Leading online fundraising tools for animal rescue nonprofits
What are effective online fundraising tools for animal rescue nonprofits?
Fundraising for an animal rescue nonprofit requires dedication, consistency, and creativity. The right online fundraising tools can help you tell your story, streamline your efforts, and reach new audiences so that you can make a big impact and achieve your fundraising goals in no time. GoFundMe is a leading online fundraising platform that has helped animal rescue nonprofits raise money and awareness. It’s safe, trusted, and popular, with a giving community of over 150 million donors worldwide.
What do animal rescue charities do?
Animal rescue charities are usually nonprofit groups that work to support vulnerable animals that are unwanted, abandoned, or abused. Rescues help these animals find foster and forever homes, while attending to their health, well-being, and behavioral needs. Sometimes, these rescues may focus on a specific breed or age group, while others take in harder-to-adopt animals, such as elderly or ill pets. Unlike shelters, which are usually funded by the government, rescues often rely entirely on donations from supporters, making fundraising on platforms like GoFundMe a vital piece of the puzzle.
What are effective online fundraising platforms for animal rescue nonprofits?
Why GoFundMe is excellent for animal rescue nonprofits
GoFundMe works well for small animal rescue nonprofits because it puts storytelling front and center, has excellent social sharing features, and an extensive user base. It’s also free to use, which is great for smaller nonprofits and individuals looking to fundraise on their behalf.
Pros & cons
Pros:
- Quick set up –GoFundMe fundraisers can be set up in an hour, with advanced tools and storytelling capabilities to make your fundraiser shine.
- No upfront fees – Starting a GoFundMe is easy and free to set up and manage, with no platform fees. A processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction applies. See more here.
- User-friendly software — GoFundMe dashboard has easy social sharing buttons, AI tools, and donation management, making it easy for organizers to run effective fundraisers.
- Large donor base — The platform’s extensive global giving community, combined with easy sharing capabilities, enables fundraisers to reach communities worldwide.
Cons:
- Basic personalization – GoFundMe Pro offers more advanced tools tailored to nonprofits and charities.
Key features:
- Mobile-friendly donation – GoFundMe is mobile-optimized, has its own app, and accepts mobile wallet payments, such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. This makes supporting on the go easier than ever.
- Fraud protection – The GoFundMe Giving Guarantee ensures that donations are secure, allowing supporters to donate with confidence.
Pricing:
- GoFundMe has zero platform fees to set up and manage a fundraiser. A processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction applies. See more here.
Customer reviews:
- Users praise GoFundMe’s global audience reach, user-friendly software, and zero platform fees.
Why GoFundMe Pro is excellent for animal rescue nonprofits
GoFundMe Pro is specially designed for nonprofits and charities, offering more robust features to boost fundraising opportunities, manage donor relationships, and raise awareness.
Pros & cons
Pros:
- Flexible pricing — GoFundMe Pro offers customized pricing tailored to the needs of each nonprofit.
- Advanced features designed for nonprofits — With flexible design options, live events features, and AI fundraising tools, GoFundMe Pro offers everything a nonprofit needs for success.
- Massive reach – GoFundMe Pro enjoys the impressive reach and reputation of GoFundMe, with 150 million donors worldwide.
Cons:
- Price – Unlike GoFundMe, which is free to use, GoFundMe Pro’s advanced nonprofit features are subject to a platform subscription.
Key features:
- AI fundraising tools – GoFundMe Intelligence optimizes your fundraising with personalized ask amounts, nudges, and recurring gifts to help maximize your results. Learn more.
- Event software – From registration and ticket management to merchandise sales and silent auction software, GoFundMe Pro has a range of live event features to help boost your fundraising capabilities all in one place. Find out more.
- Social media integration – GoFundMe Pro has partnered with Meta’s Giving Tools, allowing supporters to donate directly on Facebook and Instagram without leaving the social media platforms.
- Personalized fundraising pages – Nonprofits can customize donation pages with branding, logo, and colors to help each fundraiser stand out and boost donations.
Pricing:
- GoFundMe Pro offers custom pricing for nonprofits to help them meet their fundraising needs.
Customer reviews:
- Customers love the customization possibilities, event fundraising features, and powerful insights tools. Some customers have raised pricing concerns.
Why PetFundr is effective for animal rescue nonprofits
PetFunder is an online fundraising platform specializing in animal-related causes and projects. It supports charities and nonprofits focused on animal rescue.
Pros & cons
Pros:
- Payment options – PetFundr allows organizers to choose a payment plan that suits their needs. Platform fees vary from 0% to 5%, with optional platform contributions from supporters.
