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Activist Toolkit

How to Execute a Successful Fundraiser for Animals

Every year, countless dedicated volunteers make the vital work of Farm Sanctuary possible by coordinating successful fund- and awareness-raisers. One of the best known examples is our annual Walk for Farm Animals, which is actually a whole group of fundraisers that take place every year during September and October in several dozen cities across the U. S. and Canada. In 2008, these Walks generated almost a quarter of a million dollars for our rescue, education and advocacy efforts If you’d like to raise money for animals, coordinating a Walk in your town or city is a great way to get started. (E-mail walk@walkforfarmanimals.org to get started.)

However, the Walk for Farm Animals need not be the only outlet for your fundraising ambitions! Your options are limited solely by your creativity, and we love to see our loyal supporters thinking outside the box. Here are some helpful hints to get you started:

Do What Appeals to You

• Get Creative – No matter what your talent is, chances are that you can find an ingenious way to use that talent in your fundraiser. Here are some examples to get your gears turning:

  - Musicians: Organize a benefit concert  
  - Artists: Create a gallery show
  - DJs: Put on a rockin’ dance party
  - Bakers: Host a vegan bake sale
  - Athletes: Have people sponsor you as you
     go the distance
  - Packrats: Organize a rummage sale
  - Quilt-makers: Hold a raffle for your latest    creation
  - Socialites: Host a house party

Use the Web

• Write a Blog – If your fundraiser is an event that requires some planning, create a blog to share the details of your planning process and generate buzz for the big day (or days). There are a number of online services that allow you to set up a blog for free, and they require almost no technical expertise on your part. If you’re reading this online tutorial, you are Web savvy enough to create a blog. Here are some popular services:

  - Blogger
  - Wordpress
  - LiveJournal

• Collect Donations Online – Services such as GiveForward and Firstgiving allow supporters to donate to your cause through a secure online checkout using their credit card. As with the blogging services above, these sites allow you to get started quickly and easily and require almost no technical skill. While these services cost nothing to set up, they do take a small percentage of the money generated as a service fee. However, most fundraisers find that the increased exposure and accessibility is well worth it.

• Network – Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other social networking sites are a terrific way to spread the word about your efforts. Be sure to check out our guide to online activism for more tips on using these resources effectively.

Alert the Press

• Media Outreach – The media is an excellent place to further the potential outreach for your event. Read our tips on media outreach.

Make it fun

As animal advocates in a world where so much cruelty persists on a daily basis, it’s all too easy to suffer from occasional feelings of burnout, especially when we focus so much on stoppingabuse. Organizing a fundraiser is a great way to help animals while also allowing ourselves to have a chance to laugh and smile and truly enjoy ourselves. So have fun with your project, and share the good times by inviting your friends, family and neighbors to help out – the more the merrier!

Remember to keep us posted about your efforts!