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May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

  • 1.  May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-02-2023 12:34 PM

    Fundraising is a crucial aspect for animal welfare organizations to continue their mission of providing services for people and pets. Successful fundraisers bring in the necessary funds to cover the costs of medical care, food, shelter, and other essential needs. 

    We would love to hear about your organization's most successful fundraisers and how you marketed them to your community members to raise awareness and funds for your mission. Whether you created a wish list for specific supplies, ran an online auction, or partnered with a local business - we want to hear from you!

    You can participate in 2 ways:

    1.  Reply to this post and tell us about the most successful fundraiser your organization has done. Bonus points if you upload or share marketing materials, planning documents, event checklists, etc. that your organization used to help make your fundraiser a success.

    2.  Reply with a request about a fundraiser you'd like to run and we'll do some group brainstorming to see how we can help!


    Where Will the Resources be Stored? How do I view them? 

    All Fundraiser resources shared on this thread will be accessible in the "Fundraisers" folder in Maddie's Pet Forum Library:  https://maddies.fund/fundraisers


    🤑 Participation = Your Entry To Win 🤑

    Everyone who uploads a file, shares a resource on this thread or replies with a successful fundraiser during the month of May will be entered to win a $50 gift card to Amazon, Petco or PetSmart (winner's choice).  Your reply will also enter you to win a $3k grant! Start sharing now!

     

    *Pro-Tips for sharing resources: 

    • Use the "Upload File" button when replying to this thread to attach a file. We encourage you to attach the file versus hyperlinking to the file whenever possible. Files that are attached to discussion threads are automatically added to the Maddie's Pet Forum Resource Library so attaching helps make the resource searchable and improves accessibility within the forum.

    • Yes, you can share fundraisers that your organization did not create. Sharing is caring and this applies to resources too! Make sure the creator allows the resource to be shared publicly and be sure to give credit to the creator or source organization.


    #FundraisingandDevelopment

    ------------------------------
    Kim Domerofski (she/her)
    Community Manager
    Maddie's Fund
    ------------------------------



  • 2.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-04-2023 07:45 AM

    we're not the inventors of this at all, but we do "give big, get bad"- which is a play on a communitywide event (much like giving tuesday) where all the charities in Seattle raise funds on 2 days. it's called give big- and the get bad is for a donation of $50 or more, donors will receive a bad per portrait from one of our "questionably talented" volunteers.  we used to do $25 or more but it was obvious 50 is better and most people will.

    we use the event's official site to calculate our total, but we mark the donors in a google spreadsheet- name, email, how much donated, pic requested, pic sent, pic drawn, pic sent as columns. then as the pics come in we name them by the owner's last name (and pet's first if we know) upload them to a shared google drive folder where multiple people can access.

    then we post the pics on our private FB group where we say "needs artist" and share the pet's name if we know and people comment to say "I'll draw this one". then they draw it and take a pic and post in the comments. then we download the drawing and send to the donor with a thank you note.

    it's raised us as much as 50k with matching. the key though is to have people lined up to draw and do it readily so you can post the results to the public and get people more interested in getting their shot at a drawing. we often have some actually really talented artists too so it's kind of a gamble as to what you might get which makes it even more fun. but it's critical to make sure the drawings get done by the end of the week at the latest.

    it's great to have kids (of fosters/ volunteers) draw them or teachers can have their class draw some. putting out a press release could be helpful too as if no one in your city has heard of this it will make news.

    oh, we also draw names (based on the number of the donor's row in the spreadsheet) and give away t-shirts and prizes to all levels (over $50). it's great to get a larger prize and give top-tier donors the chance to win. we've done a tattoo gift certificate, amazon gift cards, local restaurant gift cards etc.

    if you need any help besides this, just ask.

    an australian shepherd with crazy blue eyes and tongue flapping
    photo of happy australian shepherd


    ------------------------------
    Jme thomas
    Motley Zoo Animal Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-12-2023 07:16 AM

    I love this idea!!!  Thanks for sharing.



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Thomas
    Director of Development
    Lynchburg Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-20-2023 07:15 AM

    I'm intrigued by this!  So you don't send the original drawing, just a photo?



    ------------------------------
    Elizabeth Johnson
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-20-2023 03:08 PM
    we ask the artists to keep the original because some do ask and we will send them later (direct from the artists, unless it's easier to have people bring to their shift)...
    but some are done on photoshop etc and therefore are a digital file...but a lot of people get them framed or canvasses made.
    :)



  • 6.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-20-2023 10:10 PM

    Friends For Life Animal Shelter started back when the pandemic hit a fundraiser they called Awkward Pet Portraits. It was a full success. They asked for a minimum donation and your pets photo and you would get a digital copy of what the "artist" made out of the photo. All artist where either staff or volunteers. The fundraiser was so successful that they continued with it and in the second or third event they added that you can for an extra donation get the original send. Needless to say say I have by now multiple awkward portraits of my rescue pack. https://www.facebook.com/FriendsForLifeHouston/posts/pfbid02uKnxRGiiXUDJ3KFSUpgUsAVXDVmkr9FZKgLLJ9iDjzhAqhrwCwv6H4GrGRMWVxTAl



    ------------------------------
    Jasmina Sumanovic
    Canine Behavior Manager
    Palm Springs Animal Shelter
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:38 AM

    This is great! We may use this to our advantage to help raise money for our rescue!



    ------------------------------
    Jessica D.
    Director
    Furry Paws Foster Inn
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 03:03 AM
    I love the bad pet portrait idea :)  





  • 9.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 03:10 AM
    Has anyone tried the valentine fundraiser where you pay to have an "ex" (boyfriend, husband, etc) name on a litter box for a kitty in the shelter to use?  Was it a success?

    https://www.kcci.com/article/have-a-crappy-ex-you-can-write-their-name-in-a-shelter-cats-litter-box/35495333# 





  • 10.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 06:53 AM

    RE: recipient's name on a shelter cat's litter box.

    No. Just my two cents, but I don't think it is ever a good idea to have your nonprofit associated with doing something negative.  Even if the nonprofit's name isn't on the notice to the recipient, the purchaser of the deed will tell her friends about this revenge. It does nothing positive for your organization.

    The amateur artist's portrait of a pet is a much better idea and likely to bring in more money.



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 08:20 AM

    Agreed in keeping revenge-type negativity out of a fundraising campaign for what should be a compassionate, positive drive to raise funds for urgently needed medical care and food for needy animals. 



    ------------------------------
    Karen Peterson
    Vice president
    Garfield's Rescue, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 08:43 AM

    We did it tongue-in-cheek this year as a 'laughter is the best medicine' thing. We only raised $50 but the only response was positive. Will not be doing it again, though. It felt trashy. 
    Next year, we are going to fine tune our Animal Dating Profiles from the previous year and turn it into a fundraiser.



    ------------------------------
    Kate Williams
    Manager
    Animal Welfare Friends
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 11:59 AM

    Just to be clear, the donor gets a digital image of the "art" right? Or do you send them something physical?



    ------------------------------
    Carol B.
    Foster Volunteer/Grants Coordinator
    Michigan
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 04:16 AM

    Jme, 

    What a fun idea!



    ------------------------------
    Lisa Burn
    Co-founder/VP
    Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary
    Myakka City, FL
    https://farmhousesanctuary.org
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-16-2023 08:34 AM

    Interesting and different.  One local group here has kids from the local high school visit a local municipal shelter and  draw or paint pictures of shelter animals and then they auction them off to the highest bidder on-line.   They do ok and have a few folks who buy any pictures not bid on.   Many families buy their own kid's pictures so as not to worry if they sell or not.  They do ok, but this is in a relatively low income county, so they don't make a killing.  



    ------------------------------
    ElizabethKadin
    Heart of Texas Partners in Animal Welfare Services
    Board President and All Around Volunteer
    MexiaTX
    903--875-5479
    http://www.hot-paws.org
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-16-2023 08:51 AM
    we had a local senior center do this too. this is a great idea to promote with kids and seniors!


  • 17.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-05-2023 01:40 PM

    We are a starting up animal rescue so our funds are limited. We don't have a big following so fundraiser is important to us to raise what ever amount we can.

    Last year our most successful fundraising event was having raffles at an adoption event. We advertised a ton over facebook. Our most expensive item was a donated photo of Raven's player Justin Tuckers longest kicked and it was signed by him!
    We made $475 at this event and it was very successful to us for the first BIG event we had.

    This year so far our most successful event was a paint night, where we get an amount based on the tickets sold. To our surprise the resturant did their own and what ever sales made that night they gave us a portion of that as well. We raised $500 between the resturant, tickets, and donations at the event. 

    The company that did the paint night was Maryland Craft Parties but we had to find the place to host it. 


    We would like to do a Bingo to rasie money for our major vet bill that we had in the beginning of the year to help ease the cost. We got 2 puppies in and we tried to save them  but they didn't survive the parvo. We spent about $10,000 to try to save them, which hurt us financially.

    We are hoping the bingo can help off set the costs. OR seeing what other rescues did so we can do the same to raise money.

    Our question is what bussinesses have you found worked with your rescue to donate either a basket or item for auctions or bingos?



    ------------------------------
    Jessica D
    The Furry Paws Foster Inn
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 07:37 AM
      |   view attached

    We recently did a Poorly Drawn Pets fundraiser, having borrowed the idea from other animal rescues.  It raised over $3000 for our rescue, with zero expenses.  It took a little planning to get the volunteer artists, but it not only raised the money, but it also created a lot of buzz on our Facebook page.  Kudos to whoever originally came up with the idea! We will definitely do it again!



    ------------------------------
    Tanila Smith
    Executive Director
    It Takes A Village No-Kill Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-12-2023 07:30 AM

    So awesome, what time of year do you find it best to do this?  Thanks for sharing.



