Not long ago, I got a call from the Executive Director of a small animal welfare organization. Under his direction and that of his progressive Board, the organization was saving all of its healthy and almost all of its treatable animals, even with an animal control contract. The problem? The organization was going broke.
The group had done a great job in saving lives. It had not done such a great job telling people about it and asking for their help.
For many animal welfare organizations, especially smaller ones, working with the animals is what they're good at, what they're comfortable with and what they like. It's where they get their satisfaction and reward.
And yet marketing/communications and fundraising are just as important as hands-on animal work and need to be constantly attended to (not just when a funding crisis hits).
When you've done a good job for the animals, it's critically important to tell members, volunteers and the community about your achievements. Use newsletters, posters, annual reports, events, and the media to constantly hammer out the positive messages.
Focus on the stories of individual lives you've saved. Shorty, a former victim of abuse and neglect, was placed with a senior citizen who now lavishes him with love. An 11- year-old black lab named Georgie found the fountain of youth when she was adopted by a family with a two-year-old black lab.
Talk about how many animals you've placed, how those numbers have gone up every year, how your numbers compare to national averages and so on.
Then ask for help at every opportunity -- even at places like Kiwanis, a community event, or a local business. And don't be embarrassed about it. You're providing an important service by giving contributors a successful organization to support.
If there's one thing a donor wants, it's the knowledge that the money is being well spent. When it comes to animals, contributors want to invest in the groups that are doing the best job of saving lives. Your organization is exactly what donors are looking for!
Those who do hands on care fifteen hours a day, seven days a week often run out of gas – or funding. So don't just walk the dog and change the litter. Take a breather and start on a press release. The animals need you.
Some helpful articles on publicity and fundraising can be found at
www.maddiesfund.org/organizations/pr_ad.html and
http://www.bestfriends.org/nmhp/printresources/pdf/
fundraising.pdf
