The Forever Farm Capital Campaign

Today, you have the opportunity to help secure the future of The Dorset Equine Rescue and to be part of one of the most significant moments in our organization’s history. With a signed Purchase and Sale Agreement now in place, we have the extraordinary opportunity to acquire the neighboring equestrian facility that, together with our existing Rupert farm, will become our Forever Farm—a permanent home where abused, neglected, and at-risk horses will find hope and healing for generations to come.

Every gift made today will be matched, thanks to two extraordinary matching challenges: a $250,000 challenge generously funded by six supporters, and an additional $1 million challenge from another generous donor. Together, these commitments have created a remarkable $1.25 million dollar-for-dollar matching opportunity, bringing us one step closer to securing the future of The Dorset Equine Rescue.

As many of you know, my husband, Chip, and I founded The Dorset Equine Rescue in our backyard in 2012 with one simple dream: to give horses in need a second chance.

What began with a handful of horses has grown into an organization that has now rescued and rehabilitated more than 600 horses.

Every horse who arrives at The Dorset Equine Rescue carries a different story.

Some have been starved.

Some have been neglected.

Some have endured unimaginable suffering.

Every one of them deserves a place where healing can begin—and where hope can be restored.

Thanks to the unwavering support of our incredible community, we have been able to give each one the care, dignity, and second chance they deserved. We are forever grateful to each and every one of you who has believed in our mission along the way.

None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary dedication of our staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, veterinarians, farriers, and so many others who have generously given their time, talents, and hearts to this mission. Together, they have helped build The Dorset Equine Rescue into the organization it is today, and I am deeply grateful to each and every one of them.

Today, The Dorset Equine Rescue provides rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, and advocacy for abused, neglected, and at-risk horses throughout Vermont and the Northeast.

As the organization grew, it became increasingly clear that our personal property could no longer meet the needs of the rescue. More importantly, I realized that if The Dorset Equine Rescue was going to serve horses for generations to come, it needed something every lasting nonprofit organization needs: a permanent home that would belong to the organization itself.

Owning its own property gives The Dorset Equine Rescue something invaluable: permanence. It provides the organization with the stability, security, and independence needed to build a strong and lasting foundation for its mission, ensuring that horses in need will always have a place to find hope, healing, and second chances for generations to come.

Several years ago, one of our incredibly generous supporters made an extraordinary gift of $850,000, designated specifically to help us purchase property for the rescue.

That gift set us on a journey to find the perfect forever home. We trusted that the right property would come along when the time was right—and it did.

Just over two years ago, we asked one of our hay suppliers if he knew of any local farmers who might consider selling their farm. Farms rarely come on the market in our area, but just a few days later he called to tell us he had spoken with someone who was willing to sell.

Thanks to that extraordinary $850,000 gift, together with the generosity of just 20 additional donors, we were able to purchase a beautiful 178-acre farm before it was ever listed for sale.

The land was everything we had hoped for, but the infrastructure was not. Although the farm dated back to the 1700s, it had been abandoned for more than a decade and had no electricity or usable infrastructure beyond an aging barn that we now use for hay storage. We knew transforming the farm into a fully operational rescue campus would take years of planning, construction, and fundraising. It was a challenge we embraced wholeheartedly because we knew it would one day become the forever home of The Dorset Equine Rescue.

Then, this spring, a rare opportunity presented itself.

Our neighbor, who has lovingly cared for her exceptional equestrian property for many years, approached us with an extraordinary opportunity. She asked if we would be interested in purchasing her farm through a private sale.

Her beautiful property includes an indoor riding arena, an outdoor riding arena, a horse barn, staff housing, and office space—nearly all of the facilities we had envisioned for our future campus. Just as importantly, it is a place that has been thoughtfully stewarded with deep respect for horses, wildlife, and the natural world.

Opportunities like this are exceedingly rare, making this a true once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Having these facilities already in place will save years of planning and construction while avoiding several million dollars in future capital costs. Recreating a campus like this from the ground up would take many years, require extensive permitting and construction, and cost millions of dollars beyond the purchase price.

Combined with our existing 178-acre farm, these two properties will create a unified rescue campus unlike anything we could have built on our own. Our current property provides hayfields and pastureland, while the neighboring farm provides the operational infrastructure. Together, they will allow us to centralize all of our operations in one location, making the rescue more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective while allowing our staff to spend less time traveling between properties and more time caring for the horses.

The Forever Farm will allow us to rescue, rehabilitate, and care for more horses, provide year-round rehabilitation and training in the safety of an indoor riding arena during Vermont’s long winters, and respond more effectively to equine cruelty and neglect cases.