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Thomas
    Director of Development
    Lynchburg Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-12-2023 12:48 PM
    Mother's day, fathers day spring probly. But it could be something you pair with giving tues or another big event that helps your organization stand out :) there's probly not a bad time but more than 2x/ yr and it dilutes its efficacy.
    :)


  • 21.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 07:56 AM
      |   view attached

    This wasn't the hugest money maker, but it was SO much fun and raised great awareness in our community - PUPPY YOGA! We had a sudden influx of puppies, so we partnered with a local yoga teacher and an art studio to do a low key yoga class and just let the puppies run around. Registration was online, and participants could pay $25 to sign, or $50 for registration + "a little more to help the puppies" or $100 for registration + "even more to help the puppies." Most people gave $50.  It was pretty easy to pull off.



    ------------------------------
    Cate Johnston
    Vieques Humane Society and Animal Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 08:29 AM

    We are a small shelter that focuses on rehabilitating hard to place dogs. Our main events are Idaho Gives, Golf Tournament and Giving Tuesday. The rest of our events are smaller but several. The ones that are not that hard to do are paint and sip at breweries or wineries and also fitness classes, like spinning class or yoga classes, not bigger on money but it help us engage with our supporters. We don't have puppies or dogs to go to events as our main cases are not suitable for events so it is harder to come up with good events. Any ideas are welcome! 



    ------------------------------
    Karinna Lozano
    Meridian Canine Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 23.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 09:05 AM

    We have found pop up events to be a big hit.  Since we are a cat rescue we partnered with a local yoga studio last year and did kitten yoga which has been a hit and we now offer it quarterly and just yesterday did our first pop up kitty cafe with a local cafe hosting it.  It was such a success that we get to do that monthly now.  People getting a chance to openly interact with animals in places that are not expected makes them happy. 



    ------------------------------
    Melissa Melendez
    Inventory Specialist
    Cat Around Town Project
    ------------------------------



  • 24.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-15-2023 07:23 AM

    Hi Melissa, I'd like to ask you some more questions about the pop up cat cafe u did. I'm interested in doing something like this for our kitten rescue. Was wondering what it took, maybe if u are willing to share some details and any advise you can give since you already had the experience. Honestly, anything down those lines will be really appreciate it. 



    ------------------------------
    Sasha Cushman
    Volunteer
    AngelCityPits
    ------------------------------



  • 25.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 09:06 AM

    Last year we had a litter of puppies infected with parvovirus enter our care. Three of their siblings had passed away before being brought to us and we weren't sure the remaining pups would survive. We knew it would be a lengthy and costly journey, so we started a fundraising plea like we do for many of our animals that require advanced treatment or surgeries. We started by looking at what specific treatments the puppies would need and how much it would cost. Then we shared their story, their treatment plan and the estimated total through Constant Contact and social media. Since we went this route we didn't spend any money on marketing. Our only costs were associated with the care we were providing to the puppies. We asked our community for $8,600 to help us save the puppies, but we ended up raising nearly twice that amount. We only sent two emails through Constant Contact and published one post on Facebook and Instagram so it wasn't very time consuming. While this wasn't our "most succesful" fundraising campaign in terms of total dollars brought in, it was a simple way to cover necessary medical costs while also being able to save some of the donations to put towards other needs. We use this system fairly often and it allows us to perform advanced surgeries in our clinic and also send pets to specialists as needed. I hope this is helpful for anyone with limited time and a limited budget. I'd be happy to provide other examples or answer any questions!



    ------------------------------
    Emily Swecker
    Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Parvo Puppy Plea 2.pdf   580 KB 1 version
    pdf
    Parvo Puppy Plea 1.pdf   811 KB 1 version


  • 26.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 10:42 AM

    Our most successful fundraiser was our Critter Ball held last year. The first event was canceled due to severe storms but the rescheduled event raised more than $625,000. It's a black tie gala that takes a lot of planning, but the silent and live auctions, along with sponsorships make the event worth it. We work to get each table sponsored and then focus on selling individual tickets. The majority of auction items are donated in-kind as well.



    ------------------------------
    Emily Swecker
    Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA
    ------------------------------



  • 27.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 02-13-2024 12:47 PM

    Our shelter used to have a similar event started in 2004 and lasted about 10 years, "Pawsatively a Ball". The first few events were black tied, formal events that did okay, but we wanted to go further. We went the less formal route like "Pawsatively a Beach Ball" (beach attire, games), "Pawsatively a Hair Ball" (wigs). "Pawsatively a Crap Shoot", (risky name but a winner with a casino night).

    We had event and table sponsors, heavy snacks, volunteer of the year, silent and live auctions (a good auctioneer is critical) and lots of raffles. There was  a pet parade (bring your own and shelter adoptees), and a cat/kitten basket carry. Many of the shelter animals were quickly adopted.

    if we held the event at a golf course we would do various golf challenges as raffles for a prize.

    The biggest event was our Cinco de Mayo casino night, which raised over $35,000. Tequilla tasting, pinatas and various other games besides the casino games. Everyone loved these and I would like to bring them back again after the 10 year haiatus.



    ------------------------------
    Dave Haak
    Board of Director
    Fond du Lac Humane Society
    WI
    ------------------------------


  • 28.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 09:36 AM
      |   view attached

    In March 2023, we had a fundraising Gala, with 600 people, our largest ever. The highlight of the gala was the success story of former shelter pet, Temo, who wore his best tux to the event and came out with his new family to tell the story of his journey.  We had puppy cuddles as a feature, and a rock n roll theme.  
    In one year, we were able to add 200 people to the event, quadruple our revenue, and increase sponsorships by 702% through expanding who we asked, and a board/event committee friends & family campaign, which was very successful! I'm happy to share any resources, but attached is a photo from the event.



    ------------------------------
    Rachel Hurst
    Development
    Humane Indiana
    ------------------------------



  • 29.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-12-2023 07:29 AM

    This is brilliant!  I am going to incorporate this into our gala next year. Thanks for sharing.



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Thomas
    Director of Development
    Lynchburg Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 30.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 11:18 AM

    Last year we started an annual fundraiser called Adopt an Envelope. I actually got the idea off of pinterest from someone who was raising money for their human adoption and thought, why couldn't thins translate to our foster dogs and cats? We had a display done through bannersonthecheap.com of the graphic one of our volunteers made for us. The idea is that there are 250 envelopes, each represents a donation for the corresponding number.  So if 250 people adopt (donate) each envelope amount then we will have raised just over $31,000 for our foster dogs and cats medical fund. We slogan it as... "Want to help homeless pets but can't foster or adopt? Adopt an envelope instead!" 

    When people donate in person we write ADOPTED on a piece of red tape and cover their envelope. Online we use Canva to place a red pawprint heart over the adopted envelopes.  We have this graphic on our website and on social media. In person events we take the banner to. I email thank you notes with pictures of some of our fosters and write in the message something like " your donation of $10 helped cover heartworm prevention for Riley this month"


    website fundrasier



    ------------------------------
    Katrina Johnson
    Columbus Dog Connection
    ------------------------------



  • 31.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 05-16-2023 09:09 AM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Katrina, 

    Thank you for sharing this. I love it and I think we'll try something similar for our medical fund.




  • 32.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-26-2023 11:18 AM

    Love this idea! Would you be willing to share the canva template with me? 

    Also, what site do you use to do the donation online? I notice when I click "donate now" it goes to a different site specific to the envelope. Would love to know how to do this through a website!  

    Best, 
    Kelsey 



    ------------------------------
    Kelsey Quinn
    Volunteer
    Lending Paws a Hand
    ------------------------------



  • 33.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-04-2023 11:21 AM

    Attn: Katrina Johnson re: adopt an envelope fundraiser.  I saw that the link or format to secure ability to place a red pawprint heart over the adopted envelope is through "Canva."  Can you provide me w/ that link?  My email address is karenp1714@gmail.com.

    Re: BannersontheCheap.com site.  Would we just send them your adopt an envelope "banner" (could we?) for them to reproduce for us?

    In Appreciation,

    karen S. Peterson,vp

    Garfield's Rescue, Inc.

    804-839-3685

    karenp1714@gmail.com



    ------------------------------
    Karen Peterson
    Vice president
    Garfield's Rescue, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 34.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 10-09-2023 08:16 AM

    Hi Katrina, can you tell me what size banner you had made please?  Any chance you can share the design file for the envelopes so I don't have to recreate that?  Thanks so much I want to put a banner in our lobby.

    Michelle Thomas

    michelle@lynchburghumane.org



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Thomas
    Director of Development
    Lynchburg Humane Society
    VA
    ------------------------------



  • 35.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 01-08-2024 07:52 AM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Just wanted to thank you for posting this. We tried it with part of our end-of-year promotions and raised the whole $31K!  It was a lot of fun and we plan to refine it next time based on how it went this year.




  • 36.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 01-23-2024 08:42 AM

    Katrina, what size was your envelope banner that you had printed?



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Thomas
    Director of Development
    Lynchburg Humane Society
    VA
    ------------------------------



  • 37.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 12:51 PM

    Humane Fort Wayne created a unique public art campaign called LoveSeats. We designed a loveseat prototype that featured a cat and dog at either end and then ordered 25 of them from fiberglassanimals.com. We juried local artists to paint them in various themes. Upon completion, the LoveSeats were placed atop concrete bases all over downtown Fort Wayne during the summer of 2021 until our fall fundraiser that October. Sponsorships were sold at $3,000, $5,000, $7,000 and one major sponsorship for $10,000. Sponsors received various types of recognition based on their respective sponsorship level. For example, the $3,000 sponsors received signage recognition on the LoveSeat but could not keep the seat. The $5,000 sponsors received the same recognition and kept their LoveSeats at the conclusion of the project.  The $7,000 and $10,000 sponsors received all of the above but also got to direct the artist in the design of the artwork. We created a fun online page that had printable coloring pages for kids, an activity booklet, and scavenger hunts. We also  found a local orthodontist to sponsor the "smiling" selfies taken at each location and shared on social media. Finally, the LoveSeats that had been sponsored at the $3,000 level were auctioned at our fall fundraiser, thus were sold not once, but twice! The LoveSeats and bases cost about $3,000 to create in total, including a $500 stipend for each artist. The entire project grossed about $100,000. It was lots of work logistically, but it yielded tremendous awareness and support. The public LOVED the project, and we intend to repeat the fundraiser every five years. 



