How to start an online fundraiser for an animal welfare charity

September 22, 2025 | 9 min read Charity

Starting an online fundraiser for an animal welfare charity is one of the most effective ways to help vulnerable animals. Whether you’re supporting a local shelter or an international nonprofit, GoFundMe is a safe and trusted platform with a community of over 150 million donors worldwide. The platform is easy to use and has strong fundraising, storytelling, and social sharing tools, so you can not only reach your fundraising goals but also raise awareness for your cause.

Start a GoFundMe

How do I create an effective online fundraiser for animals?

Running a successful fundraiser involves setting a clear goal, choosing the right platform, and telling a compelling story that inspires people to donate generously. On GoFundMe, setting up a fundraiser is easy, and its social sharing tools allow you to connect with more supporters and reach your fundraising goals.

What are the first steps to start fundraising for animals online?

Choose a fundraising platform

Opt for user-friendly software – Find a platform that is simple to use and has plenty of fundraising features that will benefit your cause. GoFundMe fundraisers are easy to set up and manage, with social sharing tools and reporting dashboards to manage donations.
Seek low fees – Choose a platform that is affordable, allowing you to focus on fundraising rather than managing crippling overheads. GoFundMe has zero platform fees, only charging a standard processing fee rate of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Choose a mobile-friendly platform – People use their phones for everything these days, so your chosen platform needs to be compatible. GoFundMe has a mobile app, a mobile-friendly site, and supports mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Enjoy broad reach – A good fundraising platform will help you reach beyond your network to potential supporters looking to help good causes. GoFundMe has a global giving community of more than 150 million donors.

Define your fundraising goals

Clearly state your objective – Sharing your mission helps people connect with your cause. Whether it’s rescuing, rehabilitating, or rehoming animals in need, explain why your cause matters, what you plan to achieve with these goals, and why your organization is best suited to do the work.
Establish a realistic funding goal – This will help keep you and your team on track, while also motivating supporters to donate generously. Providing a timescale can also help communicate a sense of urgency, which encourages people to donate.
Explain why funding is needed – Transparency is key to fundraising; clearly communicate to people what the money will be used for and why that’s important.

Create a compelling story

Make it personal – Successful fundraising is all about establishing a connection. Share personal stories or details about the animals you’re helping to tug on the heartstrings of your supporters. Include names, history, and characteristics, as well as sending updates about the progress of each animal.
Include high-quality photos and videos – These help your fundraiser make a more profound impact, especially across social media. See our tips on photos and videos.
Emphasize emotional appeal – Prioritize rich and emotive storytelling to make the most significant impact. This could include an unwell animal’s journey to recovery or animals being reunited with each other.

How do I choose the right fundraising platform for animal welfare?

Why GoFundMe is an excellent choice for animal fundraisers

GoFundMe is an easy-to-use platform with a global network of more than 150 million donors. Fundraisers are easy to set up and manage, with no platform fees. GoFundMe has hosted thousands of animal welfare fundraisers, which are easily accessible thanks to its search and category browse functions. GoFundMe Pro provides nonprofits with advanced fundraising options, including donor management tools, customizable donation pages, and enterprise-grade software.

How do I promote an animal welfare fundraiser online?

It’s not enough to just set up a fundraiser, no matter how worthy your cause is. To successfully raise money and awareness, you need to promote your GoFundMe fundraiser consistently and strategically. Utilize multiple channels, including social media, email, and community engagement.

Use social media strategically

Share consistent updates – Whether you’re posting about fundraising milestones, sharing progress on a vulnerable animal, or promoting an upcoming event, regular posts keep your nonprofit at the forefront of people’s minds and can help drive donations. Use a social media content calendar to ensure you have posts ready to go, and utilize GoFundMe’s easy sharing tools to save time.
Engage with followers regularly – Involving others in your fundraising efforts is one of the most effective ways to make an impact. Tag people involved in your fundraiser, reply to comments, thank donors, and repost stories you’re tagged in—this proactive engagement will inspire others to reciprocate and help your fundraiser spread further.
Use visuals effectively – Whether you’re posting a heartfelt update about an animal or a graphic sharing punchy statistics about animal welfare, visuals matter. Stop the scroll and make your followers pay attention to your cause.

