Effective online fundraising platforms for animal care nonprofits
Fundraising is crucial for animal care nonprofits to support their valuable mission of preventing cruelty and improving animal welfare. These organizations support shelters, rescue initiatives, veterinary services, and hospitals to provide vital rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, and healthcare services. GoFundMe helps these nonprofits achieve their goals by helping them tell their stories, promote their fundraisers, and reach a wider audience. With the right online fundraising platform, animal care nonprofits can significantly improve the lives of vulnerable animals in their local community and beyond.
Why GoFundMe is great for animal care fundraising
GoFundMe is a free, easy-to-use platform with a built-in giving community of more than 150 million donors worldwide. GoFundMe makes it easy for organizers to connect emotionally with potential supporters by championing personalized storytelling, strong visuals, and social sharing. GoFundMe has hosted thousands of animal fundraisers, which are easy to find thanks to its intuitive search and browse functions. Both individuals and organizations can launch fundraising pages supporting a specific or urgent cause, with proceeds going directly to the nonprofit. Nonprofits can also host donation pages to receive funds directly.
Why Petfundr is effective for animal care fundraising
Petfundr is a global crowdfunding platform specifically designed for pet and animal-related fundraising. It supports nonprofit organizations, animal welfare groups, veterinary care professionals, and pet owners in raising money for various initiatives. Petfundr offers a variety of payment options, ranging from completely free to subscription models. It provides accessible crowdfunding tools designed to launch and manage fundraisers quickly.
Which online solutions are most effective for fundraising for an animal rescue nonprofit?
For nonprofit animal rescue organizations, online fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe and Petfundr are the most effective for reaching their goals. These platforms allow organizations to set up quickly and reach a broad user base. While Petfundr caters specifically to animal welfare fundraisers, GoFundMe also hosts successful animal-related fundraisers, with both platforms providing organizers with a direct line to animal lovers looking to support a good cause.
These platforms enable organizations to connect with potential donors where they are, offering built-in, easy-to-use sharing tools that facilitate seamless engagement. Integrating donation links into social media and websites increases visibility and the opportunities for donations. Native posting on social media makes it easy for organizations, individual organizers, and their supporters to share posts widely and drum up support.
What are the most effective fundraising tools for nonprofit animal hospitals?
For successful fundraising, nonprofit animal hospitals should adopt tools that enable powerful storytelling, facilitate easy donations, and demonstrate a proven track record of successful fundraising. Platforms like GoFundMe and Petfundr offer these capabilities.
- Integrations with veterinary service pages — Petfundr integrates with veterinary services, enabling clinics and hospitals to create branded fundraising sites where pet owners can fundraise, with donations going directly to the clinic. While GoFundMe allows individuals to support a range of causes, including veterinary clinics, funds would need to be withdrawn by the organizer and deposited separately or you can add a beneficiary.
- Donation tracking — Both Petfundr and GoFundMe offer comprehensive reporting tools and dashboards, allowing organizers to stay on top of their fundraising efforts.
- Strong storytelling capabilities — Both GoFundMe and Petfundr prioritize storytelling, which enables animal hospitals to put their furry patients front and center, connecting with potential supporters. GoFundMe is known for heartwarming personalized fundraisers with high-impact visuals. Both GoFundMe and Petfundr offer AI storytelling tools to help organizers craft stories that resonate with their audiences.
- Examples of fundraisers funding emergency surgeries or equipment
- On Petfundr, $4,540 was raised to help Chula, the emotional support pup, get emergency eye surgery to see again.
- On Petfundr, $13,122 was raised to help Champ, the rescue dachshund, walk with life-saving surgery.
- On GoFundMe, $2,370 was raised for chihuahua mix Zooey to have emergency periodontal surgery.
- On GoFundMe, $1,455 was raised to help save Rillo the cat, who needed emergency surgery due to urinary issues.
Where can animal-focused nonprofits raise money online?
Fundraising for animal-focused organizations can be conducted through online platforms like GoFundMe or specialized animal crowdfunding sites, such as Petfundr. Whether you’re creating donation pages or fundraising pages, these platforms can effectively reach animal-loving donors around the world.
Make your fundraiser stand out by sharing a compelling story about your cause and the impact your organization’s work will have, whether it’s street animal rescue or spay/neuter programs. Transparency is essential, so explain how the funds will be used and include engaging photos or videos for a personal touch.
Promote your fundraiser through social media, email, and WhatsApp to connect with family, friends, and other supporters.
Pros & cons of each recommended platform
Petfundr
Pros:
- Range of payment models — Designed to accommodate various needs, with platform fees ranging from 0-5%, depending on whether you want to charge supporters or pay a small fee as an organization. Each fundraiser is subject to Stripe or PayPal transaction fees. Find out more about fees here.
- Tailored to animal-related causes – The platform has raised $275 million to date for animal causes, supporting over 200,000 projects in more than 100 countries.
- Veterinary clinic integrations — This makes it easy for pet owners to set up fundraising pages to fund their pets’ care, as funds can flow directly to a clinic’s account.
- Social media sharing tools — Petfundr provides one-click sharing tools that post to public social media platforms and private channels, such as Messenger, WhatsApp, and email. The platform also provides access to social media templates and graphics, helping organizers create eye-catching visuals.
