Recently, I learned about a wonderful website devoted to animal shelters called www.animalsheltering.org. The site contains a wealth of information including how to design and set-up an animal shelter, care for the animals, solicit donations, encourage volunteers and apply for grants. There is even a section on dealing with the problem of feral cats. Most information is available in Spanish as well as English.
One word of caution. Before launching a new shelter, ask if it is truly necessary or if it would be better for the animals to partner with an existing organization. As someone quite devoted to nonprofits, I know the hardest money to find are unrestricted endowment funds. Yet, finance is often what leads to the demise of nonprofits. Even if they remain viable, groups who live hand to mouth may not always be doing the best for animals in their area . . . and doing the best for animals must be our sole focus.
With the above caveat, I do wish to thank the Humane Society of the United States for establishing and maintaining this wonderful website. It is a tremendous resource for all people who are trying to improve the welfare of animals.