The strategy to raise funds for a dog shelter incorporates three key approaches to ensure a consistent inflow of donations. The first strategy focuses on organizing a fundraising event, potentially at a local community center or park. It involves detailed planning, from securing a venue and entertainment to designing promotional materials and partnering with local businesses for sponsorships. For instance, including a raffle or auction can engage attendees and raise additional funds, while a robust online donation page targets contributors who cannot physically attend.
The second strategy is launching an online crowdfunding campaign. By utilizing platforms like GoFundMe, the campaign aims to share touching stories about the shelter dogs’ needs, coupled with engaging visuals and videos to motivate donors. Social media plays a crucial role in amplifying the campaign’s reach, and offering rewards for different donation levels adds an extra layer of motivation. Keeping the campaign page updated with progress helps maintain momentum and a sense of community among supporters.
Lastly, partnering with local businesses forms a sustainable backbone for ongoing support. By proposing programs like a "round-up" at checkouts or hosting co-promotional events, these partnerships double as both fundraising and community building efforts. Regular communication with partners, sharing success stories, and showcasing supporter contributions, ensures nurturing long-term relationships that benefit the shelter dogs.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Organise a fundraising event
- Identify a suitable venue and date for the event
- Create a budget for the event expenses and set a fundraising goal
- Brainstorm fun activities and secure entertainment that will attract attendees
- Design promotional materials and social media campaigns to promote the event
- Reach out to local businesses for sponsorships and partnerships
- Secure volunteers to help with event setup, management, and teardown
- Set up an online donation page linked with the event for those who cannot attend
- Send out invitations to local community members, media, and influencers
- Organise a raffle or auction with donated items to raise additional funds
- Follow up with attendees after the event to thank them and share fundraising results
⛳️ Strategy 2: Launch an online crowdfunding campaign
- Choose a crowdfunding platform suited for fundraising for animals such as GoFundMe
- Tell a compelling story about the shelter dogs and their needs
- Set a specific fundraising target and timeline for contributions
- Create engaging visuals and videos to support the campaign
- Utilise social media channels to share the campaign widely
- Send personalised messages to potential large donors and stakeholders
- Offer incentives or rewards for different levels of donations
- Update the campaign page regularly with progress and messages from the dogs
- Engage local press or influencers to spread the word about the campaign
- Thank donors publicly and privately to build a community of supporters
⛳️ Strategy 3: Partner with local businesses
- Identify local pet stores, vets, and businesses that support animal welfare
- Create a partnership proposal that outlines mutual benefits
- Arrange meetings with business owners to discuss collaboration opportunities
- Propose a 'round-up' donation program at checkouts for customers
- Suggest a percentage of sales donation day to support the shelter
- Display donation boxes or QR codes in partner stores for easy donations
- Organise co-hosted events or promotions benefiting the pound
- Share success stories with the businesses to encourage ongoing support
- Recognise and promote partners through the pound's communication channels
- Regularly report back to partners on the impact of their contributions
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
