FIVE FACTOR™ · Budget / Operational Alignment / Donors / Fundraising
Building the Infrastructure
for Consistent Care
Freedom Ride engaged Sharity to plan for the long-term future of its therapeutic riding program as demand continued to grow and its leased facility approached a critical transition point.
The work focused on evaluating facility expansion and relocation options, defining infrastructure needs, and creating a financial model that connected capital investment to program consistency, participant access, and long-term sustainability.
The Outcome
Sharity developed a dual-option master plan and capital campaign strategy outlining both expansion of the current site and relocation to a new property, with projected costs ranging from $1.7 million to $2.7 million.
Meet the Organization
Freedom Ride is a therapeutic horseback riding center serving children and adults with disabilities, trauma-related conditions, and other physical, emotional, or developmental needs.
The organization’s work depends on a highly specialized environment. Participants, horses, staff, volunteers, and therapeutic partners all rely on facilities that are safe, accessible, consistent, and responsive to changing weather and program needs.
By the time Freedom Ride partnered with Sharity, the organization had a strong record of service and a clear demand for its programs. Leadership recognized that the next stage of impact required a more stable infrastructure plan.
Setting the Stage
A Growing Program Reaching the Limits of Its Facility
At the time of engagement, Freedom Ride operated on a 10-acre leased property. Forty of the available 80 stalls were in use, and demand for services exceeded current capacity.
The organization also faced facility constraints that affected program continuity. Without a covered arena, sessions were vulnerable to weather disruptions, which could interrupt participant progress and limit scheduling consistency.
At the same time, the organization’s lease was set to expire in 2019, creating uncertainty around long-term location, investment, and operations.
Several realities shaped the work:
- Demand for services was strong, with a full waitlist
- Facility limitations constrained program expansion
- Weather-related disruptions affected service consistency
- Long-term site control was uncertain due to the leased property
- Capital investment would require a clear plan and funding strategy
The question was how to make an infrastructure decision that supported both mission delivery and financial sustainability.
Facility Planning
Designing for Program Continuity
Sharity worked with Freedom Ride to evaluate facility needs through the lens of participant experience, operational feasibility, and long-term growth.
The planning process identified two viable paths forward.
The first option focused on expansion of the current site, allowing Freedom Ride to remain in its existing location while adding infrastructure such as a covered arena, therapy spaces, and supporting facilities.
The second option focused on relocation to a new 15–20 acre property, creating the opportunity for a purpose-built facility with fewer municipal restrictions and more room for future growth.
Both options addressed the same core priorities:
- A covered arena to support year-round programming
- Additional space for therapy and administrative functions
- Increased capacity to reduce waitlists and expand access
- Facilities designed around the specific needs of riders, horses, volunteers, and staff
This gave leadership a clear view of what each path would make possible.
Financial Modeling
Connecting Facility Investment to Sustainability
Facility planning needed to be grounded in financial reality.
Sharity developed a five-year financial model to help Freedom Ride compare costs, revenue potential, and capital campaign requirements across both scenarios.
The model included:
- Estimated project costs of approximately $1.7 million for expansion
- Estimated project costs of approximately $2.7 million for relocation
- Projected new annual revenue of approximately $95,000 from expanded programming, events, and camps
- Multi-year giving scenarios
- In-kind contribution opportunities
- Naming opportunities connected to the capital campaign
This allowed leadership and stakeholders to evaluate each option with greater clarity.
The planning process moved the conversation from “What do we need?” to “What can we responsibly build, fund, and sustain?”
Operational Alignment
Linking Space to Service Quality
For Freedom Ride, facility decisions were directly connected to participant outcomes.
A covered arena would allow sessions to continue more consistently despite weather conditions. Additional therapy and administrative space would support more coordinated service delivery. Expanded infrastructure would create stronger conditions for partnerships with medical providers and community organizations.
The planning process connected infrastructure to mission in practical terms:
- More consistent programming
- Reduced waitlists
- Expanded participant access
- Stronger partner engagement
- Improved operational stability
- Clearer case for donor investment
This helped position the facility plan as more than a capital project. It became a strategy for strengthening service delivery.
Real-World Outcomes
A Clearer Path for Expansion and Investment
The engagement gave Freedom Ride a structured foundation for long-term facility decision-making and capital campaign planning.
Key outcomes included:
- A complete master plan outlining both expansion and relocation scenarios
- Defined capital campaign targets for each path
- A five-year financial model connecting facility investment to program growth
- Revenue projections tied to expanded services, events, and camps
- A framework for engaging donors, board members, and stakeholders around long-term infrastructure decisions
- A clearer connection between facility needs, participant access, and sustainable growth
- Successful transition and move to their new home.
The work helped Freedom Ride evaluate its future with greater clarity and gave leadership the tools to communicate the importance of facility investment in mission terms.
Read more about the impact here.
IMPACT SINCE IMPLEMENTATION
Expansion and relocation scenarios developed to guide long-term facility decisions
Connected financial strategy to facility investment, program growth, and long-term sustainability
Leadership completed the move to a new permanent home
What We Learned
For organizations that rely on specialized facilities, infrastructure is not separate from impact.
The right space affects service quality, participant consistency, staff capacity, volunteer engagement, and long-term financial sustainability.
When facility planning is connected to program outcomes and funding strategy, capital investment becomes more than a building decision. It becomes a way to protect and expand the mission.