2025 Year End Update
Who we serve and how we sustain this work
At the end of each year, we take a careful look at who we serve and what it truly takes to do this work.
At Cheyne Ranch, everything we do is grounded in a few shared commitments:
We work outdoors with animals.
We create a place where people are welcomed, understood, and seen.
Learning begins with presence and grows through providing care, taking responsibility, and experiencing connection.
Who We Serve
Within that shared foundation, we serve three communities.
1. Organizations and their families
Through partnerships with Ivory Speech Therapy, MaPLE22, Mephibo's House, Central Florida Down Syndrome Foundation, Seminole County Public Schools, BoysTown, countless homeschool groups and others, groups visit Cheyne Ranch for time in nature and with animals. These visits offer connection, calm, and the chance to be fully present with animals in ways that meet people where they are. Many of these visits are provided at no cost to the visitors.
2. Weekly students and their families
Weekly students build on that foundation through consistent participation. They receive structured instruction, learn animal care through hands-on practice, and participate in adaptive riding instruction. Community and social connection grow over time. About 10 percent of students receive 50 percent scholarships, and another 10 percent receive full scholarships. Every family pays less than the true cost of providing these services.
3. Volunteers seeking purpose and growth
Volunteers step into responsibility through training, teamwork, and meaningful work. They learn animal care and safety practices, build confidence, and form lasting relationships. This program is offered at no cost and is one of the most impactful parts of what we do. We regularly hear how volunteering at Cheyne Ranch provides belonging, purpose, and personal growth.
How We Sustain This Work
We don’t pay rent. We don’t pay for facilities or executive leadership. And we don’t pass the true cost of this work on to families.
Cheyne Ranch operates on a modest cash budget, while benefiting from significant non-cash support — including family-provided land, facilities and equipment, volunteer leadership, and in-kind professional services.
This is how we keep our programs accessible and maintain our high standards of care and safety.
On an annual basis, our cash support comes from:
Approximately $200,000 in earned program revenue (lessons, nature club, birthday parties, family visits)
About $20,000 in direct cash donations (thank you!)
In addition, we receive essential in-kind support — donated supplies, wishlist items, and professional services — that would otherwise be major operating expenses.
Cash donations fund what non-cash support can’t:
hay, fair instructor pay, safety equipment, and supplies for more than 100 students.
Your gift goes directly to the horses — and to the kids whose lives they change.
🔗 Link to Donate: chra.us/give
How You Can Help
Cheyne Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Everything we do here is sustained by generosity in all its forms.
If you are able to give financially, donations can be made at cheyneranch.org/give. For those whose employers offer matching gift programs, Cheyne Ranch is listed on:
The more support we receive, the more people we can serve and the more lives we can help transform through meaningful connection and growth.
Thank you for being part of the Cheyne Ranch community and for helping this work continue.
CHEYNE RANCH, INC.
Teaching Animal Care & Connection
1963 Genova Drive, Oviedo, FL 32765
Call/Text: (407) 205-7744 | Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram
Cheyne Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Consider donating: chra.us/give
Our mission: We teach animal care and connection in a safe, inclusive, and accessible community where people of all abilities grow in confidence, develop life skills, and form meaningful relationships.
