If the sight of a dog struggling to stand on its feet or a cat crying for help due to hunger forces you to take up the cause for the voiceless, you can reach out to fellow animal lovers and help the animals in your community live the life they deserve.
One of the ways in which you can help them is by rescuing distressed animals and keeping them safe in an animal shelter. However, building and running animal rescue shelters takes a lot of effort and requires considerable financial resources. You can get volunteers to help with rescuing animals, but you need money to house them, feed them, and nurse them back to health.
So, how do you go about this? Do you rely solely on your income to help the animals, or seek the help of other like-minded people? The latter is a more sustainable idea, and here is where crowdfunding comes in.
Crowdfunding for animals involves running a campaign that talks about the importance of working for animal welfare. Why do you need money? How much you need and asking campaign visitors to donate whatever amount they can.
Now that you know what crowdfunding for animal rescue means, let’s look at how you can start one.
Target amount
Firstly, you will need to zero-in on a target amount. To arrive at that amount, think about the monthly costs of running the shelter, including food expenses, medications, infrastructure repairs, vet fees, etc. Based on the number of months you want to raise money for, determine the final goal amount.
Crowdfunding platform
Next, choose the crowdfunding platform best suited to host your campaign. Check their track record of successful campaigns, charges involved, the transaction fee, what kind of support they offer, etc. There are crowdfunding platforms such as Ketto that has a website with a comprehensive FAQ section that will also answer any queries you may have regarding crowdfunding.
Write the story
Once you choose the platform, write the story of your cause. Why are you doing what you are doing? Whom are you helping? What difference will the donors’ contributions make? Talk about who you are, talk about the animals you have already rescued and the ones you wish to save.
Use words that empower the donor rather than make them feel that their contribution won’t make a dent. Include happy pictures of the animals you have rescued so that the campaign visitors can see your work’s impact.
If you are affiliated to any animal rescue NGO with an 80G certificate, ask them if you can route the donations to their account. This will incentivise the donors as they can get tax benefits due to the 80G certification.
Reach out to animal lovers in your network. Get some commitments from them before your campaign goes live. When visitors see that others have donated as well, they feel more motivated to contribute.
Sharing
Once your campaign goes live, you can share it on as many animal lovers’ groups online as possible. Share the campaign link on forums, nature lovers’ social media groups, and comment on other relevant influencers’ posts with the connection.
Lastly, make sure you keep your donors updated with the progress of your campaign. Often, when they see that you are just a short amount away from meeting your goal, they may contribute more and bridge that gap!
As you take on this endeavour to save animals who need your love and care, ensure that you are taking care of yourself as well. After all, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
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