Recent Articles
Ideas for Setting Up Matching Grants
Have you ever tried a challenge grant to raise money for your shelter or rescue? Many nonprofits find these grants to be a very effective way to generate funds. A challenge or matching grant typically matches funds dollar for dollar up to a certain amount for donations received. Here are some ideas for setting up a matching grant to benefit your shelter.
Develop a list of donors you can approach from time to time about offering a matching grant. Analyze past donations and ask your board and friends group for ideas. Try not to overdo it with any one individual. You can work with one donor or a group of donors for a matching grant.
2Mar2011 | Continued
Lessons Learned from Our Latest Adoption
The latest addition to our family is a wonderful black cat adopted from a local shelter in late December. Meet Java. He’s already buddies with Pepper, our black and white cat. Now Foxy, our senior girl, can get some rest while the two boys play.
Since I publish this blog about animal shelter tips, of course I couldn’t keep from noticing a few tips that could have made Java’s adoption go a bit smoother. This shelter, as everyone else, is very understaffed and struggling with finances. However, these pointers would not take much effort on their part and could provide a smoother transition to the adopting family.
3Feb2011 | Continued
Fourteen Ways Homeless Pets Can Say I Love You for Valentines Day
As Valentine’s Day approaches, use the Valentine’s theme of love and companionship in your print adoption ads, your website, flyers, newsletters, and anywhere you show photos of adoptable homeless pets. Here are fourteen captions to use with your pets’ photos.
20Jan2011 | Continued
Offsite Adoptions: Ten Point Checklist for Volunteers
Offsite adoption events are widely used by many shelters and rescues to increase homeless pet adoptions. Many animal lovers don’t like to go to animal shelters. And, you can often reach many more people even though it does require more planning and effort on your part. Volunteers for these or any events may become donors and / or spread the word about your group to their friends. Make sure each volunteer feels his / her time was well spent making a worthy contribution for homeless pets. Here are ten ideas for working more effectively with volunteers at offsite adoption events.
5Jan2011 | Continued
Four Ideas for Finding Volunteers to Help Homeless Pets
Are you looking for new volunteers to work at your shelter, to participate in fundraising events, to offer professional services, or to serve on an advisory board? What about targeting specific groups of people rather than individuals? Many groups are already established in your community based on common interests, marital status, age, etc. Reach out to these groups to be your partners in reducing the number of homeless pets in your area.
(1) Military personnel — Young soldiers can be a part of something they enjoy and know they’re making a contribution.
8Dec2010 | Continued
Eight Holiday Ideas for Animal Lovers to Help Homeless Pets
Here are eight ideas for animal lovers and their families to help homeless pets this holiday season. (1) Offer to set up or add to the advertising budget for your local shelter. This is the first item to be cut from many cash strapped budgets. (2) Tell your friends and families to donate to your local animal shelter or rescue instead of a gift. Provide the specific link to your shelter’s website donation page. (3) Offer to provide the refreshments for holiday open houses at your local shelter or events that benefit the shelter. For example, if offsite adoption events are held during the holiday season, offer to provide cookies and punch. If you have kids at home, involve them in the preparations.
10Nov2010 | Continued
Increase Homeless Pet Adoptions with Ideas from the ASPCA
A good place to find creative ideas to increase homeless pet adoptions is the ASPCA Pro blog. You’ll discover how animal shelter contestants of their $100K Challenge increased adoptions as they competed for the ASPCA challenge grants. The goal: each shelter was to to save a minimum of 300 more cats and dogs August 1 through October 31 2010 than the same months of 2009.
28Oct2010 | Continued
Seventy Holiday Ideas to Help Homeless Pets
As the holiday season approaches, take advantage of Animal Shelter Tips website articles and blog posts about holiday fundraising, involving kids, working with other nonprofits, improving your website and more. Following is a list of eight articles and posts with over seventy ideas you can use this holiday season. You’ll find ideas for animal shelters and rescues as well as animal loving families.
12Oct2010 | Continued