    ------------------------------
    Jessica Henry
    Executive Director
    Humane Fort Wayne
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Map-web.pdf   7.29 MB 1 version


  • 38.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 12:51 PM

    Historically, our best fundraiser has been to provide Continuing Education Seminars for veterinarians and technicians.   We get the events licensed by the veterinary board so the credits can be used for re-licensure.   Veterinarians and Techincians pay for the event and anything over the cost is used for opperating revnue.  We started doing this over 15 years ago and did one event a year in person until COVID.

    During COVID we switched to virtual events.  However, due in large part to compition with other programs, including many free ones, we only see about 50% of the registraions that we got pre-COVID for our in-person events.   Because of this we now do 2 events a year. 

    We just switched our Spring Seminar back to only in-person.  This one is actually coming up next week in Minnesota! Based on registrations thus far we are only expecting to see about 40% the number of attendees as we had pre-COVID.  Hopefully, this will grow next year, but these decreases are disheartening and the loss of fund have made it more of a challenge to get things done.  

    We are looking for other ways to market because we are eating just a little into our capital each year as a result in the down turn in the number of attendes.  Right now we have an email list of about 1,500 veterinarians, technicians, and hospitals, we send out faxes, and we ask industry folks to share the event with their clients.  Any advice for other ways to market to a predominatly Veterinary Professional Commiunity would be appreciated.

    The Animal Care Foundation of Minnesota is an intake diversion program that works with area veterinarians to provide free and deeply discounted veterinary care for the pets of folks who are elderly or disabled and unable to afford the care on their limited income.  Our clinics provide some care pro bono and we pay for some of the care through a grant program.  Because of this we don't have a facility of our own (or even an office) so our overhead has been fairly low.  

    I've loved reading other folks ideas.  One of the things that COVID taught us is that we need to diversify our fundraising and focus on marketing more for our events.  This is a bit hard as we have a mostly non-working board and only one emplyee (me)!  So, any streamlining of processes recommendations are also welcome!

    Hopefully this gives someone an idea!



    ------------------------------
    Heather Mains
    Director
    Animal Care Foundation of MN
    ------------------------------



  • 39.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 01:35 PM

    Hi Everyone!

    I love this thread! 

    1. Our most successful fundraiser so far has been a silent auction and meal. We have had 2 so far and we raise about $4,000-$5,000 and we pair up with a local restaurant in our area.  We chare $30 per ticket which includes the meal. The meal costs us $10 per person.  The first year we utilized Facebook for online bids and that was a nightmare. This year we used a software called Betterworld for the online bidding at that was really slick. We liked using that a lot and got good feedback from the online users. It also allowed in person -bids through smart phones. We got some grief from our older population. We also had live music. We call our event Share the Love Charity event and we always have it Valentine's weekend. The first year we planned it as a dinner, but we clashed with the Super Bowl so this year we did a brunch.  One of our other most successful fundraising events has been our Paws on the Patio event. We paired up with our local winery where they allow dogs  on their patio for this event. And then we have a variety of vendors that sign-up who agree to donate at least 20% of their sales. The winery donates $2 of every wine bottle sold that day. We have also had local musicians donate their time for the day. 

    2. I love the idea of the give big, get bad. I had seen a rescue do this last year and it seemed like a huge hit! We are hoping to do it sometime this year. Question for those of you who did do it, what was your timeframe in keeping it open and getting portraits back to people. How did you have people submit payment? 

    Shauney Moen
    Pope County Humane Society 
    Fundraising Coordinator



    ------------------------------
    Shauney Moen
    President
    Pope County Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 40.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-08-2023 05:17 PM

    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue is an all-volunteer group in Lexington, KY. We rescue the youngest kittens, sometimes with their mothers, but usually abandoned or left at shelters around KY that have nobody to bottle feed them.
    What We Did:
    In March and April (Sundays at 11AM) we held a one hour pay to participate yoga class with kittens available for adoption. Tickets were $35 and all 30 spaces sold out, netting us $1,050. The yoga instructor is one of our foster persons. The event was held at a local hard cider brewery and bar. Their community room can be reserved free of charge.

    How We Promoted the Event:
    Information and link to purchase tickets were displayed on IBKR's website and Facebook page. Wise Bird Cider also listed the event on its upcoming events page. We received requests for tickets even after they were all sold. There were a few no shows, but we did not offer refunds. 
    The yoga participants ranged in age from 20s to 60s +, both couples and single adults. No kids participated. 
    The event was fun for everyone. Participants stayed afterward to order cider drinks and lunch from food trucks



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 41.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-09-2023 09:38 AM

    Keller's Kats Rescue, Inc. is located in Rochester, NY. Founded in October, 2014, we have adopted out 4239 cats since then. We work cooperatively with a number of agencies in the Monroe County area. We are primarily foster-based (40+). Keller's Klubhouse is our Adoption Center where up to 50 cats reside in a cage-free environment.  Our biggest challenge as a 501(c)3 organization is fund-raising. We make extensive use of our Facebook page to keep our 14,000 followers engaged in our mission. On March 4th we held an event at a local Brew Pub.  Prior to the event we solicited the donation of Raffle Baskets, the response was amazing. We ended up with 27 baskets that were created by our volunteers and followers alike. Raffle tickets were 25 for $20. You could designate your tickets for 1 basket or spread them across any or all. The owners of the Brew Pub designed Beer Glasses, a donation of $10 got you the glass and a free beer. The Beer Glasses were donated by one of our long time Foster Moms. The eve of the event we were all watching the weather, which was predicted to be windy and snowy. We considered cancelling, but we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. The day did not disappoint. People overcame the narrow street parking, climbed over the plowed snow and had a blast. It was by far our most successful fundraiser. When all was said and done, we raised a little over $5000. Our pre-adoption medical and veterinary costs average $240/cat. Every dollar raised goes right back into the care of our cats as we prepare them for adoption. Through the cooperative efforts of so many, we celebrated Mews and Brews on a snowy day in Western New York.



    ------------------------------
    Karla Barkley
    President
    Kellers Kats Rescue Inc
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    docx
    FINAL BASKET BOARD.docx   448 KB 1 version


  • 42.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-09-2023 02:24 PM
      |   view attached

    We found success in a fundraiser called "Toast to Pets". It's a brunch event where we invite a guest speaker from the local area related to animals to speak about their work. Last year, we had a local author and cadaver dog trainer and this year, we had a reseacher/professor from NC State who studies aging in pets. We make most of our money off of sponsorships, but we've received rave reviews from attendees from the event over the 2 years we've done it. It gives me the opportunity to speak about Paws4ever to a potentially new audience before the speaker goes up. This year, we were able to record the presentation and made additional monies selling the recording to people who were able to attend the event. 



    ------------------------------
    Whitney Zoghby
    Paws4ever
    ------------------------------



  • 43.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-10-2023 09:54 AM

    We are a small special needs feline rescue.  Our most successful fundraisers are our "Drinks for Kittens" bar events.  We gather annually at a local bar that hosts monthly pet rescue fundraisers.  The bar donates a portion of the drinks sales and 100% of special cocktails from vendors that donate alcohol.  There is also a silent auction.  All attendees have to do is drink!  Non alcoholic drinks count too :)  It's a great time and a fun way to meet our supporters.



    ------------------------------
    Amber Holly
    ------------------------------



  • 44.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-10-2023 09:54 AM

    Some things that have worked for us are:
    1. % of sales fundraisers with local businesses.  Doing a few a month help us raise money with things people already buy. 
    2. Fun Runs and walks! RunSignup is a great resource for getting started.  Having each participant fundraise is how these really can be successful.
    3. Puppy Yoga- sell tickets for $30-40 and have vaccinated pups run around during a yoga class.




    ------------------------------
    Molly Larson
    Event and Volunteer Manager
    Pet Haven of MN
    ------------------------------



  • 45.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-11-2023 09:15 AM

    I am enjoying reading all these creative and successful fundraising ideas.

    The organization that I am a member of is all volunteer based. We are a breed specific rescue organization for the entire United States. The breed? Leonbergers. Very large, very furry dogs who shed year round. Not short, stiff fur like a hound or boxer. Not soft, short to medium length fur like a spaniel or golden retriever. But soft, medium to very long fur. 

    Our largest fundraiser events raffle off items made from fur naturally shed off (donated by) Leonbergers. Our organization puts a request to the Leonberger community for fur donations. Leo owners collect fur from each of their dogs (keeping each separate). One quart sized ziplock bag full of fur is all that's needed per dog (easily brushed off in maybe 15 minutes). The owner labels the bag and sends it to one of our volunteer organizer.  We then have a volunteer who preps and spins each bag of fur into a spool of yarn. Each spool is then sent to a volunteer to be crocheted/knitted into a particular sized square. Once the square is completed in whatever manner they wish, they ship it back to our event organizer. That organizer combines the squares into a single afghan. That afghan is then raffled off. Extra fur is turned into other items or kept as yarn, to be raffled as well.

    Not an approach that works for every rescue organization but it is an appropriate match for ours. Sort of like turning lemons into lemonade.

    A link to our page where we were raffling the afghan earlier this year:

    https://www.lrpals.org/help-us/donate




    ------------------------------
    Dace Ain Krasts
    Volunteer, Board Member
    Leonberger Rescue Pals
    ------------------------------



  • 46.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-11-2023 03:03 PM

    We've considered something like this for our Pyrenees - glad to hear it's been successful for you!



