Business & Tech

PetChance.org Going Non-Profit

The Westborough firm launched in September.

A new Westborough business helping pet owners pay veterinary bills is filing for federal nonprofit status.

PetChance.org founder Peter Alberti says the change “will help us to accelerate our ability to collect donations and support the business.”

“It was a great move,” says Alberti, a Northborough resident.

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“The client base that we have, the people who are raising money, are literally putting on their Facebook pages, ‘Make a donation to my pet, and they’re tax deductible.’ But it isn’t if we’re not nonprofit.”

Launched Sept. 6, PetChance.org asks pet owners to create a “chance,” in which they “say which you are using. And we call the vet and say, ‘Is this your client? Is this your patient? Is this the medical treatment? And how much does it cost?’,” Alberti told Patch this fall.

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Becoming a nonprofit “requires a pretty substantial amount of paperwork,” which is being completed now, Alberti said last week. The business uses space at Well Directions, 45 Lyman St., Suite 15, in Westborough.

The IRS will process the paperwork within “two to 11 months,” he said.

PetChance.org needs the IRS paperwork completed to apply for grants for help marketing the business, for public relations and for site improvements, Alberti said.

“We have, now, $100,000 worth of chances in our system in pets in 25 states. So, it’s been very busy keeping up with the operations,” he said.

Last week, Alberti made an e-mail campaign toward raising $850 for the paperwork and $3,000 for marketing.

“Predominantly, it’s around the marketing for donations,” he said.

“We have found that about half of our clients know they’re supposed to raise their own money.”

Alberti said his research has shown that “with cause-related crowd funding, it has to be a combination of both. The crowd-funding company – us – we have a obligation to help support what our clients are doing.”

“I feel like we can do more to help them get the word out,” he said.


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