Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  Input for new fundraisers

    Posted 02-20-2024 01:50 PM

    We are considering 2 fundraisers this year that we have not done before - a trivia night and a golf outing.  We are happy to have any input or advice those who have done one or both of these types of fundraisers can offer.  Thank you!


    #FundraisingandDevelopment

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    Tangila Smith
    Executive Director
    It Takes A Village No-Kill Rescue
    IN
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  • 2.  RE: Input for new fundraisers

    Posted 02-21-2024 03:27 AM

    We had our first golf tournament this past October.  We were fortunate to have a retired golf pro help us with the planning and our committee was made up of golfers. If you have any golfers in your organization be sure to utilize their knowledge. There are so many contests and games that can be added at specific holes but I would recommend to keep it simple the first year. It is a big undertaking but can be worth it. We kept the cost a little lower than most because it was our first year but we sold out in a little over a month. We set different sponsor levels and offered an in-kind sponsorship. For instance our print/sign guy donated all the signs in exchange for a sponsorship. After the event we surveyed the golfers and volunteers to see how we can improve next year. We received some great feedback and many reached out saying they couldn't wait until next year's event. 



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    Lisa Burn
    Co-founder/VP
    Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary
    Myakka City, FL
    https://farmhousesanctuary.org
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  • 3.  RE: Input for new fundraisers

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 02-21-2024 09:27 AM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    We've done golf outings, but discontinued them as they were expensive and labor intensive--both for paid and volunteer staff, which took away from the work needed at our charity. There was insurance available to purchase specific to these events, like hole-in-one coverage for big winnings, but that's an additional financial outlay before you fundraise a dime on top of the rental costs of the golf facility, which can be very restrictive about what you can do during your event. We found that the majority of those attending were corporate sponsors or their guests that had little affinity for our cause, and the companies that sponsored the golf event just transferred their support from other fundraisers that they had backed or reduced their support level for the other events to get additional exposure at the golf event, so there wasn't really a sponsorship increase adding to the bottom line. We had partnerships with big sport franchises that sent representative team members that were basically ignored by attendees that were more interested in when the bar opened, it was awkward and memorable in a bad way. Financially, the ROI was really not worth it when everything was added up afterwards.




  • 4.  RE: Input for new fundraisers

    Posted 02-22-2024 04:58 AM

    Those are great ideas! Know your supporters though.  We do not have an avid golfing community that would support a golf tournament, which is a shock to me. Golf Tournaments are a fun and easy way to raise money. When I have done them at other places where I have worked, they were a big hit. You can even incorporate a small silent auction as well.  Please keep us posted on how it all turns out. 



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    Christine Goldman
    Event Manager
    Humane Society of GR Miami Dade County Society for
    FL
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  • 5.  RE: Input for new fundraisers

    Posted 02-22-2024 05:03 AM

    Hi Christine,

    We are practically neighbors ;).  We are located across the state from you in Myakka City. You are correct in saying she should know her supporters. Our area is primarily retirees and full of golfers. It seems every rescue in our county and neighboring counties have yearly golf outings. 



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    Lisa Burn
    Co-founder/VP
    Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary
    Myakka City, FL
    https://farmhousesanctuary.org
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  • 6.  RE: Input for new fundraisers

    Posted 02-26-2024 07:44 AM

    If there's two things people can get excited about participating in, it's competition and beer. I definitely agree with the sentiment that you need to know your community and supporters, just like any other marketing plan. We're in Asheville, NC and have a very tourist-centric downtown life that revolves around multiple local breweries. So, the trivia nights have been really big for us! We did a trivia night at a local brewery and they also created a micro-brew specifically for our organization! We had a blast and raised a lot of funds that day!



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    Hannah Soboleski
    Executive Director
    Binx's Home for Black Cats
    Asheville, NC
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