More horses will have a chance to heal.

More horses will have a chance to trust again.

More horses will have a chance to find loving homes.

With an existing solar array helping to reduce operating costs, more of every dollar entrusted to us can be directed where it matters most—providing lifesaving care for horses in need.

This is far more than the purchase of a beautiful equestrian facility. It is the opportunity to become the next stewards of an extraordinary property that has been lovingly cared for throughout the years. We are honored by the trust that has been placed in us, and we are committed to preserving this special place—ensuring that it remains a haven not only for horses in need, but also for the wildlife and native habitats that have long called it home.

While a signed Purchase and Sale Agreement has secured this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, our work is far from over. Completing the purchase depends on raising the remaining funds. Although we have made incredible progress, important work still lies ahead before this dream becomes a reality.

Our Purchase and Sale Agreement has been thoughtfully structured to allow the flexibility needed to ensure a smooth and successful transition. We are committed to working closely with the seller throughout this process to ensure this next chapter unfolds in a way that works well for everyone involved. We are deeply grateful for her belief in our mission, for entrusting us with the opportunity to become the next stewards of this extraordinary property, and for giving us the time needed to make this vision a reality.

Today, we officially launch The Forever Farm Capital Campaign with a goal of $4.5 million.

This campaign will provide the resources needed to:

• Purchase the neighboring farm and unite both properties into one permanent rescue campus
• Complete a critical water mitigation project on our current Rupert farm
• Install permanent fencing throughout the current property
• Purchase essential equipment, including equipment needed for hay production, and fund other property improvements, professional services, and project needs as they arise
• Establish an $800,000 endowment to help ensure the long-term financial sustainability of The Dorset Equine Rescue for generations to come

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we have already made significant progress toward our $4.5 million goal.

As we prepared to launch this campaign, something extraordinary happened: six generous donors stepped forward with a combined $250,000 matching challenge.

As if that weren’t incredible enough, another generous donor came forward with an additional $1 million matching challenge.

Every dollar you give will be matched—up to $1.25 million.

Your gift can have twice the impact.

This is an extraordinary opportunity, but we can only unlock these matching funds if we come together as a community. Your support will help ensure that The Dorset Equine Rescue can continue rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding loving homes for horses for generations to come.

This is, without question, the most ambitious project in the history of The Dorset Equine Rescue.For the first time ever, we have the opportunity to create a permanent campus that will allow the rescue not only to meet today’s needs, but to continue saving horses long into the future.

We have secured the opportunity. Now, together, we must see it through. An opportunity like this may never come again.

There has never been a more powerful time to give. Your generosity will help us secure the Forever Farm for generations to come.

If The Dorset Equine Rescue has ever touched your heart, we hope you will consider making a gift to The Forever Farm Capital Campaign. Your generosity will help us seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and ensure that horses in need will always have a safe place to land.

The Forever Farm is our promise to future generations—that horses in need will always have a safe place to heal, to find hope, and to begin again. Together, we can make that promise a reality.

If you are interested in supporting The Forever Farm Capital Campaign or would like to learn more, I would be honored to speak with you. I would also be happy to give you a tour of our Rupert farm and share our vision for how it will come together with the neighboring property to create the Forever Farm campus.

Please feel free to contact me directly at dorsetequinerescue@yahoo.com.

Thank you for believing in our mission, for believing in our horses, and for helping us ensure that every horse who needs a second chance will always have a safe place to land.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Jen Straub
Founder & Executive Director
The Dorset Equine Rescue

The land outlined in green represents our existing 178-acre property in Rupert, providing the pastureland and hay fields essential to long-term sustainability. This land allows us to produce our own hay and support our horses on-site, significantly reducing ongoing costs and strengthening the long-term sustainability of our operations. The land outlined in purple is the neighboring farm we are working to acquire.

Help Secure the Forever Farm

Every gift, large or small, brings us one step closer to securing a permanent home for The Dorset Equine Rescue and the horses who depend on us.

Your gift today will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $1.25 million, doubling your impact.

If you are able, please consider making a gift today to help us seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Other Ways to Give

Checks may be mailed to:

The Dorset Equine Rescue
P.O. Box 92
East Dorset, VT 05253

For information about making a gift by wire transfer, donor-advised fund, stock transfer, IRA qualified charitable distribution, or to discuss a leadership gift, please contact:

Jen Straub
Founder & Executive Director
The Dorset Equine Rescue
(802) 366-1300
dorsetequinerescue@yahoo.com

The Dorset Equine Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Federal Tax ID (EIN): 46-3192988