    ------------------------------
    Allison Rathert
    Founder/President
    k9.5 Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 47.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-11-2023 03:02 PM

    Our best, and what felt to be the most accomplished, was being a "vendor" at a Holiday Festival. We set up a "booth" with a table, our information, some items to sell, donation jar, and brought the dogs. We didn't stop talking for 3 days. It was long at 10hrs + a day, and it requires several volunteers in different time slots, but in those 3 days we raised $1600 JUST in the donation jar, had interest in our dogs, and gave out massive amounts of information/education/awareness. It gave us great photos to share with the public on social media/website, and opened the doors to gain volunteers and all types of donations. For a very small rescue that focuses on harder cases, this was tremendous for us (this was several years ago - Covid19 has made this more difficult).  The hardest thing was getting volunteers b/c they had the festival on Thursday and Friday, so people taking off work to be there offers a challenge. However, if you can ever be a part of one, it's a great way for quick money and great exposure. We really enjoyed it and gained a lot of supporters from it. 

    Allison Rathert
    Founder/President
    k9.5 Rescue



    ------------------------------
    Allison Rathert
    Founder/President
    k9.5 Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 48.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-12-2023 07:44 AM

    This year at our 13th annual Best Friend Ball gala, we honored one of our local, beloved, partner veterinarians.  We had a watercolor painting of our building and had all the staff sign their name on a white mat and then framed the whole thing and presented it to him on stage.  We did this just before our Fund-a-Need video and paddle raise.  We had the highest level of giving to date and raised over $154,000 in one night.  



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Thomas
    Director of Development
    Lynchburg Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 49.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-12-2023 11:05 AM

    Dog Lovers League of Bruce has a yearly fundraiser that generates more donations than any other. Dog Lovers' serves a small rural town with a public Square. With the permission of the city, we set up a "roadblock" to entrance points on the Square with volunteers (wearing DLL T-shirts) with donation jars. It works well because the Square is the hub of activity, and everyone knows and waves to everyone, most of which are happy to donate!



    ------------------------------
    Cynthia Howle
    volunteer: community relations
    Dog Lovers' League
    ------------------------------



  • 50.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-15-2023 11:22 AM

    SNIP is located in a real rural area.   Fundraisers are really hard in this area.   We are very low income county. 
    I have tried several fundraisers - including Facebook.  

    I have ran out of idea's - we are small and not may volunteers so getting organized is rough sometimes. 




    ------------------------------
    Alisa Fraser
    ------------------------------



  • 51.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-15-2023 12:02 PM

    Alisa,

    Have you all tried asking a restaurant, bar, farm supply store, or some other type of business  to donate a portion of a day's sales to SNIP?

    Since you have few volunteers and are in an area with a small population, that might be your best bet.

    Margaret Buranen
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 52.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-15-2023 12:36 PM

    Hello,

    Thank you for the discussion thread. It is always great to hear from others. I love sharing and helping one another. Our successful fundraiser that our community will ask, "When is the next one?" is WAGS to RIche$ Casino Night.  We have had 5 of these events over the past 12 years and are planning our 6th this year.  We try to keep the administrative cost very low when doing this event. We use the same graphics to keep the cost low, and the same event planner (who charges very little since she loves WAGS) helps us coordinate all the details. We have had only two of us do the rest of the work but this year we a committee of volunteers helping to plan and coordinate the collection of auction items. We are exciteed to have our volunteers step up and help. 
    The event is for adults only.  The event is fun. We offer food and games throughout the night. We have games, appreciation announcements, and a scavenger-like event with guests having their "impound card: stamped if they visit different parts of the shelter and learn more about WAGS Pet Adoption. For example, they visit the "Hub of the Shelter," the laundry and food prep area. They hear about how much happens in this shelter hub daily, like; 30 loads of laundry, 200 dishes a day, 15 large litter boxes, and so much more. They meet some pets while touring the facility and then return to the reception area and play casino games. They can win prizes for the completed card.

    The fundraising efforts involve selling tickets to a silent auction and buying casino money and sponsorships.  This year we are adding a community award for the local business that supported us through COVID and a local government official that helps WAGS by supporting our life-saving efforts and volunteer recognitions. We raised $50k at our last event in 2018. These funds were so needed for our tiny shelter. 
    I hope this helps and inspires another shelter to do an event and have fun raising money for their shelter. 



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Russillo
    CEO
    WAGS PET ADOPTION
    Westminster CA
    ------------------------------



  • 53.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-15-2023 07:05 PM

    MId-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue, Inc (MAGSR) is a small to medium sized rescue that is 100% volunteer run and 100% supported by donors.  Fundraising makes our breaks us.  Our largest fundraiser has been Giving Tuesday.   We reach out to some of our largest donors to have a matching campaign.  Matching campaigns really seem to encourage our donors to give so we don't lose the match.  We have raised over $20000 the last two years in a row.  QGiv, our giving platform, helps by providing tools, schedules and do's and don'ts which have been extremely helpful.  We advertise on Facebook, Instagram and through email messages.  We try to come up with a slogan for continuity and write personal stories sometimes from a foster story or an adopter's story.  Thanking donor is also a big part the day after Giving Tuesday.   Our next largest fundraisers is a Bull Roast which we haven't held in a couple of years because of COVID.  Given that we have no paid staff, I'd love to hear what others do that are 100% dependent upon volunteers.  Thanks!   



    ------------------------------
    Suzanne Carrillo
    Treasurer
    MAGSR Inc
    ------------------------------



  • 54.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-16-2023 09:19 AM

    We did a wonderful event called the "Barking Lot Event". We often get donations of gently used and new items that we aren't able to use in the shelter. So we set up a by-donation garage sale, invited food trucks, and put together shelter dog playgroups. For anyone that filled out an application on that day, they were given a coupon for a discounted adoption (the Bissell Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters event started the next day). The event was open from 11-2 and cost us nothing. We advertised on social media, the radio, and did a press release that was picked up by the news stations. We had hundreds of people attend throughout the event. We sold most of our "unusable" items and made nearly $1000. The food trucks both sold out and donated 20% of their profits to us (about $1000). The local camera club came. They took pictures of the shelter dogs for practice and a few entered them into competitions. They also let us keep all the photos to help with adoptions. We received 55 adoption applications that day that led to 27 adoptions the following week during out adoption event. It was an amazing event that required very little up front cost, engaged the community, made some money, and (most importantly) got some animals into their forever homes!!! We will be doing it again this year. 



    ------------------------------
    Laramie Smovir
    Volunteer Coordinator
    City of Great Falls Animal Shelter
    ------------------------------



  • 55.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-17-2023 09:00 AM

    We run a couple of successful events. The first is our annual golf tournament. We have our tournament on a private, highly sought-after course, which not only helps with getting golfers, but we can charge a bit more and therefore make more. Our course is full of fun games (on nearly half of the holes), which makes it fun for golfers and allowes us to make more money (goflers love fun contest holes). 

    Another successful event is our Brews, Jazz, and Funk Fest at Palasaides Tahoe (formally Squaw Valley). It's a huge beer (and wine) music festival that dogs can also attend. Super fun music on two different stages and tons of good craft beer, cider, and wine. 

    Lastly, we have two giving Tuesdays. Our Development Director is so creative and comes up with the best campaigns each year. Not only do we make a lot of money in one day, but we also get a lot of animals adopted. We just ran our GT campaign yesterday. It's a social media campaign that we recruit volunteers and staff to post and repost (there's about 100 ppl posting and then friends of the vols and staff posting, so it goes far and wide). It's very, very effective.  We just ran this campaing yesterday. You can check out our page, https://www.facebook.com/HumaneSocietyofTruckeeTahoe (we run this on Instagram as well). 



    ------------------------------
    Erin Ellis
    Community Engagement Director
    Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe

    ---------
    Foster Program & Volunteer Management Specialist
    ------------------------------



  • 56.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-17-2023 10:08 AM

    This year we're hosting our 8th annual Sit for Shelter Pets. This is a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign (one of two we run each year - the other is Giving Tuesday) that runs between 5-8 weeks and culminates in an in-person "Sit" where the attendees sit in silence to honor and reflect on the hundreds of thousands of shelter pets who are euthanized each year simply because they have no place to call home, and to refocus ourselves on our mission: to help as many pets as possible! This is a more somber event due to the focus of it, but this year we are trying to "spice" it up a bit to increase engagement by running weekly prizes and random flash fundraising competitions:

    - This past Monday, we used the final spot on our shelter clinic mural wall (it's a mural on the two street-facing sides of the building) as a prize for whoever collected the most donations that day! It was a really great contest and over $13,000 was raised in just the one day! 
    - We're running weekly prize contests for both individual and team fundraisers - the prizes are announced the week before and we set some guidelines beforehand to keep things fair and fun for everyone (individuals/teams can't win two weeks in a row and we're allowed to change the criteria for winning as needed to keep it fun). 
    - We're planning to make the in-person event more fun this year with a photobooth, sign-making (folks hold signs for why they're sitting each year), and coffee/donuts, and hopefully some other stuff! 

    Just a small brag for the Development Team: Since opening in 2020, we've learned that our clinic's mural spots were a huge motivator for donors. At our annual Houndstooth Gala this past March we auctioned off a mural spot and a photoshoot for our annual pet calendar package that was won with a final bid of $8,600! 

    I've attached a few photos from our past Sit for Shelter Pets and our gala this year. 



    ------------------------------
    Stephanie Cascio
    Development Manager
    One Tail at a Time
    Chicago, IL
    ------------------------------



  • 57.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-17-2023 12:11 PM

    I'm sure this suggestion has been voiced before but I'll repeat it here as it has been successful for us.  We have established categories for the contributions we seek, like Veterinary Fund; Transport Fund, Facilities Fund, General Fund etc.  We then seek contributions based on these categories both from grantors as well as corporations and individuals.  It works well for us and focuses on our biggest expenses,  We've found donors like to give to specifics.   We, of course, do the same with individual cats who need care after we rescue them, which I'm sure almost all rescue operations do.  But the focus on the big expense items has definitely helped us attract larger gifts.  In the past 3 months we've received almost $25K in gifts/grants to these specific funds. 



