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P.E.A.C.E. Dogs: Bringing U.S. Veterans & U.S. Shelter Dogs Together For A Cause
P.E.A.C.E. Dogs is an enrichment program that prepares, educates, coaches, and empowers veterans and shelter dogs. In this program, local shelter dogs are drafted into Basic Canine Training as Canine Cadets. They’re stationed at Wallingford Animal Control and their missions include field trips to local VA homes. …
Photo Courtesy of Wallingford Animal Control
Sarah Marino, owner of DogFitCT, specializes in training dogs of all breeds using force-free, positive reinforcement techniques. Recently, Sarah decided to intertwine her love of dogs with another cause she is deeply passionate about … U.S. Veterans.
P.E.A.C.E. Dogs is an enrichment program that prepares, educates, and empowers veterans by coaching them to train shelter dogs. In this program, local shelter dogs are drafted into Basic Canine Training as Canine Cadets. They’re stationed at Wallingford Animal Control and their missions include field trips to local VA homes. Veterans who volunteer will learn how to train the cadets on manners, physical fitness, and, of course, having fun!
Bella, PVT, is the most advanced Canine Cadet. She’s pictured here with her pal Mike, a veteran at the rocky Hill Veterans Home. (Photo Courtesy of DogFitCT)
There are currently four cadets enrolled in the P.E.A.C.E Dogs program:
Lilly: She’s known for being energetic, fun, and athletic!
Nola: This pup is sweet, intelligent, and spirited!
Bella: She’s a smart and very vibrant achiever!
Sarge: This guy is on a mission to impress and break records!
Lilly is sporting her hot pink harness … she’s ready to tackle her mileage! (Photo Courtesy of DogFitCT)
P.E.A.C.E. Dogs participated in the 2018 Stand Down event. See Zeva on this poster? She’s a former cadet who has since been adopted! Yay!! (Photo Courtesy of DogFitCT)
Their latest mission … all four pups have either walked or jogged for the 2nd Annual Veterans Day Classic 3 Miler Presented by AT&T Veterans ERG CT/NE! P.E.A.C.E. Dogs is proud to support this Rocky Hill-based event as all proceeds go toward veterans outreach programs! While the cadets can’t be there this weekend for the actual race, here’s the mileage they’ve put in to support the cause:
Bella jogged 3 miles
Lilly walked/jogged 3 miles
Nola completed 1mile at her own pace
Sarge ran 4.2 miles (1.2 miles MORE than required … we told you he was out to break records!)
Interested in getting one of these shining stars stationed in a well-deserved forever home? Contact Wallingford Animal Control today!
To learn more or register for this weekend’s event, happening Saturday, November 10th, visit the Veterans Day Classic 3 Miler website! Psssssst … LMG is participating in this event, too! We hope to see you there!
After his vigorous 4.2 mile run, Sarge stops to pay tribute to our veterans. The flag is at half staff in remembrance of those killed at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. (Photo Courtesy of DogFitCT)
How To Write Social Media Posts for Adoptable Pets
As we wrap up our 2018 Spring Fundraiser for Thank Dog Rescue, I wanted to write a special post for the local rescues and animal advocates who follow our blog. Today’s topic: How To Write Social Media Posts for Adoptable Pets.
As we wrap up our 2018 Spring Fundraiser for Thank Dog Rescue, I wanted to write a special post for the local rescues and animal advocates who follow our blog. Today’s topic: How To Write Social Media Posts for Adoptable Pets.
Social media has revolutionized the mission of rescuing animals. It is absolutely one of the best gifts that any animal in need could ask for. Of course, when the Internet became the norm for the American household, there were websites such as Petfinder and Save A Pet. Both were also excellent resources for shelter workers and families seeking a new furry friend. However, it required that family to not only become educated on the existence of these websites but to actually utilize them as well. In addition, the sites required shelters and rescues to upload photos and keep their profiles up-to-date. From experience, it was a time-consuming and inefficient process. Throughout the years, they have created a more streamlined way of posting the adoptable pets. However, the sites have also become cluttered with animals that either don’t actually exist, have already been adopted, or belong to less than reputable “rescues” that are usually not even remotely local to you.