Leverage email marketing

Regular updates and stories – Email is a direct line to your supporters and can have a significant impact. Ensure you share detailed information and a clear call-to-action to inspire your followers to make a donation. Use GoFundMe’s email marketing to send updates and thank yous to supporters.
Direct asks for donations — It’s essential to ask for donations directly and clearly. Ensure that all outreach materials include a clear call-to-action and a link to your GoFundMe fundraising page. Here are some fundraising email templates to help you get started.

Reach out to local communities

Connect with local animal welfare groups – Partnering with like-minded organizations can help double your efforts. Do your research and choose an organization with a clear mission and similar values. Ensure the partnership is mutually beneficial, with both organizations getting value from the arrangement.
Partner with local businesses — Explore sponsorship or in-kind donations, such as volunteering time or a venue space for an event. Explain why the partnership is mutually beneficial for both parties, and make sure you both have a clear understanding of what is expected from the other.

Where can I raise funds for animal welfare online?

Fundraising for animal welfare nonprofits can be done through online platforms like GoFundMe, which helps organizers easily reach their fundraising goals. Setting up a GoFundMe fundraiser is simple and free, allowing organizers to connect with a wide audience by using built-in social media tools and tapping into the global giving community of 150 million users.

GoFundMe is a trusted platform where supporters can make safe and secure donations. The platform’s GoFundMe Giving Guarantee offers peace of mind for organizers and supporters by protecting donations.

Where can donors support animal welfare causes online?

Individuals looking to support an animal welfare cause can do so on the GoFundMe platform. It’s easy to find a variety of animal welfare fundraising pages by using the platform’s search function or browsing the animal fundraisers category on the platform. You can also donate directly to registered charities through their donation pages on the GoFundMe platform, such as the ASPCA and the Animal Welfare Institute.

The platform is set up to make donations as simple as possible. Once you’ve found your fundraiser, select your donation amount and make your donation using one of the many payment options, including credit/debit card or digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Pros and cons of online fundraising for animal welfare

Pros:

Wide audience reach – Online fundraising enables you to extend your reach beyond your local community and loved ones. By using a variety of marketing channels, including social media and email, you can easily reach a broad audience. The GoFundMe platform has a giving community of 150 million donors worldwide that can be leveraged when hosting a fundraiser on the platform.
Quick funding access – On GoFundMe, it takes 2-5 business days for funds to be deposited in the nominated account. Read more here.
Easy tracking of donations – You can easily track and manage donations, including thanking donors, using the GoFundMe dashboard. Find out more here.

Cons:

Online competition – With such an extensive user base, some might be concerned about how they can make their fundraiser stand out. Our helpful blog offers tips on writing a compelling fundraiser story as well as promoting a fundraiser online.

Key features to consider in an online animal fundraising platform

User-friendly software – From setting up a fundraising page and promoting it to withdrawing funds, GoFundMe is an easy-to-use and intuitive online fundraising platform.
Mobile compatibility — Unlike some fundraising platforms, GoFundMe is highly compatible with mobile devices, with an app, mobile-friendly site, and mobile payment options.
Secure payment processing – GoFundMe offers end-to-end payment processing, allowing funds to be easily and securely processed on the platform, from donation to withdrawal.
Analytics and reporting – GoFundMe analytics vary depending on the subscription level. Basic insights like views and donation totals are available to individual fundraisers. Meanwhile, GoFundMe Pro subscribers—targeted at nonprofit organizations—can view donor information, detailed transaction reports, and recurring donation data.

Pricing structure for online fundraising platforms

GoFundMe: Free to start; a processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction applies.
GoFundMe Pro: Nonprofits pay a monthly subscription for advanced options, tailored support, and fundraising features.

Customer reviews

Users praise the platform’s ease of use, customer service, and effectiveness.

Make a difference by starting your own fundraiser

Launch your own animal welfare fundraiser on GoFundMe to support animals in need. GoFundMe helps animal fundraisers connect with potential supporters across the world. With excellent storytelling features, easy-to-use social sharing, and a huge donor base of supporters, GoFundMe can help amplify your fundraiser to reach your goals in no time.