Shelter Governance RACI+
Thank you for stepping into the work of reforming shelter governance. This course is designed for people who care deeply about dogs and want to understand how accountability and humane decision-making work — or don’t — in the real world.
In this course, you’ll learn to:
Understand why leadership often breaks down in open-intake shelters
Use the Shelter Governance RACI+ template to define roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths
Apply this framework to your shelter, advocacy group, or county
We’ll give you tools, templates, and real-world examples — including how this model could have helped prevent known failures.
Call to Action:
▶ Start with Chapter 1: Why Shelter Governance Fails
📄 Download the Shelter Governance RACI+ Template (Google Sheets)
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Why Shelter Governance Fails
Shelters often fail not because people don’t care, but because accountability is unclear or entirely absent. This chapter explores how vague roles and leadership gaps lead to real harm for dogs.
Shelters often fail not because people don’t care, but because accountability is unclear or entirely absent. This chapter explores how vague roles and leadership gaps lead to real harm for dogs.
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What is a RACI+
The Shelter Governance RACI+ model builds on a classic accountability framework by adding humane safeguards, systemic barriers, and escalation paths. It reveals how shelter systems function — or break — in the real world.
The Shelter Governance RACI+ model builds on a classic accountability framework by adding humane safeguards, systemic barriers, and escalation paths. It reveals how shelter systems function — or break — in the real world.
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Building Your Shelter’s RACI+
Learn how to map your own shelter’s decision-making using the RACI+ template. This chapter walks you step-by-step through identifying key roles, gaps, and humane checkpoints.
Learn how to map your own shelter’s decision-making using the RACI+ template. This chapter walks you step-by-step through identifying key roles, gaps, and humane checkpoints.
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Using RACI+ in the Real World
A chart is just a tool — its power lies in how you use it. This chapter shows you how to bring RACI+ into conversations, meetings, and advocacy work without creating conflict.
A chart is just a tool — its power lies in how you use it. This chapter shows you how to bring RACI+ into conversations, meetings, and advocacy work without creating conflict.
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Case Snapshot – A Real Shelter Failure
We walk through a real (fictionalized) case of shelter failure to show how RACI+ could have changed the outcome. It’s a practical example of how governance tools prevent suffering.
We walk through a real (fictionalized) case of shelter failure to show how RACI+ could have changed the outcome. It’s a practical example of how governance tools prevent suffering.
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You’ve completed the course — now it’s time to apply it. This page gives you downloadable tools, next steps for advocacy, and a path to stay connected with Project Shelterlight.
You’ve completed the course — now it’s time to apply it. This page gives you downloadable tools, next steps for advocacy, and a path to stay connected with Project Shelterlight.
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