Wild Hearts Equine Therapy

05/19/2026

So many souls, for over a decade, have come to call Wild Hearts their sanctuary. It’s their place of peace, belonging, and possibility. Now, that essence has been beautifully captured through song, verse, and film. “Sanctuary,” premiered at our recent gala, is a beautiful work born from connections formed on our farm and inspired by gifted artists’ desire to support Wild Hearts and bring their experiences to life.

Our hearts are incredibly grateful for this extraordinary gift from such talented, passionate people. We hope "Sanctuary" helps people everywhere recognize the transformative power of horse-human connections.

“Sanctuary”

Composed by Pam Murdock, Wild Hearts Volunteer

Arranged by Kathryn Russ, Wild Hearts Client

Performed by Kathryn Russ with Ben Peeler of The Wallflowers

Videography by Ashley Frye, Wild Hearts Facilitator

-assistedLearning

Kathryn Russ The Wallflowers

I was honored to collaborate with songwriter Pam Murdock, videographer/photographer Ashley Frye, and musician Ben Peeler to bring this song "Sanctuary" to li...

05/17/2026

ISO experienced fundraiser and event planner. Flexible contractor role with a customizable full- or part-time schedule and the opportunity to work on a beautiful 32-acre farm at a well-established and fast-growing nonprofit. Be part of a dedicated team making a meaningful impact in people’s lives!

Compensation will be discussed with selected candidates and may include complimentary horse boarding.

Job Title: Director of Fundraising & Events

Position Summary: Connect people to a meaningful mission by leading all fundraising efforts to achieve revenue goals, including an annual gala, a golf outing, various campaigns, and other events and initiatives. The role offers the chance to build off recent fundraising success and a solid base of donors and sponsors.

Reports to: Executive Director

Key Responsibilities:
* Strategy: Orchestrate and implement impactful events that are closely aligned with growth plans and achieve revenue and donor engagement goals, meeting or exceeding budgeted revenue goals. Lead budgeting processes for fundraising initiatives to ensure financial sustainability and accountability.
* Ex*****on: Plan and run each fundraising opportunity, from concept to completion. Includes securing space, negotiating contracts with vendors, designing programs, developing a robust donor/sponsor database, implementing promotional campaigns, managing sales, and identifying, cultivating and personally soliciting potential corporate sponsors and donors.
* Leadership: Galvanize Wild Hearts team members, connect dots, and improve processes to maximize fundraising. This requires collaborating closely with the leadership team and staff; recruiting and leading volunteers to support events, applying analytics-driven rigor to initiatives to continuously improve efficiency and profitability, and attending area events (some evenings and weekends required).

Qualifications:
* 5+ years of direct experience designing and running leading fundraising programs.
* Demonstrated individual success at securing sponsorships and achieving revenue goals.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills, along with a proven ability to foster long-term relationships with key stakeholders
* Self-motivated and able to work independently.
* Experience with equine programs is not required, but is appreciated.

Who Will Thrive in This Role:
* An experienced relationship-builder who can give specific examples of soliciting contributions from corporations and/or individual donors.
* A dynamic, authentic leader who energizes colleagues and volunteers.
* A goal-focused professional who is proactive, organized, and ambitious.

How to Apply: Submit resume and a brief statement of interest to Jessica Fry: [email protected]

About Wild Hearts: Wild Hearts is a mission-driven, fast-growing organization dedicated to transforming lives through equine-assisted services. Serving more than 100 individuals each week across the Upstate, Wild Hearts partners rescued horses with veterans, at-risk youth, survivors of abuse and trafficking, and individuals with special needs. Since 2015, our services have helped foster confidence, connection, and healing.

04/17/2026

“Exciting.” “Unique.” “Moving.” The flood of compliments about our 2026 gala means the world to us! We’re especially touched that so many guests said that the evening felt therapeutic to them. What a wonderful shared experience – one that captured the essence of Wild Hearts and brought to life the power of curiosity, connections, authenticity, and empathy.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who showed up with kind, open, and generous hearts. We appreciate you for spending time with us, for seeing who we are, for believing in our work, and for playing a vital role in helping us shape lives across our community … amplifying hope and possibilities far beyond what we can see. With immense gratitude to:

