fundraising
Funds Low? Fundraising and Adoption Planning for 2010
Were your holiday donations as much as you hoped for? With so many animal shelters and rescue groups in desperate need of funding, it may be time to rethink your fundraising plans and adoption events. Arrange events you haven’t tried before. Partner with other animal rescue groups or other nonprofits in your community. Here are a few ideas for the new year.
Plan an ongoing community effort such as a foster program for the pets of deployed soldiers. We owe these men and women so much for their sacrifices. They shouldn’t have to give up their pets! Establish a special friends group to coordinate this effort.
16Dec2009 | Continued
Want More Donations? Be More Competitive
When you get bad service at a restaurant, do you go back? When you don’t get your money’s worth from a purchase, do you buy from that business again? With nonprofits competing for fewer dollars, make sure your shelter or rescue is doing everything you can to be professional and offer competent services. Improving basic business skills can help you shine when compared to others. Donors must believe their money will be well spent.
Here are some common sense ideas to improve your dealings with the donor community based on snafus I’ve seen as a donor to local nonprofits.
9Dec2009 | Continued
Raise More Money and Adopt More Pets with Online Tools
Have you wondered how to produce a slideshow for your rescue’s website to showcase your adoptable pets? Do you know how to use the power of videos to spread the word about your fundraiser at very little cost? Do you need help writing better press releases for your shelter? What about improving your shelter’s operation with better software? Following are online tools to help maximize your efforts on behalf of homeless pets.
4Nov2009 | Continued
Holiday Checklist to Help Homeless Pets
With the holidays just around the corner, take advantage of this season of giving to help homeless pets find their forever homes. Following are some ideas you can use to raise money for your animal shelter or rescue, find more homes for homeless animals, and involve kids in helping the pets in your community.
21Oct2009 | Continued
List Your Shelter or Rescue in Online Guides and Directories
Increase the chances of donors or potential pet owners finding your animal shelter or rescue group online. Get listed on as many animal rescue and animal shelter directories as possible. Also list your shelter or rescue in any breed specific guides if your group specializes in a specific type of rescue, such as a small dog rescue. Animal loving kids can help their local shelters get listed in these directories.
20Oct2009 | Continued
Increase Dollar Donations from Donor Requests
Are you maximizing your time and expense when you ask for donations to your animal shelter or rescue? Do you know why one donor request works better than another? Who donates the most?
Should your letters be long or short? Email or print? Analyze the results of letters or email you send to better understand what works and what doesn’t. Be flexible and willing to change what’s not working and do more of what does work. Following are some ideas to generate more cash.
7Oct2009 | Continued
Earn a Cash Grant for Your Animal Shelter or Rescue
You can help your animal shelter or rescue win cash grants just by voting in the Shelter Challenge sponsored by the Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder.com. This contest runs until December 20th. Continue reading for the details of the program and ways you can ask your community to vote.
6Oct2009 | Continued
Planned Giving for Animal Shelters and Rescue Groups
Your animal shelter can be the recipient of a legacy of love and financial support from animal lovers who remember homeless pets in their wills, estate plans, trusts, and retirement accounts. Often these gifts are substantial and give the financial boost needed to buy property for a new shelter, add on to your current building, buy a mobile adoption unit, etc. How can your shelter be remembered in the wills of animal lovers in your community? Following are some ways to encourage end of life giving.
24Sep2009 | Continued