    ------------------------------
    Bruce Thorsen
    President, Board of Directors
    Purrfect Match Cat Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 58.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-18-2023 09:55 AM

    My organization is Garfield's Rescue, Inc., (GRI) a homeless cat rescue, S/N/V, foster to adopt charity in Virginia's underserved region of the 4 counties that comprise the Northern Neck.  Our apprx. 55,000 population of residents is spread across 745 sq. mi. of apprx. 17.25% croplands & 18.25% woodlands. Our over 65 population is as high as 36.5% in two of the counties.  Our NN region is full of charity after charity, all competing for the same small pool of capable, able bodied volunteers and seeking money from a small slice of available money.  While exhibiting at a Farmer's Market in October two years ago, we met a visitor to our booth that told us about a successful Wine and Whiskers fundraiser w/ a silent auction they held in their mountain region in VA. I later contacted her for more detail, and GRI expanded on that. We proposed a W & W fundraiser to a small, new winery in our area, asking they donate the wine and venue.  They wanted to limit ticket sales to 100 due to limited parking space, and wine donation to 50 bottles.  We also provided coolers of water, tea and lemonade. Our ticket price of $30 included 2 glasses of wine, and passed appetizers from an amazing, generous caterer very supportive of GRI's homeless cat rescue mission (we've rescued 1228 since our March 2020 inception, placing 1135 in furever homes!); music w/ a DJ; and, mu former garden club provided many beautiful,  whimsical fresh floral arrangements 
    Planning began in March for a September 22, Thursday 5:00-7:30 date.  Once all parties could be available for our date, "Save the Date" fliers were posted at libraries, P.O.s, local retailers and social media reciting ticket sales would commence in August online and at 4 designated physical locations. Once the physical locations were secured, revised fliers reciting those addresses were posted and 20 numbered tickets were provided to each site for direct sale, w/ a signup sheet to complete w/purchaser's name, email address & phone number for reference in case they lost their ticket.  These were added to often as some sites, (our local veterinarian!) had brisker sales than others.  These sites were monitored weekly, as within a week of the event we were sold out of our 112 tickets! Some people turned theirs in as a donation for re-sale if they discovered they couldn't attend. Post card mailers advertising the event to our 900 person mailing list were mailed 6 weeks prior to the event.  A press release with GRI's mission stated and all details of our fundraiser were submitted to our local newspaper. An original oil painting painted exclusively for our event by a local artist was featured in color in the press release.  Over 80 items were donated by local retailers, theaters, service providers and local artisans to comprise 40 themed baskets for our Silent Auction for bidding. Volunteers sold 50/50 raffle tickets to attendees throughout the evening for end of night drawing.  That week GRI had just rescued a stray, 16-year-old cat we named Holly, whose picture we enlarged on a poster displayed on an easel for all to see! What a milestone for our event! Our local radio station advertises for free upcoming events for non-profits which we used heavily, plus advertising in any free local print publications available, and in the calendar sections of our newspaper.  The event itself required the work of all 10 of our BOD members, several of their spouses, and another 5 supportive members.  We were not able to set up until the day of the event, along w/ my garden club who used fresh flowers in all their arrangements. We had about 5 tents, as the inside tasting room of the vineyard was too small for an inside event. Due to wind, we couldn't set up tents until the morning of the event.  And, of course it rained a good two hours the day of the event, thankfully stopping about 4:30 so we could set up the Silent Auction items as attendees started pouring in at 4:45! Note that we plan to hold this event again in 2023, but hope to secure an inside venue so rain isn't a factor.  Tent set up was challenging and strong men and women are needed for that. We were lucky to have all of them donated!  A BOD member's church loaned us the 12 six-foot tables needed for auction items & event entry cashier's table. The vineyard had bijou tables and chairs throughout the grounds for attendee sitting and some tables and chairs on their porch. Of course, we had a large donation jar positioned on a tall bijou table at the event exit in case attendees wanted to donate more, and all were given an exiting pawprint cellophane sleeve w/GRI informational pamphlet, donation envelope and signature GRI refrigerator magnet.  This year we will ask sponsors if they'd like us to include any coupons for their services. I will try to upload some files of our mailers/fliers. I'm not computer savvy.  Our website is www.garfieldsrescue.org to checkout W & W from last year.  Our FB page is www.Facebook.com/garfieldsrescue



    ------------------------------
    Karen Peterson
    Vice president
    Garfield's Rescue, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 59.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-22-2023 10:49 AM

    Our successful fundraisers at Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue:

    Bourbon to the Rescue - a ticketed in-person event at a bourbon-related establishment with food, music, successful medical and adoption stories, and we also included a silent auction. We sold a limited number of tickets. Ticket price covered the cost of the event (venue + food + music), with a little remaining so we were guaranteed to be in the black. Silent auction was pretty much icing! Among the dozens of high-end bourbon related items we auctioned was a discounted bottle of Pappy 15 (a rare bourbon find). The net profit was a little over $27K!! 

    On a smaller scale is our highly anticipated calendar contest through GoGoPhoto. It's a relatively easy-to-use and very professional looking platform to run a calendar contest. Very user friendly for those uploading photos and voting. We charged $5 to upload, with a lot of advertising where uploaded photos receive  $1/vote. Winners were in a 12-month calendar. We sold calendars as well but should have charged more (we charged $15 because our cost was $12, but that didn't account for time and other related costs). We brought in over $5700!!! (although GoGoPhoto Contest took their piece of the pie). One thing I really liked about it was that it was easy to share and I think got more people connected with our rescue. This year we will set up the calendar contest to coincide with a festival we are participating in, so we can hand out flyers at the festival. Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue | Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue Pet Photo Calendar Contest (gogophotocontest.com) 

    We also host a huge yard sale every summer that sells a little bit of everything and has traditionally garnered several thousand dollars. It takes a committee to set up and loads of people to work, but has been worth it in the past. We are quickly outgrowing the space where we store the items that are donated literally throughout the year, though. In addition, the indoor venue where we've set up in years past for free is no longer available to us. We are trying to adapt and overcome these small hurdles.

    Please reach out if you any questions about any of the above. Amy, volunteer



    ------------------------------
    Amy Charles
    volunteer
    Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 60.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-22-2023 02:45 PM

    One of our best fundraisers is fairly unusual and lots of fun. It's called Art for Animals. A local framing gallery is key to the whole thing. Local artists of all ages and skill levels (some of them little kids; some of them actual dogs or cats!) pay $10 to register and obtain a 5X7 canvas (or watercolor paper) from the framing gallery.  All kinds of paintings or collages are accepted (photos are not eligible) as long as they are 5X7. Pictures don't have to be of animals; anything is fine, from abstracts to landscapes to portraits.

    After the artwork is finished it is turned in to the framing gallery. They frame all the entries with leftover sticks of framing material that would get thrown away anyhow.  Then the artwork is displayed live for two weeks -- in the framing gallery if there's room -- while people make silent auction bids on the pieces they like. (Bidding can be on bid sheets attached to each piece or on-line through an on-line auction company.) Keeping the size uniform at 5X7 makes framing easier and also makes hanging the artwork easier.

    Our group hosts a free opening reception when the artwork is "revealed" to the public and a free closing reception, where final bidding often gets pretty heated. The receptions are free to encourage a large crowd. We make our money on the bids and usually net between $8,000 and $10,000, which is pretty good for a small town. Attached is a flyer from last year's event and a news release with lots of details.



    ------------------------------
    Charlotte W Craig
    Animal Welfare Alliance
    Poplar Bluff, MO
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    doc
    Art4AnimalsNewser22.doc   150 KB 1 version


  • 61.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 12:03 AM

    Wow! That's really impressive and sounds like a good way to get the community together to appreciate art. Thank you for sharing. We would be interested in implementing this with our rescue. 



    ------------------------------
    Megan Watson
    Lead Cat volunteer
    Feline Friends of Sammamish
    ------------------------------



  • 62.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:15 AM

    Pawster Nashville's DOGGIE DRAG SHOW:

    We'll learn how successful this event is after Friday, but this is our first big fundraising event as a young (3 year old) organization. The event is taking place at a local bar that regularly puts on drag shows. We'll have 10 [human] drag performers sing songs, and then we'll have a break in the middle where we do a Doggie Runway. (This portion is low music, no flashing lights, and a fun instruction to the crowd to be quiet so we don't stress the dogs out).

    All cover charges go directly to Pawster, plus tips for the performers, and we'll have a silent auction as well. The event is the capping celebration of our 3rd Birthday online fundraiser: 24 hours of giving to celebrate 3 years of keeping pets and people together. So altogether our goal is to raise $10,000. The most we've raised on a single day previously is $8,500, and that was purely through online donations.



    ------------------------------
    Gabe Horton
    ------------------------------



  • 63.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 09:06 AM

    What types of Silent Auction items have you secured? We have a Wine & Whiskers fundraiser coming up, and want to "up" our receipts from last year. ($8500 from ticket sales, 50-50 raffle and 40 Silent Auction themed baskets and artisan custom artwork & furniture).  We need some bigger ticket items, but are situated in a small region Virginia's Northern  Neck. We took 50% of the dollar value to start the bidding of each item.  Ideas for bigger ticket items?? 



    ------------------------------
    Karen Peterson
    Vice president
    Garfield's Rescue, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 64.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 09:50 AM

    For WAGS Pet Adoption we have had these items donated; vacation stays in nice locations like Maui or Palm Springs, or Mexico, airline tickets, through donation of points, professional, artwork, goods and services that are local like hairdressers, massage therapists, restaurants, dinner out for family, movie, theater tickets, free, professional car wash and detailing, events here in orange county, like Balboa Park for the family, wine, candles, and we make baskets that are themed for families, couples night out, and children themed based on some of the smaller items that are donated. 



