Volunteering at Triple-H


Olivia, a volunteer at Triple H

Meet Olivia, one of the Triple H Miniature Horse Rescue Volunteers

Olivia Larson is a volunteer at Triple H Miniature Horse Rescue and also the Founder's daughter. She works hard with her horses and with the rescue as well. She is a busy gal who always makes time for her beloved equine friends. Her winning the NUZZLE contest had a lot to do with us starting up our rescue. We learned a lot about rescues and how they operated. Olivia is active in the Bismarck Horse Club and the Bismarck English Riders Club (secretary). Olivia was recently selected as one of the top 50 finalists for Justine Magazine's cover girl contest out of thousands of entries across US and Canada so she was very excited to have been a part of that.

Find out more about Olivia             Justine Magazine Cover

VOLUNTEER TODAY! - You never know what can happen, who you will meet and what you will learn!

Available Volunteer Positions

  • Program Volunteer
    • Help with special events and tradeshow booths
  • Maintenance Volunteer
    • Help with farm maintenance such as building repairs - fence repair, painting, corral repair, etc.
  • Equipment Volunteer
    • Help maintain equipment, pick up and delivery of horses, feed, etc.
  • Office Volunteer
    • General office work - record keeping, answering phones, etc.
  • Groomer Volunteer
    • Help with horse grooming and cleaning grooming tools.
  • Stable Volunteer
    • Help muck stalls; feed and water horses.
  • Newsletter Committee
  • Fundraiser Volunteer
  • Follow-up Volunteers

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SKILLS ARE, WE NEED YOUR HELP. WE WILL USE YOUR TALENTS SOMETHWERE TO HELP SAVE A HORSE!

All volunteers will be evaluated so they may be placed in a position accordingly. Only experienced volunteers will be allowed to work with the training of the horses.

Volunteer Application (pdf file)


We Need Volunteers

It takes a lot of volunteers to run a successful rescue. Volunteers are the foundation of the rescue. Without you we cannot exist. The volunteer program is fun and rewarding. You will gain a wonderful feeling of satisfaction knowing that YOU helped save a miniature horse and that because of YOU, a miniature horse will no longer endure abuse and neglect but will receive love, patience and a life filled with love and comfort. Volunteer Application (pdf file)

Tax Credits for Volunteering Costs

Volunteers in the United States can receive tax deductions from the federal government on many costs associated with volunteering, such as mileage and other travel expenses, paper, copying, convention attendance fees, parking, uniforms (if the volunteer purchases his or her own), etc. These deductions apply ONLY if you are NOT getting reimbursed for these expenses by the organization you are assisting, and you are itemizing on your tax form (not if you use the 1040 EZ form).

Hours spent volunteering are not deductible. Pro-bono consulting may be, if you have a bill for the time you contributed performing work that, as a professional, you are usually paid for. Many agencies and pro bono consultants handle this situation by having the consultant bill the agency, then the agency pays the bill, and the consultant donates that money back to the agency. Talk with an accountant for more information.

IRS's publication 526-Charitable Contributions complete information. This information from the IRS web site:

Contributions you cannot deduct at all include contributions made to specific individuals, political organizations and candidates, the value of your time or services and the cost of raffles, bingo, or other games of chance. You cannot deduct contributions that you give to qualified organizations if, as a result, you receive or expect to receive a financial, or economic benefit equal to the contribution.

Although you cannot deduct the value of your time or services, you can deduct the expenses you incur while donating your services to a qualified organization. If the expenses are for travel, which may include transportation and meals and lodging while away from home, they may be deducted only if there is no significant element of personal pleasure, recreation, or vacation in the travel. Actual costs of gas and oil can be deducted, or you can choose to take 14 cents per mile for using your own car.

For more on this, check out the IRS web page on this subject. There is also information on the IRS Charitable Contributions Publication 526.

Remember that most agencies do NOT reimburse volunteers for costs associated with volunteering. If you think you are going to incur a cost because of a volunteering task, get approval from the agency first there may be a way to work it out so that it's not necessary for you to incur costs at all. Even if the organization cannot reimburse you, they may want a written record of your expenses, to document the 'costs' of volunteering for some people.

Mileage for Volunteers

When volunteers drive their own vehicle to carry out a task for the organization, the IRS permits them to deduct $.14 per mile. The business rate for mileage is $.31. Organizations that reimburse the volunteer at the higher rate can put the volunteer in a precarious tax position, according to Senator Frank Murkowski (AK-R). He reports that the IRS has been trying to collect taxes on the difference.

Some tax payers have been subjected to penalties and interest for mileage reimbursement for their volunteer miles. Murkowski has introduced S1208, a bill that would exclude from taxes any reimbursements made by nonprofit organizations that exceed the $.14 rate. The rate of reimbursement cannot, however exceed the business rate limit. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Finance and is part of the large Senate Tax Bill S1429.