Fast forward to the magical world of Facebook. In seconds you can take a photo of an adoptable pet, share their story, and just like that ... that adorable mug is popping up in newsfeeds all around the world. Part of the magic is that you are reaching potential adopters who do not even know they want a pet ... but something about that post and picture struck an emotional chord and boom!
With the thousands, if not millions, of homeless pets streaming across newsfeeds everywhere, how are you making the pets you are posting about stand out? Over the years I have picked up a few tricks along the way. So I’d like to share some of my secrets and tips for finding suitable and permanent homes for these adoptables.
1. Create a persona.
In marketing, we use a term “buyer persona.” We create characters that describe our target customer. It is very detailed and much deeper than just a person that fits into generic statistics or demographics. We break it down into “A woman in her early 30’s who goes to the gym 3-4 times weekly. She has 2-3 kids and drives an SUV. She shops at Old Navy and Pier 1.” We actually paint a very colorful picture of someone. I’m sure based on that short write-up, you started to envision someone who matches the description. What I started doing when creating posts for adoptable pets was create these personas for them. Then based on the character I created, I would write a captivating plea as if the dog or cat was writing it themselves, as that character.
For example, I recently wrote a post for an adoptable Pitbull mix named Bella. Instead
of posting the basic, “Meet Bella, she is 4 years old, a Pitbull mix … etc.” I created her a character of a diva fashionista. In the post you will see that she is witty and humorous. Of course dogs don’t wear Jimmy Choos and own offshore storage for their Louis Vuitton bags. However, it makes for a cute blurb that will grab readers who will undoubtedly share your post. As mentioned before, we are trying to strike an emotional chord, so we want to get that blurb in front of the eyes of the potential adopter that will see Bella as that character rather than “just another Pitbull” in the shelter.
I am sure you are thinking that you need to list the animal’s age, breed, gender, whether it is kid friendly...etc. Guess what? You do not need to worry about that in these types of posts. Why? Because if you have anyone who is remotely interested, they are going to ask you those questions. The goal is to get these posts shared. People are going to share these captivating posts over the generic listings that don’t contain any personality. If you can make someone feel emotional ... whether it makes them laugh or cry … they are more apt to want to share it with others. That’s the point. Even if that one person is not looking to adopt a pet, their cousin Lucy just may be. All it takes is one picture or one line that will remind someone of their childhood dog or tug at their heart strings for an elderly cat looking for a nice window to sit in.
2. Be honest.
Be honest and refrain from offering specifics in the original post. Nothing annoys me more than when I see a clear-as-day bully breed being identified as a Portuguese Water Dog mix or some other designer breed concoction. The bottomline is that unless you performed a DNA test on that dog, no one really knows what breed he or she may be mixed with. I’m using bully breeds as an example as they are flooding the shelters and have the most difficult time getting adopted. I understand the theory behind saying a bully breed is a non bully breed but there’s just no sense being dishonest. Bully breeds are excellent dogs and if someone wants to adopt that dog, well, that’s amazing. You do not want someone adopting a dog under false pretenses because one of two things will happen:
Nothing. Everything will be just fine.
The adopter will figure out said dog is a bully breed when someone who is more breed savvy tells them so. Some people just can’t stand the thought of owning a bully breed type dog, regardless of how awesome the dog is. It is just a stigma and we all know how humans are. So said dog will either be returned or face some other awful fate when they are promptly evicted because they are not the Portuguese Water Dog that you promised.
Another pet peeve (but likely less chance of becoming an issue) is when every grey cat is a Russian Blue, every long haired tabby is a Maine Coon, and every black cat is a Bombay. Lord have mercy! 99% of the time they are just domestic cats! However, there is less of a chance of a cat being returned due to false breed advertising but I am sure you catch my drift.
I recently read several articles that shelter workers are labeling dogs as bully breeds based on physical characteristics, when they actually are not. You can check it out here.
Why label a dog as anything when it can dramatically reduce it’s opportunity to be adopted? See how that works both ways?
3. Don’t write checks that you can’t cash.
Unless you are a licensed behaviorist and have done extensive evaluations of these animals outside of the kennel environment, you should not be making any guarantees about these animals’ behaviors towards children, other animals, etc. Of course you should be doing your due diligence to evaluate the animals and any obvious signs of aggression will dictate next steps. However, this is about what you are posting on social media. If you say “Great with kids,” you better damn well know that this animal is rock solid with children in every situation and under every circumstance. Why? Because if Fluffy gets adopted and bites a toddler in the face, you can bet they will come right back and refer to your post promising a perfectly kid-friendly pooch.
So when writing posts, you should use sentences like “Seems to be comfortable around children, but has had minimal exposure.” Or say nothing at all. If someone asks, you can make a statement prefacing it with “Based on our observations here in the kennel, this dog appears to be OK with children. However, we can not make any guarantees as this is not a ‘real life’ environment or scenario.”
4. Keep your options open.
Do not commit or make promises of animals to people that you have only met online. Remember, anything you write on social media might as well be a contract, as it is out there for the whole world to see. Anything you write is virtually impossible to truly erase. Choose your words wisely when interacting with potential adopters. You want the best family possible for your adoptable pet. Bottom line is that social media is amazing for making connections, but good ol’ face-to-face contact is a must before Fido heads home.
I hope these guidelines tremendously help with your pet adoption efforts on social media. Need more info or advice? Don’t hesitate to contact us for more free tips!
Spring 2018 Thank Dog Rescue Fundraiser
Spring is here and we want to help Thank Dog Rescue continue their incredible mission. We want to witness many more dogs be blessed with becoming Thank Dog dogs. We want to know that we had a little part in making each dog’s life change forever.
From now until April 18th, we are selling raffle tickets for a pretty fantastic prize.
Spring is the season of new beginnings. Well, let’s kick the season off for some new beginnings for some very deserving dogs! Thank Dog Rescue believes that every dog deserves to live their best life. Sadly, sometimes that doesn’t come until later in life for some dogs, but one thing’s for sure ... once they become a Thank Dog dog, they have it made and will never EVER have anything but an amazing life going forward.
One thing that sticks out about TDR is that they never shy away from old pups or the ones with medical conditions. Even though their bank account runs dry, they will always rally together and find a way to help a dog in need. Their phones never stop ringing from local shelters asking for help. In the past week alone they took three dogs from Wallingford Animal Control and are consistently helping dogs from Bridgeport and many other local pounds.
Well, spring is here and we want to help TDR continue their incredible mission. We want to witness many more dogs be blessed with becoming Thank Dog dogs. We want to know that we had a little part in making each dog’s life change forever.
From now until April 18th, we are selling raffle tickets for a pretty fantastic prize.
We know you love YOUR dogs [and kids, cats, etc.] but wouldn’t it be nice to get out for a sweet date night? ...
Each $5 ticket buys you entry into a raffle for:
[2] Movie Tickets to AMC Theatres AND
[1] $50 gift card to Celtic Cavern in Middletown, CT
And to sweeten the deal, even if you don’t win the grand prize, we are throwing in a second chance to win [1] $25 Gift Card to The Better Beagle Company in Woodbridge, CT.
UPDATE! Congrats to our winners!
1st Prize: Kristen Johnson of Wallingford
2nd Prize: Nicole Castelli of Wallingford
Thank you to everyone who donated! We collected a total of $200 during this campaign!
We thank you so much for supporting this amazing cause that is near and dear to us!
OXO
Jamie & Katie
The drawing will be held on April 18th at our networking event. You do not need to be present to win. 100% of proceeds will be donated directly to Thank Dog Rescue.
Lemmy's Christmas Story
Our Home For The Holidays raffle to benefit One More Dog Rescue was quite a success. Because of your generosity, we helped Lemmy find a home to celebrate Christmas in!
Twas the night before Christmas and we had a story to share. A story of before and afters but, most importantly, of a special dog being shown love and care.
It was a chilly fall morning when a sad bulldog was found. He was left on a back road with nothing around.
This is a tale that we hear all too often. Of dogs that have grown old and grey that are discarded without any sense of caution.
He had given up hope. He was so sick and in pain. His skinny body showed many years of neglect. This must be it ... his last day he met.
Someone must have been watching out for this sad bully boy. An Animal Control Officer appeared and the big oaf showed such joy.
He thought his Mom had sent them. He thought he was going home.
They jumped in the van and off they went. They arrived but home is not where they were. Looks to be he found himself at a shelter on a road called Pent.
This couldn't be right. How did this happen? He told himself he was such a good boy. This must be a mistake.
A cage was set up with soft blankets and food. It would do for now but it didn't seem good.
He became quite depressed as the days went by. He knew no one was coming. His Mom never even said goodbye.
The people at the shelter tried to be his friend but he just didn't understand. He was so scared and defensive in his pen.
It took several days and just as many treats and cookies alike. But this gentle giant found friendship in sight.
He saw that these people were not mean. One in particular showed him we were on his team.
He took time and patience, of course, all the time. He gave him a title, one that was quite fine.
This dog would be called Lemmy. A good name is quite vital!
He made quick friends with all of the staff. He certainly made all of them laugh.
He was quite silly and as sweet as they come. This boy was a star and most definitely raised the bar.
The story of shelter dogs though, especially ones like Lemmy, is that the shelter is not home. It is just a stop on their journey.
As great as he was, he was a very big boy. Families are often looking for much younger dogs, and ones that resemble a fluffy toy.
A plea was sent out to a rescue who just happened to be quite familiar with this big goofy breed.
In an instant they fell in love with the comical boy, with lots of love to give and lots of farts, too [p-u].
They weren't phased by his stink. They just fell in love. It was their new mission to bring this boy home, especially before Christmas.
They checked to see if they had the money to spare but sadly the cupboards were bare.
They had helped so many dogs this year past. Ones who had been so sick and wouldn't last.
They couldn't take Lemmy, not just yet. Only once they knew they could afford his vet.
It just so happened they crossed paths with some ladies who wanted to help ... and who knew how to raise money.
They had a thought, a dream if you may, that they wanted to share ... of helping some dogs find a home for the holiday.
They set up a raffle with tickets to buy. So many nice people shared their dream too. Money was raised and quite quickly there, too.
With this new money raised for this group, a miracle could happen. It took a whole troop!
So with this great news, a ride was arranged to spring Lemmy from the shelter just in time for Christmas day.
No more hard floor to lay his head on at night. No more lonely time in his cage. His days were about to be much more bright.
He will spend this fine Christmas under a tree by the fire, and in a home full of glee.
Of course, this family is just for now, as they are angels called fosters. Soon down the road a forever family will show up. They are always on the rosters.
Until then he will be shown love and care. One thing is for certain, that we cannot forget ... to say thank you to you all. Lemmy and we are forever in your debt!
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
By Katie Ehlers
How Social Media Helped Save Domino + 6 Tips To Perfect Your Next Facebook Campaign
It's a story that made the local news! Learn how social media was used to save shelter pup, Domino, and how you can successfully make your own cause go viral! Keep reading ...
Shortly after being hired as an Animal Control Officer in 2013, a young, spunky Pitbull mix came in as a roamer. I remember it being a little before Christmas. He was sent to doggie jail for roaming the local schoolyard and reportedly trying to attend social studies with the kids after recess. (You can’t blame a dog for trying to get an education.)
You see, when you work in this industry for long enough, you pick up on certain things that help you determine if a dog was just out for a stroll and his parents are coming to look for him when they discover he’s missing. On the other side, you can tell right away if no one is ever coming for that dog.
This dog came in neutered with a brand new collar on. He was well groomed with nails so well-manicured, he put me to shame. I still to this day remember saying to him out loud, “Don’t worry buddy, I’m sure your Mom will come get you by the end of the day.” Unfortunately, days passed, then weeks … and we finally came to the realization that I was wrong. His Mom was not coming.
This dog was a bit of a handful. Super cute but boy, was he energetic. He would jump so high when you walked by his kennel you’d swear he had springs attached to his paw pads. He was white with black spots, very similar to the famous Target pup. We settled on a name of Domino. As time passed, he was my “Dommy Doodle.” He couldn’t have been more than 10 months old when he came to us. I thought for sure he would get adopted pretty quickly. I knew his energy level was going to require a special adopter but he was so darn cute! He’d get scooped up pretty quickly.
Well, those weeks turned into months and those months turned into years. We were approaching Domino’s third Christmas with us. Three years of sitting in the same concrete cell. Day in and day out. Of course we loved him and spoiled him as much we could but every dog deserves a family to spend their holiday, well every single day, with. What could I do? How could I find this dog a home before Christmas? I needed a plan and time was ticking.
It’s no surprise that animals pull at people’s heartstrings. Especially around the holidays. (If those awful Sarah McLaughlin commercials don’t make you at least get a little misty-eyed then I fear for your soul.) Anyways, I knew that if I was going to reach Domino’s target audience, this was the time to do it. I, of course, shared his picture on social media countless times. Using social media to re-home the shelter dogs had worked for so many before him. I pleaded for someone to save him from the misery that must exist in looking at the same four walls every single day. So what could I do different? What would drive the right people in? What was going to reach that one person that had the patience for a dog that had essentially been institutionalized, living in a kennel for so long?
Then it hit me. We needed a campaign. We needed a “Get Dom a home for Christmas” campaign. It’s like a magical light bulb went off. The concept really wasn’t a complicated one but I certainly wish I had thought of it three years prior!
I immediately went to work. I contacted local newspapers and flooded Facebook with pictures of Dom. I sent a plea out that no one could ignore and would feel compelled to share. NBC and Channel 3 News eventually caught wind of the campaign and came down to take footage of Dom and spread the word even further. Domino was famous! All of a sudden we were getting inundated with calls from all over the country for him. Indiana, California, Pennsylvania. It was absolutely crazy!
One of Domino's glamor shots posted on social media in 2016.
Even with all of the calls, inquiries, and visits, there was only a very tiny percentage of those people who would have been an appropriate fit for him ... and even less who were committed to giving him everything he needed and so truly deserved. As much as people liked the idea of saving that desperate dog from the shelter, I didn’t think they always really understood the work involved. Of course, we were so grateful for any and all of the attention we were getting. And several other dogs ended up getting adopted because of the traffic that was driven in from Dom’s campaign. While we were thrilled for his kennel mates, things weren’t looking that good for Dom.
A Christmas Miracle
Call it a Christmas miracle if you’d like … a nice cocktail of miracles and marketing. It happened. We were approached by a young woman who lived in our very same town. She was under our noses the entire time! As a school teacher, she came equipped with the level of patience that Dom needed. She had just purchased a beautiful new home and it happened to be that “every house needs a dog, so why not Mr. Domino?” It was a flawless adoption. Perfect references and her home visit made us all want to live with her. Could it be true? Was this actually happening? Well, I probably pinched myself a thousand times that week. It was finally Domino’s moment.
The news stations returned to the shelter to share in the celebration. They taped footage of him walking out those shelter doors for the last time. The marketing of him finding his new home was just as important as the search. It was a journey that we invited the world to join us on. So it was only appropriate to continue to keep “Team Domino” posted. We had set out to complete a mission within a specific timeframe. We met our goal and it was time to share this victory with everyone who helped close the deal.
We later arrived at Domino’s pristine new home. His Mom went on to show us the baby gates she put up and where he would sleep. No sooner did we talk about the height of the gates, Dom cleared the one into the living room and made a beeline for the shiny balls hanging from the Christmas tree. We all gasped as we envisioned this perfect tree, with ornaments placed ever so carefully, crashing down. We were pleasantly surprised though … crisis averted! He was remarkably much better behaved than anticipated!
They always say that shelter dogs always seem to be a little more appreciative. As if to say that they recognize they’ve been saved. Well, I don’t know how well dogs process information like that but I will tell you that this dog ended up exactly where he was supposed to. Campaign “Find Domino A Home For Christmas” was a success! This year will be his second Christmas AT HOME.
Domino and his mom practicing good behavior in front of the Christmas tree!
6 Tips To Perfect Your Next Social Media Campaign
So what makes a social campaign like this one truly work? To break it down, it involves six key factors, which I believe are of equal importance.
1. Create a Facebook Event.
In addition to your regular feed, creating an event will build excitement. It’s like joining a party and everyone is invited. In fact, the more, the merrier! Who doesn’t want a piece of the action?
2. Promote sponsored Facebook ads.
In the animal industry, we have the cuteness factor working in our favor. You will undoubtedly reach a larger audience on a faster scale if you’re talking about puppies versus planting grass seed or making deviled eggs. However, regardless of how fluffy the subjects are, it is indeed a fact that sponsored ads are seen more than free posts.
“A study from Edgerank Checker found that between February 2012 and March 2014, organic reach for the average Facebook Page dropped from 16% to 6.5%. Research from Social@Ogilvy, meanwhile, suggests that for Pages with more than 500,000 Likes, organic reach could be as low as 2%.” [Bernazzani, C. (2017, April 12). The Decline of Organic Facebook Reach & How to Outsmart the Algorithm]
Long story short: boost or promote your Facebook ads for better reach!
3. Tell a story.
Craft a compelling narrative and plea that will engage your audience … and encourage them to share it. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Do you find the topic interesting? Does it appeal to you on some level? If it’s boring and doesn’t catch their attention instantly, you’ll lose them. Make sure your photos are clear, compelling, and add value to your story. You do not need to be a professional photographer to take decent photos. Just steady your smart phone and snap away. Post blurry or unattractive photos will make you look like an amateur which could lead to the loss of audience members if they view you as unprofessional.
4. Continuously post updates.
You do not want to lose your audience. Keep them engaged by continually posting updates. With Domino’s campaign, the high frequency of published content generated an increase in traffic … which ultimately resulted in adoptions of several other animals at the shelter. Although these adoptions were not the ultimate goal, they were still happy endings and residual successes.
5. Set a goal and have a deadline.
Having a defined plan is a key to success with any marketing campaign. What is the primary goal and what’s the timeframe to achieve it? We created Domino’s campaign in early December. The deadline was less than a month away. It’s easier to captivate people in the moment. Promoting a campaign too far in advance can lead to people forgetting about it or losing interest and ultimately a lackluster finish.
6. Share your success.
When the campaign is over, be sure to share the results with your audience. Domino’s campaign grew the shelter’s Facebook Page by thousands of likes. Sharing campaign news along with other content your audience will find interesting will help sustain your number of followers. Your audience is an asset for future campaigns … be sure to keep them in the loop and constantly nurture them with more great content. This also reminds me to mention that it’s ok to post an update or something relevant about your campaign even if it has been months since it ended. It can serve as a happy reminder to some followers as to why they fell in love with your story to begin with.
And with that, you are bound to have a successful campaign.
YOU CAN HELP PUPS LIKE DOMINO FIND THEIR FOREVER HOMES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT ONE MORE DOG RESCUE!
Home For The Holidays
We're helping raise money for One More Dog Rescue's veterinary fund! Keep reading for all the details on our Home for the Holidays raffle ...
UPDATE!
We raised a total of $965 for our Home For The Holidays Fundraiser (and Little Marketing Genius will kick in a little extra to hit a whopping $1,000)! The winners of our raffle were:
$50 Amazon Gift Card: Amanda Collin of Newington, CT
$30 Petco Gift Card: Ashley Hebert of Yalesville, CT
It’s no secret that we here at LMG are dog lovers. (Actually, we are lovers of all creatures but dogs really are a girl’s best friend.) Jamie rescued her big boy, Bama, from Wallingford Animal Control and I adopted my two pups, Maverick and Hank, from One More Dog Rescue (OMD).
We recently learned that OMD has been facing financial hardships due to several of their dogs requiring some pretty pricey veterinary care. When funds are low, it means the rescue has to slow down on saving other dogs in need!
We can’t imagine our lives without our dogs. I wouldn’t have found and fell in love with Mav and Hank if it wasn’t for OMD. Not only do they focus their efforts on pulling dogs from municipal shelters right here in Connecticut but they also rescue dogs from the Chicago Area Animal Care & Control.
My one wish:
To find a forever home this Christmas!
As I mentioned, Bama came from Wallingford Animal Control, which is just one of the Connecticut shelters that OMD frequently rescues dogs from. (Hank and Maverick just so happen to be Chicago boys!) As the holidays approach, we want to help OMD help as many dogs as possible. By helping, we mean we want them to have the ability to spring more dogs from shelters and find their way to foster or forever homes before Christmas!
No dog should be alone in a cage on any holiday, but especially not on Christmas. So we are going to play Santa and raise money to help pay for some of OMD’s veterinary bills! Wondering just how we plan on doing this? Well, being the little geniuses that we are, we have come up with a spectacular idea that we know you’ll be excited to help with! Not to mention, you are going to get the chance to score some goodies!
Home For The Holidays
Fundraiser To Benefit One More Dog Rescue
From now until 12/21, we’ll be selling online raffle tickets ($5 each) for these two prizes:
(1) $50 Amazon Gift Card
(1) $30 Petco Gift Card
You can buy as many tickets as you want. (You know the drill … more tickets = better odds of winning.) 100% of the proceeds raised will go straight to One More Dog Rescue. On December 22, we’ll draw our two winners and make the big announcement on social media!
-Katie
How To Run A Successful Fundraising Campaign: Bubbles For Madden Case Study
Do you remember your first lemonade stand? Perhaps you might better remember your first catalog fundraiser selling wrapping paper and pies? Whether you had your eye on a Cabbage Patch Doll at the store or were raising money for that year’s school field trip, there was an ultimate goal that drove you to make the most out of your campaign.
In this case study, I'm going to share the key elements to running a very successful fundraiser and achieving your campaign goals.
Do you remember your first lemonade stand? Perhaps you might better remember your first catalog fundraiser selling wrapping paper and pies? Whether you had your eye on a Cabbage Patch Doll at the store or were raising money for that year’s school field trip, there was an ultimate goal that drove you to make the most out of your campaign.
In this case study, I'm going to share the key elements to running a very successful fundraiser and achieving your campaign goals.
INTRO
It’s pretty safe to say that fundraising is a simple concept and one that we learn at a very young age. As we grow older, the concept remains the same but the purpose behind each campaign is likely to become a tad more complicated than purchasing the latest trend at the toy store or exploring the local children’s museum.
When you think of fundraisers as an adult, what is your initial thought? Probably something like a 5K to raise money for Breast Cancer research or maybe a car wash for your daughter’s cheerleading squad to buy new uniforms.
You see, regardless of the goal, fundraising is a pretty basic concept. But what really sets one fundraiser apart from the others? You guessed it. Marketing. How are you going to move people to hand over their hard earned money to support your cause?
In today’s world, fundraising is very easy to do online. You can set up a Go Fund Me Page and Facebook is an excellent tool for spreading the word. You can, of course, keep it old school and hit the pavement … waiting outside grocery stores or leaving jars at the local donut shop. Whichever avenue you wish to take, are you giving thought to your target audience? Are you really maximizing your efforts to yield the greatest results?
I have participated in my share of walks for Alzheimer’s, Breast Cancer research, and eating disorder support. All of which I raised a modest amount of money for by doing minimal amounts of posting online or just talking about it with people during coffee breaks. Nothing spectacular but every little bit helps. I never gave it much thought until I created a fundraiser of my own for a cause that was extremely important to me.
MADDEN
My senior dog, Madden, had been diagnosed with several ailments … one of which was a cancerous growth on his spleen. At the time, it was recommended that the growth be removed and that the other diagnosed conditions be continuously treated. He also would need weekly physical therapy.
I know everyone’s feelings towards their dogs is different. Everyone makes the personal decision as to what level they are willing to go for their dog and how much money they are willing to spend. You see, Madden was my best friend. He had been by my side for the last 12 years. He walked me down the aisle at my wedding. He welcomed our daughter into our home when she was born. He was my boy and I wasn’t about to give up on him based solely on financial constraints.
After the veterinarian gave me the estimate for the planned surgery and I calculated how much his continued supportive care would cost, I knew our family simply didn’t have that kind of money. However, I didn’t feel right about starting a Go Fund Me Page. I much preferred to raise money in a way where the people who donated toward Madden’s care would know they were getting something in return. This was how “Bubbles for Madden” was born.
#BUBBLESFORMADDEN
With the help of many supportive friends and professional contacts I had made over the years, I was able to orchestrate a fundraising campaign for Madden that included a dog wash and T-shirts.
First thing was first ... I needed a logo. Logos are not just for businesses or organizations. They are your brand. They tell a story. They make a first impression. I needed a logo for Madden’s campaign so I reached out on Facebook to any graphic designers who might be willing to design one for me. I was beyond thankful that my friend, now business partner, Jamie was so willing and excited to donate her services and create a logo for me!
Since the campaign centered around Madden, I wanted to incorporate his picture somehow. The end result was a logo that had personality … it was fun and, without a question, it was Madden. From a functional standpoint, it was clean and clear. Perfect for print and eye catching for social media.