Animal Welfare Professionals

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

I have a question as I'm relatively new to fundraising so I'm learning as I go. We have scheduled fundraising campaigns that are program-specific about every two months. These are generally Match campaigns as well. Others on my team do not believe that we should be doing any other fundraising within a few days of the above campaign info being mailed/emailed out. I disagree. I believe that our social media followers are much more likely to respond to urgent needs (i.e. a severe URI kitten or a puppy with a broken leg whom we are taking into care) through a Facebook fundraiser than they are to respond to a more generalized campaign for spay/neuter, community pet food banks, etc. Thoughts?

#FundraisingandDevelopment

We had a great response to a Facebook fundraiser for a centrifuge, so that we could send out bloodwork on foster pets. We ended up bringing in twice what we needed for the centrifuge. So, we were able to order some dental hand tools and surgery drapes too.  Multiple fundraisers seem to help, as well as creativity.

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Carmen Ames
Veterinarian
POPP Spay and Neuter Clinic
WA
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We have found that "project based" giving is very successful, especially if it is a smaller more attainable goal or for a specific animal. It creates a can help attitude and the donor can see that even a small donation can help reach a goal. General campaigns are also great for day to day and overall fundraising, but having a connection to a specific project encourages people to feel connected. I say, keep going, you're doing great and keep track of your results. Show the success as it occurs but also be open to challenges if they arrive. 

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Tanya Ramseth
The Kauai Humane Society
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Hi!  I am new to fundraising, but have done a few social media business marketing campaigns.  Typically, you want to connect with your clients on a personal level and provide them with happy, inspirational and/or educational information on a regular basis.  If you do this every day, then throwing in a fundraising campaign once a week would be fine.  Remember that your fundraising campaign is basically a sales pitch.  A salesy post should be limited to one in every 6-10 fun posts to prevent your audience from feeling like all you do is say: gimme, gimme, gimme.  So, yes, you can do more than twice a month, but be sure to include lots of fun, relevant content inbetween.  I hope that makes sense!

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Diana Kelley
Executive Director
Healing Horse Touch Company
https://HealingHorseTouch.com
KennethMNUnited States
Discover Healing, Connection, and Renewal through Horses.
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You bring up a valid point. Urgent, cause-specific fundraisers often resonate more on social media as they create an emotional connection and a sense of immediacy. Using Facebook for these can engage a different audience who may not respond to more generalized campaigns. It's important, however, to balance frequency to avoid donor fatigue. Consider integrating your efforts by mentioning the urgent needs in your scheduled communications. This approach can strengthen your overall fundraising strategy without overwhelming your audience. Coordination and clear communication with your team are key to align on goals and messaging.

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Rocio Gutierrez
Librarian
Rocio Gutierrez
NY
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