank you for listening to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. We hope today's episode inspired you and gave you a deeper look into the work of our local nonprofits. If you believe in our mission to amplify their voices, please take a moment to leave us a positive review and share this episode with a friend.

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