Over a decade ago, while still struggling business entrepreneurs, David and Cheryl Duffield turned to their miniature schnauzer, Maddie, for wholehearted love and support. Referring to their years of financial hardships, Duffield says, "Maddie was the lighthouse during the stormy period." The couple, indebted to their loyal canine for all of unconditional love and support, vowed to return the favor one day if they were ever in the position to do so.
David Duffield, the Co-Founder and Board Chairman of PeopleSoft, Inc., now worth between $1 and $2 billion, is doing just that. The Duffield Family Foundation was established in 1994 and was restructured into Maddie's Fund in 1999 when the couple pledged $200 million to the foundation. Though Maddie passed away in 1997, her spirit survives through the foundation. This non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the welfare of companion animals by encouraging a "no-kill" policy at animal shelters and societies across the United States — a reaction to the routine euthanasia of millions of adoptable animals each year.
To date, the Alameda, California-based foundation has funded or committed to fund more than $26 million in grants to organizations that offer low-cost spay and neutering services and who promote pet adoption. The organizations endowment seeks out private non-profit groups rather than government run shelters. Duffield, who has been criticized by many, refuses to apologize for his agenda.
The organization has strict rules and guidelines. It refuses to subsidize building projects or finance general operating budgets — granting funds only to support programs, that Duffield says "will successfully achieve the no-kill goal for their communities within five years," and to invest "in saving the lives of additional cats and dogs who would otherwise be killed" -- a policy that excludes a number of agencies.
While many organizations have applied for grants from Maddie's funds, only five have been approved for multi-year funding: No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a statewide collaboration scheduled to receive $8 million over five years, The California Veterinary Medical Association's Feral Cat Altering Program, scheduled to receive $8 million over three years for performing 150,000 feral cat spay/neuter surgeries, The School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, scheduled to receive $2.2 million over six years to implement the nation's first comprehensive Shelter Medicine Program, The California Veterinary Medical Association's Low-Income Cat Altering Program, to receive $856,000 over one year, and The Lodi Pet Saving Connection, scheduled to receive a half million dollars over 5 years.
Former president of the San Francisco SPCA, Richard Avanzino, now resides as president of Maddie's Fund. One of the leading no-kill advocates across the nation, Avanzino had a hand in making San Francisco into the first no-kill city in the U.S. in 1994, which has since been followed by Bozeman, Montana and Kanab, Utah.
According to Avanzino, "The mission of Maddie's Fund is to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals. The first step in fulfilling our mission is to build a national safety net that guarantees healthy dogs and cats a loving home throughout the United States. Our focus is on financially supporting community collaborative projects that deliver this result."
For more information on Maddie's Fund, visit www.maddiesfund.org or call (510) 337-8989.
