You know this already, but really, social media is the way to go. I remember from back in the day, "they" said expect about 2-3% return on your marketing...but with SM it's so much easier to send out pictures, call-outs, etc. Just have a Venmo, Paypal - anything you can to accept money - on every post. Even just posting a picture a couple times a day helps. And you can offer those suite sponsorships, as Julielani mentions, and contests (name this dog!) and so forth. TELL people to Share every post! It's a slow start, but all you need is that ONE viral Reel or Story to get the ball rolling. People love engagement, so feel-good stories work well. Asking questions is engaging. Etc! MEANWHILE, as a grant writer myself, my advice is look for any grants that mention "Environment" - that's the category Animal Services fall under, and also look outside Animal topics to specifically capital grants as well. It can be time consuming, but it's necessary! GOOD LUCK.
-Monica @ The NOAH Center
your shelter neighbor in Washington
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Monica Lowe
Development Support Specialist/Matchmaker
NORTHWEST ORGANIZATION FOR ANIMAL HELP
WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2024 09:11 AM
From: Daria Veenstra
Subject: Relocating Rescue, Capital Campaigns,
Hi all,
Oregon Pet Project (OR), has found itself in a situation, that many of you might have a good recommendation for. To sum it up, we need a new building and FAST.
Long story short, when we started in 2020, an elderly man and his wife gave us an amazing rental deal on a space in the heart of our town. Unfortunately the couple passed away in December of 2023, and the daughter has taken over the management of the building. Unfortunately is clear that she has some mental health challenges, and is now weekly threading to raise rent, evict us, and not taking any responsibility in fixing issues that the previous property manager never got to, before he was fired by this lady. At the end of the day, securing the animals safety is our top priority, and we do not feel they are safe in this building. So we need to move.
We have exhausted all our options in our town, with most landlords not budging on rent, and no reasonably priced buildings for sale.
My question for all of you is this: What would you guys do in this situation. Are there any grants available for rescues to get their own space? There is one building in our town we could pursue but it would need an extensive remodel to be a good situation for our pets. We do not have the funds for this kind of project. Even if we were able to gather funds to help us afford a higher rental rate. Our donor base is small, and we are working hard to grow that.
Any advise is welcome.
#FundraisingandDevelopment
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Daria Veenstra
Executive Director
Oregon Pet Project
OR
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