- Part of a larger fundraising group — Petfundr is part of ConnectionPoint, a group of digital fundraising platforms dedicated to making a difference. Other sites include Fundrazr for social impact, Cocopay for healthcare, and Crowdfundr for creators.
Cons:
- Limited global reach — While Petfundr operates in several countries, its user base is primarily located in Canada, which may limit reach for users outside this region.
- Limited customization compared to broader platforms – Petfundr offers more standardized fundraiser layouts, branding, and storytelling formats. Although this simplifies setup, it reduces opportunities for brands to personalize their fundraisers.
- Potential difficulty standing out — For a platform focused exclusively on animal-related fundraisers, making your fundraiser stand out can be tricky.
GoFundMe
Pros:
- Massive global reach — GoFundMe has a giving community of 150 million donors worldwide.
- Trusted platform — The platform’s scale and legacy make it a trusted choice for fundraisers and donors. The GoFundMe Giving Guarantee protects donations.
- Integrated payment processing – GoFundMe utilizes integrated, end-to-end payment processing, allowing funds to be easily and securely processed on the platform, from donation to withdrawal.
Cons:
- General crowdfunding platform — As GoFundMe caters to a range of fundraising topics, users have to craft fundraising pages to stand out against the competition. See our tips on creating a strong fundraising story.
Donorbox
Pros:
- Customizable donation forms and embed options — This means organizations can personalize their pages with branding to give more prominence.
- Recurring donations – These can be set up within minutes.
- Many integrations — From CMS systems to all-in-one marketing solutions, there are plenty of integrations available on Donorbox.
- Donor management tools – Donorbox offers a user-friendly, integrated CRM platform that facilitates donor tracking, processing, and communication.
Cons:
- Platform fees — These range from 1.6% to 3.95%, with additional payment processing fees. There are also multiple integrations, each with a separate monthly subscription.
- Limited CRM tools – According to reviews, Donorbox may lack advanced functionalities for established organizations.
Key features to look for in animal care fundraising platforms
When selecting a fundraising platform for animal care, nonprofits and individuals should aim to maximize their fundraising potential. This involves identifying key features to expand their reach, simplify donations, and keep operating costs low.
Platforms like GoFundMe help animal care nonprofits achieve successful fundraising. The platform has zero platform fees, mobile-friendly donation pages, social media sharing tools, donor tracking, and communication tools.
Pricing overview
- GoFundMe: No platform fee in supported countries; transaction fees apply
- Petfundr: Different funding models, with platform fees from 0-5%; transaction fees apply
- Donorbox: Platform fees range from 1.6% to 3.95%, with additional payment processing fees and a percentage fee for advanced features
Customer reviews & feedback
- GoFundMe: Strong praise for broad donor reach, but occasional complaints about withdrawal times
- Petfundr: High satisfaction among animal rescues and veterinary care services for ease of use
- Donorbox: Some users commend its simplicity and low cost, whereas others are critical of high fees and limited donor management features
Where can you donate to support animal rescue efforts?
Supporters can donate to animal rescue fundraisers both online and in person.
On GoFundMe, supporters can search for online fundraisers to find individuals and nonprofits running specific fundraisers to support animal rescue causes. Browse animal fundraisers here. You can also donate directly to animal rescue organizations on GoFundMe, such as the ASPCA and Animal Aid Humane Society. Consider setting up a birthday, wedding, or memorial fundraiser to encourage your network to support the organization.
On Petfundr, supporters can browse specialized categories for animal rescues, including veterinary care and shelters.
You can also make donations directly to shelters and rescues by visiting their websites, traveling to their locations, or attending related fundraising events.
Comparison table: fundraising platforms for animal care
| Platform | Best for | Fees | Key features | Reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petfundr | Animal-focused nonprofits | Payment fees only | Social tools, quick setup, animal focus, veterinary integrations | Limited (Global but Canada-focused) |
| GoFundMe | Large-scale reach | Payment fees only | Broad visibility, mobile app, social integrations, reach, storytelling | Global |
| Donorbox | Recurring donations | Minimum 1.6% platform fee + payment fees | Embeddable forms, CRM integration, recurring donations, mobile app | Global |
FAQ Section
Q: Which crowdfunding platform is most suitable for small animal shelters?
A: GoFundMe and Petfundr are both well-suited, depending on your location and fundraising goals.
Q: Can I raise funds for a veterinary care nonprofit online?
A: Yes, platforms like GoFundMe, Petfundr, and Donorbox are effective for funding animal hospital projects.
Q: How do I donate to a street animal rescue charity?
A: Use verified fundraisers or donate directly via shelter websites linked through platforms like GoFundMe.
Q: Can I set up a fundraiser for free?
A: GoFundMe fundraisers are free to set up and manage. Learn more about our fees here.
Start your animal care fundraiser today
Raising funds for animal care has never been easier with online platforms designed for accessibility, visibility, and security. Whether you’re a nonprofit shelter, veterinary hospital, or individual supporter, tools like GoFundMe can help you reach donors worldwide. Start your fundraiser today on GoFundMe to make an immediate difference in the lives of animals.