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Russillo
    CEO
    WAGS PET ADOPTION
    Westminster CA
    ------------------------------



  • 65.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 10:18 AM

    per Karen's request, some more expensive items for silent auctions:

    1.weekend stay for two people at area hotel or resort
    2. private wine or bourbon tasting for four or six people, with limousine pickup and return
    3.catered and served gourmet dinner for four or six people brought to winning bidder's home
    4.fitness sessions with private trainer say six sessions for two people for three sessions for four people

    5.local area private chauffeur service for two days or back and forth to work for a week
    6.day at upscale spa for  two, three, or four people
    7.greens fees + cart for 18 holes of golf for two or four players
    8.a set of top brand golf clubs

    9.thirty minute helicopter ride for two or four people
    10.landscaping design and new plants installed say $500 worth
    11.private golf or tennis lessons for adults or kids
    12.$300/$500 worth of pet food from local pet retailer

    13.cocktails and cruise on the Potomac for four or six people
    14.private dancing lessons for two people
    15.hot air balloon ride with picnic for two people
    16.weekend of glamour camping aka glamping at glamour camp site for twor or more people
    17.two or more well-located arena or private box seats to UVA football or basketball game or Commanders game
           you could have more than one of these, from different donors

    Margaret Buranen
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    Lexington, KY



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 66.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 09:45 AM

    We've had some success with our "Big Meowski" bowling fundraisers (we're a cat rescue). The bowling alley charges us a fixed fee and we can charge what we'd like. We also have a silent auction and 50/50 raffle (people at the bowling alley that are not part of the event can also enter these). These are the graphics I made for the event. 



    ------------------------------
    Pamela Adelmann
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    bowling flyer.pdf   228 KB 1 version


  • 67.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:50 PM

    Snip has planned a corn hole tournament for a fundraiser in the near future. 


    we try so hard but I don't think we have made more than 2,000 on any fund raiser.   


    I see a lot of good ideas and I think I'm going to try a few.     


    It's even rough for us. We have a small amount of volunteers so even how the grants are set up for Maddie's fund makes it hard. Because we don't have a lot of people to watch the videos  or attend the calls to get the entry's like the bigger organizations.  



    ------------------------------
    Alisa Fraser
    ------------------------------



  • 68.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 07:35 AM

    How do you all go about getting some great baskets.  We send out letters or use contact forms on websites but get a limited amount and many no responses.  Do you feel its best to go into stores/restaurants/etc?  But need so many volunteers for that.  And trips - do volunteers donate those or do you go to a travel agency?  We hold several fundraisers and have bags tournament; bowling outing and do ok but trying to get raffle items is difficult.  



    ------------------------------
    geri golonka
    Foster/Volunteer
    Tiny N Tall Rescue
    St. Charles, IL
    ------------------------------



  • 69.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 08:51 AM

    My initial contact in soliciting any donation for themed baskets, or standalone items is one on one, person to person. Prospective donors can see your passion for your mission in your eyes, the inflection in your voice, and have a visual on any literature you bring with you (pictures of sweet, rescued animals!).  You can follow up via phone or email, but it is easy to ignore an email, or not bother to return a phone call.  More difficult to say "no" to your face!

    Entities such as theater groups, concert and orchestra associations typically work out of home offices, so important to secure names, email addresses and phone numbers of directors/ presidents for those calls.  Try to learn who in your organization may know any of these officers personally for a referral. Use the fact that you just attended a performance, or that you have season tickets…. ask actors/performers/stage managers you may know to get you to the decision maker.  Dine at the restaurants where you want a gift certificate and leave your card and literature.  You can THEN call and rave about the meal, hit fine points of the fundraiser and then ask for a gift certificate. I make a point to ask if the owner is in, introduce (or re-introduce) "myself w/ Garfield's Rescue." And, thank them for past support, etc.  you may need to call on some entities 4+ times to get to the decision maker to secure a donation or item. At our Wine & Whiskers fundraiser we had 80 items we assembled in 40 theme baskets. 



    ------------------------------
    Karen Peterson
    Vice president
    Garfield's Rescue, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 70.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-24-2023 09:49 AM
      |   view attached

    Hi all,

    I love this thread. So many great ideas. I am happy to share some experiences and thoughts too. This post might get a bit long as I try to answer some questions that have been posted before.

    We hold several fundraisers a year, the biggest is our Fur Ball a fundraiser gala, which has been hold for more than a decade when our shelter was still just an idea. We are in the fortunate position that we have a volunteer committee which organizes the Fur Ball. This helps immensely with getting items for the live and silent auction as each person usually organizes one to three baskets from their contacts (and some of our committee members are just excellent at really hitting up the stores). We also ask our board members to support this event e.g. by donating a basket.

    This years' Fur Ball was our best one yet. After some things went wrong in the previous year, we made an effort to make it more special. So besides the usual suspects silent auction, live auction, dessert dash and dancing we offered a lot of experiences and entertainment. It was circus themed and we had acrobats performing and special experiences and games set up e.g. card readings, psychic readings, chakra cleansing, caricatures, claw machine. While not making a huge profit through these experiences , it helped to make the night for guests extra special. What went really well in the Silent Auction last year were booze baskets, a night away in a town near us, and fan items from a local sports team. For the live auction we usually have some trips, all through one local travel agency which donates usually one trip as a sponsor and offers a deal for other trips offered (e.g. we pay them $1.000 for the trip and start the bidding at $1,800). Another item that went extremely well was a hosted murder mistery party at the Zoo. 

    I also wanted to share about a new fundraiser coming up that we are very excited about, but do not know yet how it will go. Pets of Downtown Art is initiated and organised by a community partner, the Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corporation. People can register to have their pet painted by a local artist as part of a mural downtown for a $250 donation and we receive a part of the proceeds: https://downtownidahofalls.com/pets-of-downtown-art/.
    We are curious to see how it will go. 



    ------------------------------
    Nora Paech
    Development Director
    Snake River Animal Shelter
    ------------------------------



  • 71.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-25-2023 08:02 AM

    Hi Nora, we also host a Fur Ball gala and it is our biggest fundraiser of the year! This year will be our 8th year and each year we have been gaining more and more momentum- it's been great to see! We've had a lot of success with the trips and experiences that you mentioned - it is such a nice touch and so many of our guests have used our event as their friend/family vacation planner! 



    ------------------------------
    Melanie Johnson
    Director of Development
    Fredericksburg SPCA
    ------------------------------



  • 72.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 02-13-2024 12:50 PM

    We would send letters announcing our event (about 6 months in advance) and what we were looking for to every store, restaurant, etc we could think of. Then we follow up about a month later with telephone calls and the arrange to stop by. We would offer to pick up items. It took a lot of people and time, but it is worth it. We would then assemble baskets for raffles, silent auctions and large items we would live auction. We had charter fishing trips on Lake Michigan, motel stays at the Wisconsin Dells. We contacted wineries, breweries casinos throughout the state. 



    ------------------------------
    Dave Haak
    Board of Director
    Fond du Lac Humane Society
    WI
    ------------------------------



  • 73.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-25-2023 08:02 AM

    Thanks for the opportunity to brainstorm! Each year our organization hosts 5 fundraisers through the year: a market/festival (music, beer garden, vendors, etc.), 5K race, kickball tournament, golf tournament, and Fur Ball gala (our main event!). Some events are more popular (both in attendance and in raising funds) than others but they have all become annual events we do each year.

    This year is really special for our organization, it's our 80th anniversary! As much as I love some of the fun events we host like the kickball and golf tournaments, I'm interested in moving away from non-mission-centric events. We work really hard to include compelling storytelling components in all our events and I think we've done a good job building the connection between playing golf (Fore the Animals) and explaining how those funds are used to help our shelter operations and the animals in our care. 

    Since this year is major milestone for us, I'm working on building an event that would celebrate our anniversary and help us find homes for animals in our shelter. My thought is to do a "80 in 8" event where we would have local businesses and individuals sponsor the adoptions of 80 animals in our care and build a campaign around finding them homes in 8 days. It's a little terrifying to have the goal advertised in the name of the event (fear of failure!) but I think it could generate a lot of interest with local families and businesses in our area who would sponsor the event. 

    Has anyone done an event like this? I'd love to hear more about things that went well and lessons learned! 
    Many thanks!



    ------------------------------
    Melanie Johnson
    Director of Development
    Fredericksburg SPCA
    ------------------------------



  • 74.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-25-2023 08:34 AM

    A few more ideas for more expensive gift baskets/silent auctions:

    1.If you're in a rural area, ask the nearest John Deere dealer about donating a riding mower,  smaller/lawn tractor that can pull various attachments, ATV or Gator type vehicle for getting around the farm

    2.After closing hours catered dinner at a museum, zoo, pro sports arena, or other similar venue.  The director or curator can take the guests on a behind the scenes tour and share some things the public wouldn't have access to.

    3.Wine 201 private tasting event for four or six people at local winery, with appetizers and several wines. The sommelier educates guests on different wines.  Can be combined with limousine there and back.

    4.Progressive dinner at three upscale restaurants. Cocktails and appetizers at first restaurant, entrees at secnd restaurant, desserts at third restaurant.

    5.Top of the line home items. Not as glamorous as a trip or helicopter ride, but they'll bring in funds.  Top brand backyard grill, dishwasher, washer, dryer

    6.Fly fishing trip, with guide, overnight lodging. For Karen's group, perhaps to Blue Ridge Mountains or WVA. 



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 75.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-26-2023 07:33 AM

    I'm fairly new. I started last year so we haven't had a lot of events yet. So, we don't have any successful tips yet. But i am reading all these post and learning a lot! we are a small rural shelter with limited funds so any and all ideas are welcome!



    ------------------------------
    Justine Petalcu
    Animal Control Officer
    City of tuttle
    ------------------------------



  • 76.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-26-2023 08:27 AM

    Hi Justine,

    It's difficult for a small nonprofit to raise funds b/c you don't have enough volunteers to do the necessary tasks that make up a large event such as a gala. Here are some ideas for small nonprofits:

    1.See if the owners of the local pet store, farm supply store (that sells pet supplies), restaurants, diners, bars would be willing to donate a share of a day's profits. You promote a dine out/bowl/shop this day for the animals on your website and other social media. Perhaps the local radio station would make a few free public service announcements for this upcoming day. The bar, store, etc. could put a poster that you make in their front window the week before. 

    2. Find a free venue (a community events room for groups at the public library or a restaurant) and sell tickets for a yoga class or a talk by a local celebrity.  TV sportscasters are good for this kind of a talk.  They're well-known so they're a draw. You sell tickets at the door and perhaps on your web page.