* All gala guests
* Our corporate sponsors (see below)
* Numerous businesses and individuals who donated services and auction items
* Clemson University’s Faculty Jazz Combo: Monty Craig, Robert Nance and Mark Spede
* Clemson University Performing Arts Professor and Painter Shannon Robert
* Auctioneer Matt Holiday
* Event and catering staff at The Madren Center’s Owen Pavilion
* Our clients and partners who shared stories: Allyssa, Josh, Jasmine Road, Inc. and Ravenel Elementary School
* The artists who brought us the premiere of “Sanctuary” — composer Pam Murdock (Wild Hearts volunteer); arranged and performed by Kathryn Russ (Wild Hearts client) with Ben Peeler (member of The Wallflowers); and videographer Ashley Frye (Wild Hearts facilitator)
* Our gala team: Wild Hearts staff, volunteers, golf outing committee, and board members; Clemson University interns and athletes; numerous Wild Hearts friends and family members.

Thank You Corporate Sponsors! The Keowee Life - We Sell Keowee - The Cason Group, Lake Keowee - Melanie Fink, Dolly's Roofing, BASF Blue Ridge Eye Center, Appellation Wine SC Balanced Life Wellness, Brooks and Ross Cannon, Chattooga River Fly Shop, Clemson Coins, Currency, Bullion & Jewelry, Clemson Family Dentistry, Crescent Financial Advisors, Divine Rods, Mack Family Legacy Farm Nellie Ruth's Southern Kitchen and Cocktails, Presst Food & Wine Sassafrass Flower Farm, SouthState Bank, The Sunshine Speech Co., Topline Supply Inc., Vets Helping Vets of Anderson

04/12/2026

04/01/2026

Welcome to 🎉 This week The Latham Foundation is proud to feature Wild Hearts Equine Therapy as one of our 2025 .

Wild Hearts cultivates powerful connections between people and horses. Connecting the Heart of the Horse with the Soul of the Human is their purpose. 🐴

They offer Individual and Family Counseling, programs for Military, Veterans and First Responders, as well as Equine encounters, groups for kids and teens, custom programs for professions, as well as riding lessons.

They will be holding their 2nd Annual Gala APRIL 9, 2026: 5-9 PM at Clemson University, South Carolina entitled ‘Reach for the Stars’ to support all their wonderful programs.🌟

https://www.wildheartsequinetherapy.org/

03/10/2026

Sign up link is also in comments. We look forward to seeing you!

02/20/2026

Do you have special event tickets or experiences you’d consider donating to our 2nd Annual Gala — Reach for the Stars? We’re hoping our incredible community can support our fundraiser with:

• 🎶 Concert/Show tickets (including George Strait – May 2, 2026 – or other major shows)
• ⛳ Masters Tournament 2026 tickets (Sat/Sun) or other PGA events
• ⚾ Atlanta Braves tickets or other major league games
• 🏈 Clemson Tigers or other collegiate matchups
• 🏟️ VIP packages or once-in-a-lifetime experiences

Your ticket donation makes a huge impact, helping people with special needs; individuals navigating trauma, and many others.

Please message us your tickets or email [email protected]

Thank you for helping us transform lives. 💛

01/21/2026

🐴 In Search of a Gelding 🐴
Are you a calm, sound gelding who has a heart for helping others? Join our equine-assisted therapy program! This is not a job. It's a lifestyle. You'll partner with some very special humans of all ages no more than twice a day, have plenty of downtime, and thrive on our 32-acre farm with 40+ wonderful rescued horses that you will soon call friends.

Apply by having your owner DM us, or email [email protected] with:
* A photo
* Details about why you'd be perfect for this new chapter
* Ability to provide you as a gift horse 💚 or, the cost to let you come live at Wild Hearts for the rest of your life! 🐎

01/15/2026

🐴💛 Volunteer Training begins Jan. 21 — limited spots available!
💛🐴

Be part of a team that’s changing lives in the Upstate. No horse experience needed—just a heart for helping others.

Training Dates: 1–4 p.m. on Jan. 21 • Jan. 28 • Feb. 4 • Feb. 11

Interested? DM us your email to grab one of the last spots!

01/09/2026

What a fantastic way to kick off a meaningful partnership—we can’t wait for what’s ahead! 🧡🤝

Thank you to the Clemson ExL team for being so amazing with our horses and for sharing such creative, inspiring ideas. 🌟

🐎💫