Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota

What Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota does

Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM), legally Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dog rescue organization incorporated in Minnesota (EIN 41-1856124) and headquartered at 5800 Baker Road, Suite 120, Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded on February 14, 1985 by Hank and Jane Nygaard as Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, the organization rebranded in 2017 to reflect a five-state service area covering Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin. Since inception RAGOM has rescued and rehomed more than 10,000 Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes, with approximately 300 placements per year.

RAGOM operates a foster-based rescue model rather than a centralized shelter. Dogs from owner surrenders, shelters, commercial breeding facility releases, and international sources (Turkey since September 2015, China since March 2019) are placed with volunteer foster families for medical and behavioral assessment before adoption. Adopters are screened through applications, foster review, home visits, and meet-and-greets, with a Foster-To-Adopt option when foster capacity is constrained. The organization supplements this core with transport coordination, lost-dog recovery via The Retrievers partnership, post-adoption training reimbursements, advocacy on legislation including Goldie's Act, and recurring-revenue programs such as Golden Givers, Sponsor A Dog, and the Golden Legacy Circle estate planning channel. Merchandise is sold via an online shop and an annual Golden Life Calendar fundraiser, with annual events including the flagship Goldzilla fundraiser plus Summer Festival and Dog Days of Summer at Surly Brewing Co.

The revenue model is donation-led, layered with one-time adoption fees that vary by dog ($200–$600 observed), AmazonSmile contributions, vehicle donations via Donate for Charity, merchandise sales, and event fundraising; annual veterinary costs alone exceed $300,000. The organization holds a Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency and the Charities Review Council 'Meets All Standards' seal. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Mary McGowan alongside founder Jane Nygaard and a Board of Directors spanning nonprofit administration, biotech/pharma sales, nonprofit accounting (Walker Art Center Controller Crystal Sander), higher education administration (Michelle Malott), human resources leadership (Ann Myers), law (Erin Powers), and 15+ years of animal welfare nonprofit operations (Cary Rentola at HEART).

Name

Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota

Legal name

Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest, Inc.

Website

https://ragom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that rescues and rehomes Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes through a volunteer foster network across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin, sourcing dogs domestically and internationally and funding operations through donations, adoption fees, events, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rescue Services

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Dog adoption placement
• Foster-based rescue
• Nonprofit animal welfare
• Golden Retriever rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnetonka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: RAGOM relies on financial donations from supporters to cover veterinary costs and operational expenses. Donations can be made as one-time gifts or recurring contributions through their Golden Givers program.
2. Adoption Fees: Fees charged to adopters for dogs placed through the organization. Adoption fees vary by dog and help offset medical care costs.
3. Merchandise Sales: RAGOM operates an online shop selling clothing, calendars, gear and other merchandise with proceeds supporting the rescue mission.
4. Vehicle Donations: Partnership with Donate for Charity allows supporters to donate vehicles, with a portion of proceeds going to RAGOM.
5. Amazon Smile: Amazon donates a portion of eligible purchases when shoppers use AmazonSmile and select RAGOM as their charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RAGOM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that rescues Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes from shelters, owner surrenders, commercial breeding facilities, and international sources, then places them with screened adoptive families through a foster-based model spanning five U.S. Midwest states plus international rescue streams from Turkey and China. Core revenue is generated from donations, adoption fees, and merchandise, with all activity delivered by volunteers and foster families.

