Fundraising for animal-related charities lends itself to many opportunities to be creative and interactive with donors, with strong results. Donors who contribute to animal charities LOVE animals, and likely have one or more pets who are beloved members of their family. They believe all animals deserve a chance, and they are passionate about helping them. Your charity gives donors the opportunity to help the animals they care so much about. 

Follow these tips below to see even stronger results. 

Focus on Storytelling

Stories allow you to connect with donors on an emotional level, and there is really nothing more powerful in fundraising than that! 

As an animal charity, you are so fortunate to already have plenty of amazing stories to share of the beautiful animals your nonprofit has helped. There is truly nothing more heartwarming than hearing the story of an adorable puppy or kitten who came to you in desperate need, was nursed back to health and then adopted by a loving family. 

Include details of the animal’s personality and likes or dislikes. Donors would love to hear about how a timid puppy became a social one, for example. The details help make the story more real for donors.

Of course, you will want to test different stories in your direct marketing appeals to see which one resonates most. You may also want to change the story based on the time of year or holiday. 

Bottom line: Spend the time crafting stories that will emotionally connect with donors and lead to a strong relationship, and ultimately more income.

Multimedia

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to the adorable animal pictures you have to share! Videos can be very impactful too…. donors are probably already watching cat videos, so the videos might as well be yours!

Use videos and photos to show the impact the donor is having to save and heal animals.  You could use before and after photos or even create a photo journey to show an animal’s progress through the months.

Calendars are an especially effective fundraising tool for animal charities. These could showcase the animals the donor has helped, or you could even do something more interactive such as a pet photo contest among the donors.

Videos and photos will bring the donor even closer to the animals she is helping, and that’s a good thing. 

Monthly Sponsorships

There are so many benefits to monthly giving programs, including higher renewal rates and increased giving. Plus, donors appreciate the convenience of contributing monthly, so it really is a win-win.

With animal charities, you have the incredible opportunity to create a sponsorship program that lends itself perfectly to a monthly giving ask. When a donor signs up for a sponsorship program, their monthly donations will help provide care for an animal each month while it waits for its forever home. 

You can provide the donor with a photo of the animal they are helping and a fact sheet. Then each quarter, you can send or email additional photos and updates on the animal. This is a great way for donors to help an animal they are not otherwise able to adopt!

Be Creative

From dog pool parties to pet yoga, there are so many creative ways to raise money and build relationships with donors. Think outside the box and have fun!

Your charity gives donors the opportunity to help the animals they care so passionately about. Effective fundraising will not just provide your nonprofit with the necessary income, it will also build a network of loving supporters for beautiful animals who deserve the opportunity for a second chance and a forever home.