Humane Health Coalition Business Plan
Humane Animal Rescue
Economic Equity
HARP is dedicated to animal welfare, pet owners, and the community, with a vision to end animal abuse, suffering, and homelessness in the Pittsburgh region. They operate low-cost veterinary centers and maintain a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center, providing a safety net for a diverse community of animal lovers in a passionate and trusted environment.
HARP engaged Fourth Economy to develop a business plan for the proposed Humane Health Coalition (HHC) and the addition of a mobile veterinary unit. The HHC will use the One Health concept, a model widely adopted as a new healthcare approach. It aims to develop a continuum of care between human health, veterinary health, and human and animal support services via a mobile clinic and partnerships, meeting the community where they are. One Health employs a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach, recognizing the close relationship between human, animal, and environmental health. The HHC will use a mobile vet clinic and community partnerships to overcome cost and access barriers.
Our Approach
To develop this business plan, we analyzed current conditions and community needs, including federal, state, local, and nonprofit data to understand demographics and socioeconomic trends, such as pet ownership, poverty, and care trends over the past 10 years. We interviewed key local stakeholders about current strengths and service capacity, as well as existing needs and gaps. Finally, we examined similar programs nationwide through desktop research and interviews with program administrators to understand best practices and potential operating models for the HHC.
The Results
The final business plan outlines HARP’s approach to the HHC’s structure and partnerships for phased implementation, funding considerations, and metrics of success and community impact. An Executive Summary and accompanying Deck serve as a “Pitch Deck” for HARP’s leadership to present the concept to stakeholders. Published in March 2023, HARP is using these documents to share the HHC project with potential partners, collaborators, and funders.
Location
Greater Pittsburgh Region