    3. Two ideas posted earlier in this discussion that would work without a lot of volunteers are the "Adopt an Envelope" and the pet portraits by questionably talented artists. Out of curiosity I added up the potential funds raised if the top envelope is $100. The total is $5,100. Of course people could adopt more than one envelope.

    4. participate in whatever community-wide good giving event for local nonprofits is open to your group.

    5.progressive dinner at three area restaurants.  Sell tickets on the group's social media pages and at the restaurants.

    Margaret Buranen
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    Lexington, KY



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 77.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 06:58 AM

    We did a mother's day event where we took a paw imprint of the pet and created a flower painting, it was easy and fun we had a great turn out.



    ------------------------------
    Charles Brown
    executive director
    Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 78.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 07:27 AM

    I haven't seen this posted yet. I've seen something like the idea I'm proposing, but I take it further.
    It's based off the "round up" sales concept, where a business asks if customers want to round up their purchase total for a non-profit. 
    I'm developing the idea, but I'd call it "unCommon Cents", and I'd try to get as many businesses in the county involved as possible. All proceeds would go toward a low cost spay/neuter service. The only cost to the businesses would be their time/labor in POS set-up and payment. Ensuring all money comes back to our 501c3 is another point I need to address.
    I think getting everyone on board could create a movement and make spay/neuter top of mind for more citizens.
    If anyone has done anything like this or has suggestions, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
    Amy



    ------------------------------
    Amy Charles
    volunteer
    Adopt Me! Bluegrass Pet Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 79.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 12:27 PM

    Walmart has a roundup program if you want to sign up in your community.



    ------------------------------
    Karinna Lozano
    Meridian Canine Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 80.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 12:43 PM
    it appears they are having a webinar to help charities get started:
    must be a (cybergrants) FrontDoor registered charity (not hard to do).



  • 81.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 04:10 AM

    Amy,

    We have a local pet store who does this on a monthly basis for different nonprofits each month. They raised nearly $2K for us in one month asking customers to round up. They also collect donations of feed and supplies for our pet food bank program. It's been a wonderful partnership. 



    ------------------------------
    Lisa Burn
    Co-founder/VP
    Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary
    Myakka City, FL
    https://farmhousesanctuary.org
    ------------------------------



  • 82.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-11-2023 10:58 AM

    that sounds like a great idea but wouldn't that be a bookkeeping nightmare for the store to keep up with?



    ------------------------------
    Sandy Cole
    ------------------------------



  • 83.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 10:24 AM
    We did a Chicken BBQ/Paw it Forward event. Although a chicken BBQ is a common Fundraiser we wanted to give back to the community as well. How it worked: Supporters could purchase a ticket for a BBQ meal and purchase an extra ticket for a homeless veteran. At the end of the event we had contacted local organizations that supported homeless veterans and they came to pick up the meals. It was a huge success!!!
    ~Keller's Kats Rescue INC.
    Rochester NY



  • 84.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 10:35 AM
    i only want to warn everyone if unaware, be careful when serving meat with your animal welfare event. we received a huge revolt from vegans when we did an event called bourbon and bacon. most of us do not eat meat, but we recognize most people do- and we were not benefiting from the meat, we received support for manning the bar.
    we received hate mail from across the country and we were very upset, but we also offered vegans the op to do something similar and no one stepped up so....
    we did one after that called tacos and tequila, but we stopped doing anything meat oriented after that to avoid the hassle.
    pigs/ pork/ pig roasts seem to be the worst offenders, but we have learned to steer away from meat. we don't do anything that requires an investment of MZ time or money where meat is the focus.
    this will certainly differ in different parts of the country but my suggestion is to have an animal products policy/ statement ready if you do bbq's.
    no judgment from me, just a warning that it can really be an issue if you've never thought about or experienced it.



  • 85.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 11:06 AM
    The same happened to us--it was a handful of people that sent emails extra then it stopped quickly. But it was a very successful fundraiser



  • 86.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 10:56 AM

    We're a fairly small rescue but here are the things that have been successful for us so far this year and things I have planned.

    In February on Super Bowl Sunday we held a pooper bowl.  I sold squares of our "playing field" ahead of time, with discounts for larger purposes.  We let some puppies loose and the person who's square was pooped on first won a portion of the pot and then we had smaller prizes for 2nd and 3rd place.  It cost us nothing and we made a little under $1k for poop.  Oddest fundraiser I've ever done but it worked.

    We do quarterly silent auctions as well, those are successful.

    Other things:

    We do 2 bake sales a year, we did a garage sale, pet photos, bingo and trivia nights.

    We also hold monthly nail trim fundraisers.



    ------------------------------
    Sara Dunham
    Fundraising Manager
    Melissa's Second Chances Animal Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 87.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-03-2023 06:16 AM

    Sara,

    I'm on my laptop now so I don't have the videos and pictures but I went to an event benefitting a transport non profit and the chicken poop bingo yes you heard me chicken poop bingo made a killing!! LOL I mean I fell for it.  Every hour they have would the chicken poop bingo and you buy a number, if the chicken poops on your number you win and you get 50% of the pot money and the organization get the other 50% or you can donate the 50% back and get a mystery gift basket most people donate back. I chatted with the family, they are volunteers and have very friendly chicken that is used to people and dogs. They brought 15 chickens set up an x pen and rotate the chickens throughout the day for the game. There is a big table and they draw grids and numbers with numbers. after the chicken poops they clean it off.  It was so funny, people REALLY get excited, cheering at their number and when they didn't win they immediately want to buy the next game and to better their their odds they buy more numbers so more donations to the organization!

    Because of the chicken in the pen it brings in people to talk and get to know about the organization and i think its a great way to start a conversation! I totally forgot about Chicken poop Bingo till I saw your post.  I'll try to remember to post videos and pictures. 



    ------------------------------
    Heron Ceron
    Foster coordinator
    Welcome Home Sanctuary
    ------------------------------



  • 88.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 02:27 PM

    Lexington (KY) Humane Society has held these two fundraisers for years:

    1.Mutt Strut is open to any dog owner and dog, but many owners return year after year with the dogs they have adopted from LHS. It takes place on a Saturday in June, from 8A-12P, at a park with wide paved walking/running/bicycling trails. The cost to participate is $30 per adult (age 13 and older) ticket and $20 per child (age 12 and younger). Free T-shirt  if registered and paid online by a certain date.  The Lazy Mutt category is for people who can't attend that day. Early registrants also get a T-shirt.  People who fundraise for LHS are eligible for prizes.  The one mile fun walk ends near a row of vendors (vet. clinics, pet stores, dog trainers and boarding kennels,  food and drink sellers. etc.) who pay LHS for space.
      Some dogs and their owners appear in costumes or matching outfits.  Some dogs available for adoption are there.

    2.Tales 'n Ales is a big party, held at the downtown Hilton hotel on a Friday in March, from 7-10PM. VIP hour starts at 6PM. 
      Dress is whatever the ticket buyer wants to wear, ranging from black tie to very casual. It's billed as a  craft beer, wine, and spirits tasting event with snacks. Games and live music are featured and an online silent auction starts a few days before the event. General admission tickets are $75 per person, including a T-shirt and tasting glass. VIP tickets are $150 and up and include a T-shirt, tasting glass and collector's pint glass.  LHS volunteers always bring some puppies and dogs who are available for adoption. 

    Margaret Buranen
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    Lexington, KY



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 89.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 05:42 PM

    Redemption Ranch is struggling with having a good response to any fundraiser we've tried. I'd have to say the best is the month of April leading up to the big community fundrasier of Give Big Kern is where we raise the most money but we're competing with all the other local nonprofit organizations who register to participate in the monthlong event that ends the first Tuesday of May. 

    The marketing materials are generally a website page link that's shared on social media.  The founder set up the main fundraiser and states what those funds will be used for and she asked about 3 of us volunteers to start individual fundraisers under the main fundraiser with the title of our choosing. We each had friends share but the main fundraiser is where the majority of funds was donated. 

    Give Big Kern has one or two workshops for the main people of the non-profit organizations to attend and information learned there is a guide line for a successful fundraiser. I do believe Redemption Ranch was in the top 45 organizations for fundraising and we raised about $1,965 which was 8% of our $25,000 goal. Out of the 137 organiztions there was 3,156 donors totalling $965,893. 

    I'm currently traveling and having trouble trying to upload because of spotty wifi so I attached the link for our Give Big Kern page.  If you scroll down the page, you'll see the 3 smaller fundraiser's. I do realize the name of the first one isn't catchy. My sister forgot to change the name to A Lease On Life. We will keep working on growing. I suspect once we get our equine program going and canine program (both to help the mental health of any individual who's suffered a form of trauma) we'll see more community interest. 

    https://www.givebigkern.org/organizations/redemption-ranch





    ------------------------------
    Jeanne Renninger
    Volunteer
    Redemption Ranch
    ------------------------------



  • 90.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-30-2023 06:10 PM

    So far the most successful fundraiser for Redemption Ranch is participating in our community monthlong donation drive for any nonprofit organization who chooses to join, which is called Give Big Kern. we raised $1,965 dollars this year which is a slight increase from last year. Out of 137 organizations participating this year, there were 3,156 donors totaling $965,893. We plan to move onto a larger property this year, where we can start the mental health programs our founder has visualized. An equine program based in the Eagala method and a canine program. I believe more of the local community and national community will benefit and then spread the word. 

    Currently, I'm traveling and have spotty wifi so I hope this posts as this is the second time I've typed this and so I'm unable to upload the and have to post the link for the Give Big Kern page for the promotional materials used for this fundraiser. The founder did the main fundraiser and asked 3 of us volunteers to do smaller fundraisers for different things under the big banner. I realize one of the smaller fundraisers doesn't have a catchy name. This is because my sister forgot to change it to A Lease On Life. 