- Social sharing – The platform helps get the word out with easy social sharing across public social media platforms and private channels such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
Cons:
- Reach – The platform’s user base is smaller than that of larger platforms like GoFundMe. PetFundr’s primary audience is in Canada.
Key features:
- Donation management – The platform has a built-in CRM system for donor management, transaction history, and other data.
- ‘Keep-it-all’ model – On PetFundr, organizers keep 100% of donations regardless of whether they reach their fundraising goal.
Pricing:
- Platform fees vary from 0% to 5%. Each fundraiser will also be subject to Stripe/PayPal transaction fees. Find out more about fees here.
Customer reviews:
- Customers love the pricing options, customer support, and animal-loving community.
How to create a compelling fundraiser for an animal rescue nonprofit
Creating a powerful animal rescue fundraiser is all about reaching animal lovers and tugging on their heartstrings. The key is emotive storytelling packed with vulnerability and hope, and posting regular updates to keep supporters engaged. This is easy to do on a fundraising platform like GoFundMe, which puts personalized storytelling front and center with high-impact images and videos.
- Put animals front and center – Make the vulnerable animals you support the stars of the show—post details about their personalities, health progress, and foster status. Make it very personable, humanizing each animal to make helping them irresistible.
- Post regular updates – Whether it’s the progress towards your fundraising goal or updates on an animal’s health at the rescue, these updates help keep supporters engaged and donating more. Post updates to your GoFundMe fundraiser and on social media to build community and foster loyalty.
- Use strong images and video – Post plenty of high-quality photos and videos to capture the uniqueness of each animal and the staff who make everything possible.
Which promotional tools are suitable for an animal rescue nonprofit?
In order to run a successful fundraiser, you have to get strategic about promotion. This will help you not only bring in vital funds but raise awareness and build community along the way.
This can be achieved through a combination of online methods, such as social media, email, and online fundraising platforms like GoFundMe, as well as in-person promotion, including events and merchandise. A smart promotional strategy combines online and offline methods to reach the broadest audience. Here are some ideas:
- Online fundraising platforms – Your online fundraising platform should not only have its own organic user base full of donors looking to support a good cause, but should have easy-to-use integrations, making posting to social media and email a walk in the park. GoFundMe makes it easy to spread the word.
- Social media – In addition to posting updates about the vulnerable animals in your care, show followers the tireless work of the animal rescue nonprofit behind the scenes. From day-in-the-life content from volunteers to a carousel documenting a real rescue mission, showcasing how your support animals will help people connect with the cause.
- Email marketing – Send regular updates about rescued animals and thank-you notes to your supporters to help build community. This can be done easily through the GoFundMe dashboard.
- Merchandise – Help your supporters spread the word by rocking your merchandise. Caps, hoodies, water bottles, and tote bags are all effective merchandise to get your brand out there.
- Community events – Host events in the local community to raise awareness about your work and attract new supporters. You could turn it into an adoption event or a fundraising event, depending on your needs at the time. Here are 75 fundraising event ideas to get you started.
How to donate to an animal rescue nonprofit
There are plenty of animal rescue nonprofit fundraisers on GoFundMe, from individual fundraisers supporting a charity to official donation pages for nonprofit organizations.
Browse our animal fundraisers to support individuals raising money for good causes. You can also browse a list of top animal charities listed on the platform.
How to fundraise for an animal rescue nonprofit
Starting an online fundraiser for an animal rescue nonprofit is the quickest and most effective way to raise money for a good cause. It allows organizations of any size to reach a huge audience and convert them into supporters. Platforms like GoFundMe make this super simple with easy fundraiser setup, effective social sharing tools, and an existing user base of 150 million donors.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: Can nonprofits raise funds for animal rescue on GoFundMe?
A: Yes, GoFundMe supports animal rescue nonprofits through specific categories.
Q: Which platforms are suitable for small animal rescue nonprofits?
A: Both GoFundMe and PetFundr are ideal for small nonprofits due to zero platform fee options and the animal-loving community.
Q: How do I start fundraising online for animal rescue nonprofits?
A: You can quickly start fundraising online through platforms like GoFundMe or PetFundr, which provide easy-to-use tools to launch and promote your fundraiser.
Q: Can I set up a fundraiser for free?
A: GoFundMe fundraisers are free to set up and manage. Learn about fees here.
Start helping vulnerable animals today
Support an animal rescue nonprofit by setting up a fundraiser or making a donation to an existing page. Your support can help make a difference to animals in need. Depending on your needs, the GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro tools and features can help you achieve your fundraising goals.