About Spots and Stripes:
How did you pick your name, Spots and Stripes?
Good question. Initially our founders wanted to do more for Big Cats, like the Siberian and Bengal tigers, leopards and cheetahs. So they chose Spots
for the spots on the leopard and cheetah, and Stripes for the stripes on the tiger.
Why another charity for cats?
Because of their love for all cats, the Lemke's had been giving money to an assortment of charities for cats of all sizes. Tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and feral cats. They had learned about feral cats initially through articles in "Cat Fancy" magazine, and through mass-mailings from several organizations claiming to be working with and for them. Their very first cat together was a feral calico they had named "Jean-Luc Kitte`" before they knew "he" was a "she". Mr. Lemke was heavily involved with investing in the stock market and For-Ex (foriegn exchange) markets, and spent a lot of time on his computer analyzing and studying the financial records and histories before making any trades. One day - most likely on a weekend when the markets were closed - he decided to look into the financials of some of the charities he and his wife contributed to.
What he discovered would make them both sick and angry at the same time. Although one charity for "alley cats" did have a nice, professional website with a lot of information, and links to other sites with even more information, their financial statement contained the most vile information of all. This particular organization buried under twenty pages of razzle-dazzle, let's pat ourselves on the back to fill up space, useless non-information designed to bore anyone away from the bottom line, tried to hide what they knew their donor's would not like. Out of slightly more than two million dollars of donations received, the two founding ladies got a salary of $500,000.00 EACH! Another $700,000.00 went to other officers and board members! Under "Jobs Available" they listed a new opening for a lobbyist with a starting salary of $100,000.00. How much did the cats actually get? Next to nothing, after you add in "regular" staff salaries, miscellaneous expenses, and the cost of hiring professionals to raise money for them.
Over two million dollars, and not a single cat spayed or fed!
They more research they did, the more discouraged they became. They learned instead of donating to saving African leopards and cheetahs, more often they were donating so a student could take a "holiday" in Africa for a couple months, pay for their tuition and living expenses once they got home for a year or two, and had a lot of pictures and stories to share at the local pub! The concept for Spots and Stripes was born and about to take wings! It would not be another "charity" for cats or any other cause; it would be a *true* charity, one in a highly elite class, where the donations actually went where it was intended, not into someone's pocket.
How much do you make from this charity?
Zip. Zero. Nada. Nothing. Thanks to a very helpful I.R.S. (Internal Revenue Service) Agent in charge of overseeing our 501(c)(3) tax-exempt application. During our interview with him, we asked him to write a part of our "Articles of Incorporation" for us so that it would clearly state that no founders, officers, board members or agents of Spots and Stripes could ever get paid for working for Spots and Stripes. No penthouse suites or seaside estates for us. Everything we get goes back to the cats.
I don't trust on-line payment processors, can I send you a check?
Yes, you sure can. Checks or money orders can be made out to Spots and Stripes Inc., and mail to:
Spots and Stripes,
10903 - 56th Ave Ct E
#M-204
Puyallup, WA 98373