    Give to Redemption Ranch | Give Big Kern 2023



    ------------------------------
    Jeanne Renninger
    Volunteer
    Redemption Ranch
    ------------------------------



  • 91.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-31-2023 11:24 AM
      |   view attached

    Hi all,
    New bunny rescue in my town. Started Bunny Yoga a few months ago.  First ever in Houston!


    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cp5mK7IvZtJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

    I partner up with a local community gym and yoga instructor. 
    Also invited Instagram bloggers and I had a few make reels from the event. 

    Love all of the fundraising ideas. 



    ------------------------------
    Claudia Padilla
    Founder and Executive Director
    Happy Bunny Project
    ------------------------------



  • 92.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-31-2023 07:15 PM

    I love a bunny rescue and the bunny yoga must be a real treat!



    ------------------------------
    Laura Sherman
    Grant Manager Volunteer
    Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (M.A.M.A.S.)
    ------------------------------



  • 93.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-31-2023 12:05 PM

    Doggie Paddle is a successful fundraiser that the Lexington Humane Society holds jointly with the Lexington Parks & Recreation Dept. On the September Saturday after the public swimming pools close for the season, water is kept in one pool for dogs to swim in.  People are not allowed in the pool, but they can toss in toys for their dogs to retrieve.

    9:00-11AM cost is $25 for first dog, $20 for second dog
    11:15-1:15PM cost is $15 per dog
    1:30-3:30PM cost is $10 per dog 

    One or two people are admitted with each dog. A third person is charged $5. Dogs must be at least four months old and show proof of rabies vaccination. The event is held rain or shine, no refunds. Food and games are available to purchase.

    Vendors (pet stores, vet clinics, boarding kennels, etc) pay LHS for display space.

    Margaret Buranen
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    Lexington, KY



    ------------------------------
    Margaret Buranen
    Grants Officer
    Itty Bitty Kitten Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 94.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-31-2023 12:19 PM

    Recently our shelter did a custom T-shirt fundraising campaign. The campaign also took in donations in addition to items sold.  We exceeded our goal of 150 items and raised $2,590, while we raised $3,000 last year. The T-shirts and hoodies looked great and were of good quality.  



    ------------------------------
    Laura Sherman
    Grant Manager Volunteer
    Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (M.A.M.A.S.)
    ------------------------------



  • 95.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 05-31-2023 07:37 PM

    Please contact me if you would like to know the company we used.



    ------------------------------
    Laura Sherman
    Grant Manager Volunteer
    Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (M.A.M.A.S.)
    ------------------------------



  • 96.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-01-2023 12:46 PM

    Hi Laura,

    I would be interested to know what company you used, this sounds like a fun idea.  Thank you!



    ------------------------------
    Jenna Ricci
    Volunteer
    Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 97.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 05:38 AM

    Hi Jenna!

    I sent the information to you in an email.  If you did not receive it, please let me know.  Best wishes!



    ------------------------------
    Laura Sherman
    Grant Manager Volunteer
    Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (M.A.M.A.S.)
    ------------------------------



  • 98.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 08:57 AM

    Hi Laura - I'd love to know the company you used. We're very much in need of new t-shirts and want to change the design. Last time we did it we got shirts made up and the quality was terrible so this sounds like a win win. 

    Susan Leavitt

    National Coordinator, East

    American Maltese Association Rescue



    ------------------------------
    Susan Leavitt
    National Coordinator, East Coast, VP Board
    American Maltese Association Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 99.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 09:06 AM
    we print our own shirts at motley zoo. check out www.mzbehindtheseamz.com and we can help anyone with their shirts- including ongoing print on demand.


  • 100.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 02:16 PM

    Hi Susan,

    I sent the information to you privately.  Please let me know if you did not receive it.

    Best Wishes!

    Laura



    ------------------------------
    Laura Sherman
    Grant Manager Volunteer
    Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (M.A.M.A.S.)
    ------------------------------



  • 101.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 02:18 PM

    Hi Susan,

    I had a little trouble sending the information to you.  Please let me know if you did not receive it.

    Best Wishes!

    Laura



    ------------------------------
    Laura Sherman
    Grant Manager Volunteer
    Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (M.A.M.A.S.)
    ------------------------------



  • 102.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-01-2023 02:58 PM

    Thank you to everyone who participated in this month's resource drive! I've loved reading about all of your creative and successful fundraisers. This month we are randomly selecting two winners to receive a $50 gift card. Congrats to @Michelle Russillo and @Margaret Buranen🎉 We'll be sending you a private message to get more information about where you'd like to spend your gift card.

    Everyone who commented on this thread in the month of May is also in the running for a $3k grant for your organization. Be sure to join Monday's Community Conversations call where we will announce the lucky winner. 



    ------------------------------
    Kim Domerofski (she/her)
    Community Manager
    Maddie's Fund
    ------------------------------



  • 103.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 06:59 AM

    One parting thought on fund raisers:  I noticed in reading through all the wonderful ideas, that a number of them involved serving alcohol.  I hope those groups understand the liability of that--for example if a person leaves your event intoxicated and has a traffic accident on the way home, then the organization who served the alcohol can be held responsible.  Every non-profit, no matter what size needs to have Directors and Officers Insurance in place to protect its volunteers and board members. In the case of alcohol-related events, there is even special insurance you can buy for the event.  



    ------------------------------
    Bruce Thorsen
    President, Board of Directors
    Purrfect Match Cat Rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 104.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 08:30 AM
    that is a great point about alcohol. in WA, if a business wants to host a special occasion with alcohol, a charity actually has to hold the licence!? so we get asked to do these somewhat frequently.
    at first this scared us and we were totally worried, but especially in the ones where we run the bar, we have been really strict with our serving rules and we have a core group of people we rely on for this. we have a per-person limit and cut it off well early in the evening (we conveniently "run out"). in the day of uber and so on, we don't have taxi information out anymore, but we would definitely intervene (and the venue should help) if you feel someone is not ok.
    as well we got a special insurance (i think it was $600 for 12 events) that covers us beyond our normal coverage.
    having your people take a serving class for your state is always a good idea...our core group all has this either coincidentally or because we (board members) did it for this. it is not required in most instances...and you can hire a caterer to serve and then just keep an eye on them- but that way there is someone else who is liable too...
    we have done this on and off for 14 years and while we don't "relax" on the idea we are not paranoid anymore either. they are relatively lucrative for the short time you are there, so the roi is good...but yes, you have to balance the risks for you and your org.
    thanks for making that point ;)
    jme



  • 105.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 07:43 PM
      |   view attached

    We just held our second Drag Queen Bingo, which was an absolute success for us both times. This time we did something a little different that I absolutely loved. We held a Team Dog and Team Cat raffle basket and to be entered in to win the basket the participant had to bring 1 item from our specified wish list ! It was a huge hit, we received over 100 nylabones for our dogs and over 20 bags of Dry Purina Kitten Food. 



    ------------------------------
    Hillary Witt
    Foster Coordinator
    Bottle Babies Rescue
    Plymouth
    ------------------------------



  • 106.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-02-2023 08:07 PM
    what is drag queen bingo? :)


  • 107.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 06-03-2023 05:09 PM

    Drag Queen Bingo is an adult only Comedy Show with Bingo games that the Drag Queens host.  It is super popular for us, our biggest fundraiser. We have raised around $10,000 each time. Basically the Drag Queens provide the entertainment, we price tickets around $30 a person and it includes the Bingo, food, and dessert. We do silent auctions, raffles, 50/50, and merchandise sales.



    ------------------------------
    Hillary Witt
    Foster Coordinator
    Bottle Babies Rescue
    Plymouth
    ------------------------------



  • 108.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 08-28-2023 01:21 PM

    We have partnered with our local Park and Recreation Department to create "Drool in the Pool" at the end of the summer each year. They close the pool on the Thursday before school starts and discontinue the chemicals. That Saturday we open the pool for dogs to come swimming and run around off leash (as the entire area is fenced). WEe verify vaccination prior to entrance so animals can run and play at will. We have animal related vendors, activities (paw prints, peanut butter painting), and the pool! Additionally, we offer free microchipping (sponsored by a local business) to all dogs when they are leaving (can't go back and swim with an open puncture).  We raise funds through community sponsors, vendors, admissions, and donation boxes throughout the facility. It's a great time for everyone. 



    ------------------------------
    Laramie Smovir
    Volunteer Coordinator
    City of Great Falls Animal Shelter
    ------------------------------



  • 109.  RE: May 2023 Resource Drive: Fundraisers

    Posted 02-08-2024 08:29 AM


    Hello

    This is not our idea but it has been successful for us.  At the end of the waterpark season, our local waterpark opens up for us to allow dogs to bring thier humans to the waterpark to play.   We get a percentage of the tickets sales, all the rentals of cabanas and picnic tables and all the vendor fees. 

    • Ticket prices are managed by the waterpark staff so one less thing we have to worry about.  Tickets allow one adult and two dogs into the park - seasonal passes do not apply.
    • Attendees can reserve a cabana or high top with all the fees going to the animal shelter.  Again - waterpark staff take care of all this.
    • Vendors/Sponsorship fees all go to the animal shelter and depending on level of sponsorship - it includes space inside the park and free admission for their staff who are working their booth.
    • We set up at customer service with donated items such as bandanas, water bowls and other donated pet related items people can 'purchase' for a donation with all the monies coming back to us.
    • We call on our regular volunteers to assist at the event as well as we call on our local civic groups to see if they have volunteers.  Teen Courts are notified and their volunteers working off community service restitution hours are our pooper scoopers.
    • You can solicit a pooper scooper company to trade services for a free premium spot.    But we do not solicite any vendors who may take sales away from the waterpark - i.e. ice cream/frozen yogurt companies or energy drink companies.

    I have attached some of the flyers and documents we use.  It is a great dog watching time.

    For our 6 hr event- we usually bring in anywhere from $8,000 to over $10,000.

    Hope this helps - I will definitely be on the look out to see what everyone else does to get some new ideas.  Thank you everyone for sharing.



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    Chun Mezger
    Animal Services Officer
    North Richland Hills Animal Adoption & Rescue
    TX
    ------------------------------