Product overview

Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dog rescue organization operating primarily in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin. The organization offers a unified suite of rescue and rehoming services centered on Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes. Core offerings include Dog Adoption Services for matching rescued dogs with screened families, Foster Care Programs providing temporary homes and behavioral assessment, Dog Surrender Services accepting and evaluating surrendered dogs, and Volunteer Programs coordinating transport, home visits, and operational support. Supplementary services include Donation Programs (one-time, recurring, memorial, and estate gifts), Advocacy Programs supporting legislative initiatives for animal welfare, the annual Goldzilla fundraising event, Post-Adoption Support with training reimbursements, Lost Dog Recovery partnerships, a merchandise Shop, and an annual Golden Life Calendar fundraiser. International Rescue Dogs services extend rescue operations to Turkey and China. The organization has rescued and rehomed more than 10,000 dogs since 1985.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dog Adoption Services Facilitates adoption of Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes by matching rescue dogs with screened adoptive families through applications, home visits, foster evaluations, and meet-and-greets. Available to individuals and families in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin.
• Foster Care Program Volunteer-based temporary homes where foster families provide care, socialization, and behavioral assessment for rescue dogs until permanent placement. Fosters are recruited from across the five-state service area.
• Dog Surrender Services Accepts surrendered Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes from owners who can no longer keep them, evaluates each dog for health and behavioral issues, and places accepted dogs into foster care for rehoming.
• International Rescue Dogs Rescue and rehoming program for Golden Retrievers sourced from Turkey (streets/shelters) and China (rescued from illegal dog meat trade), coordinated through partner rescues and transported to the U.S. Midwest for adoption.
• Post-Adoption Support Continued assistance for RAGOM adopters including training reimbursement ($25 per basic course and $25 per advanced course), behavior support via email, and access to a private adopter Facebook community.
• Lost Dog Recovery Service Partnership-driven recovery service helping locate missing RAGOM dogs through a dedicated lost-dog hotline, search coordination, flyer creation, and outreach to shelters and animal control agencies.
• Advocacy Programs Legislative and consumer advocacy including support for the MN Dog and Cat Data Transparency Bill, Companion Animal Board Bill, and national Goldie's Act, plus consumer education on choosing reputable breeders versus puppy mills.
• RAGOM Online Shop Online merchandise store selling clothing, hats, calendars, gear, and other branded items with proceeds supporting RAGOM's rescue operations.
• Golden Life Calendar Annual calendar fundraiser featuring RAGOM adopter photos, with 100% of proceeds supporting the rescue mission.
• Goldzilla Annual Event RAGOM's largest annual fundraising event and fun fair featuring Golden Retrievers, a vendor village, and community activities, also serving as a meet-and-greet for potential adopters.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Adopt a Golden of Atlanta (AGA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2015RAGOM partnered with Adopt a Golden of Atlanta (AGA) to coordinate rescue efforts for Golden Retrievers from Turkey. AGA had been mobilizing rescue efforts after an American traveler discovered Turkish shelters were full of Golden Retrievers. RAGOM joined this effort and has since transported more than 100 dogs from Turkey to Minnesota.
• Donate for CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVehicle donation partnership. Donate for Charity handles the paperwork and sale of donated vehicles, with RAGOM receiving a portion of the proceeds.
• AmazonSmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon donates a portion of eligible purchases when shoppers use AmazonSmile and select Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (EIN: 41-1856124) as their charity of choice.
• The Retrievers Volunteer Lost Dog TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAGOM partners with The Retrievers Volunteer Lost Dog team to help find lost RAGOM dogs. Lost dog hotline: 612-547-9004. The team provides search coordination, flyer creation, and outreach to shelters and animal control agencies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Hearts & Bones Rescue: Multi-breed foster-based rescue operating in Texas with strong digital fundraising infrastructure; comparable foster-network rescue model with broader breed scope and more developed tech-enabled adoption flow.
• Lucky Dog Animal Rescue: Multi-breed foster-based rescue with higher adoption throughput and stronger digital/marketing presence; comparable foster-driven rehoming model but broader breed scope and national visibility.

Direct peers

• NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue: Northern California Golden Retriever rescue operating a foster-based rehoming model; directly comparable breed-specific nonprofit with similar volunteer-driven structure and reliance on donations/adoption fees.
• Golden Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin: Wisconsin-based Golden Retriever rescue with foster network model and adoption-fee revenue stream; directly comparable breed-specific rescue with overlapping geography in western Wisconsin.
• Adopt a Golden of Atlanta: Breed-specific Golden Retriever rescue serving the Southeast; directly comparable as a regional breed-locked foster-based rescue with which RAGOM partners on international Turkey rescue logistics.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization with rescue, advocacy, and legislative programs; broad incumbent in the animal welfare nonprofit space with significant overlap in advocacy and donor-base competition.
• Humane Society of the United States: Large national animal-welfare nonprofit with advocacy and shelter-rescue programs; operates broadly across animal welfare with overlapping rescue and legislative advocacy missions though not breed-specific.

Others

• Petfinder Foundation: Animal-welfare grantmaking nonprofit supporting shelter and rescue operations; adjacent ecosystem player that funds and platforms many of the same breed-specific and general rescues, including potentially RAGOM.

Regional players

• Golden Rescue: Canadian Golden Retriever rescue network with foster-based model and donation-driven funding; comparable breed-specific rescue operating in a different geography (Canada) with similar volunteer structure.
• Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida: Florida-based Golden Retriever breed rescue; comparable mission and foster-based model but serves a distinct Southeast geography, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/542120639170949
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retrieveagoldenofthemidwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota