Animal Fund Raising Ideas

Whether it's for an animal-related non profit, protection organization or shelter, there are many creative ways to raise funds for animals. Animal fund raisers can be held on an as-needed basis, but many animal groups choose to also hold larger annual events to bring in money. These fund raising events do not have to be complicated to organize, or cost a significant amount of money.

  1. Paw Wash

    • Taking a spin off the traditional car wash fundraiser, a paw wash is an event where volunteers wash dogs and other pets in exchange for donations of money. You can either have a set rate per animal, or let donors give any amount of money they want. All it takes to hold this fund raiser is a couple of buckets, water hoses, towels, quality pet shampoo and brushes. Good places to hold a paw wash include veterinary clinics, the headquarters of animal non-profits and pet stores--many of these places will be happy to let you hold your fund raiser on their premises, just ask for permission at least two weeks in advance.
      If the weather in your area is hot, you can also sell bottled water and pet treats to your donors to boost the money your paw wash generates.

    Pet Walk

    • A pet walk is similar to a charity run or walk, except participants can bring their pets with them. Since some advance planning is required to execute this type of fund raiser, it works best as an annual or semi-annual event. Participants sign up to walk with their pets, and they secure donors for each mile that they walk. Your organization will need to provide volunteers to register the participants, an area for the walk to take place (such as a park or avenue--you may need to get a permit from your city), and simple refreshments for the participants such as bottles of water and pet treats.
      Bring in extra money with this fundraiser by offering sponsorship opportunities to local businesses, including signage space, website or print advertising, having their logos on banners, or having their products placed in gift bags that will be given to participants.

    Treat Bags

    • If your organization has a headquarter that people regularly visit, such as an animal shelter or humane society, try placing treat bags at your reception desk for sale. This is a fund raiser that can be done year-round and is pretty inexpensive. You can either make pet treats yourself, or buy them from a quality pet treat baker. Tie them up securely in cello bags, and offer packs of two, four and six treats. Double your costs to make a decent profit and figure in the price of materials. For example, if one cello bag costs you fifteen cents and two treats cost you two dollars, that's a total cost of two dollars and fifteen cents; to make a profit, you would sell this treat bundle for at least four dollars and thirty cents.
      To get your organization more exposure, place a simple label on each treat bag that contains your organization's name, physical address, website and email addresses, and phone and fax numbers.