Welcome to the Texas Humane Heroes Paw-to-Paw Fundraising Toolkit! This toolkit is just that – one place for you to find all the tools you will need to become a successful fundraiser! You will learn how to navigate your personal fundraising, as well as how your fundraising will help Texas Humane Heroes end pet homelessness and keep pet ownership affordable.
We want you to be able to easily use these resources so that you can fundraise to the best of your ability and have fun while doing it! We know that fundraising can take a lot of effort and hard work, and we are so thankful for everything you are putting into it. The contributions you are making to TXHH and your local community are truly immeasurably and does not go unnoticed. Hopefully, this toolkit will make your fundraising experience the best it can possibly be.
Always feel free to reach out with any questions, and happy fundraising.
With Hope,
The Texas Humane Heroes Development Team
This toolkit contains tips for:
- Setting up your fundraising account
- Creating a fundraising goal
- Using social media to fundraise
- Reaching out to donors
- Saying thank you
- Communicating the TXHH mission
Setting up your Fundraising Account
Registering to raise funds for Texas Humane Heroes provides access to tools and resources that will help you kick start your fundraising. Register for your fundraising account below. When you register, be sure to fill out your information, and start or join the team that you will be on.
Choose your goal! Remember, this is just a goal. Some people set their fundraising goal to a numerical amount that has emotional significance for them, and ties into their personal story. Your goal can be updated at any time.
Once you have registered, there are many ways to personalize your fundraising page, i.e., including a profile pic, your personal story and photos, and more help you reach your goal.
Don’t forget to create a Facebook fundraiser through your TXHH fundraising account. This is the only way money raised through Facebook will go directly to your fundraising page; fundraisers created directly through Facebook will not sync up with your TXHH fundraising page.
Creating a Fundraising Goal
Setting a fundraising goal can be a daunting task, especially for those fundraising for the first time. Your goal can be based on a number that has special meaning to you, or it can be based on a recognition gift level you want to reach. A great way to do this is by breaking down what you can do to reach your goal. Fundraising roadmaps look different for everyone! Start by thinking about all the different ways you connect with people (on social media, over email, at in-person events, and more) and the different groups of people you can tap into (friends, family, colleagues, etc.). Breaking this down can help you come up with unique and creative ways to fundraise.
For example, the road to raising $500 may look like:
- 1 board or video game fundraiser: $100
- 2 errands for friends or family: $25
- 3 email donations: $150
- 4 donations from a Facebook fundraiser: $200
- AND a personal donation of $25
Dividing your goal into steps will give you a roadmap to follow as well as an achievable number. Remember, fundraising is all about fun, so varying your roadmap to be tailored to your strengths and things you enjoy is key.
Using Social Media to Fundraise
Social media is a powerful tool, and a very cost-effective way to market your fundraising. Sharing both the TXHH mission and your own personal experiences helps strengthen calls to donate.
Spread the word about TXHH events using our promotional social media tools, including illustrative graphics, impact graphics, and more.
Share the TXHH story on social media to help donors understand the impact that their dollars have on ending pet homelessness and keeping pet ownership affordable. Social graphics featuring the TXHH mission are available, and to learn more about our organization and work, review the Communicating the TXHH Mission section below.
Tell donors that their donation goes directly to Texas Humane Heroes and the animals we rescue and prepare for adoption. It’s a great way to make donors feel more involved and willing to help.
An important addition to your fundraising posts is your “why”: your story or reason for fundraising to help animals find a second chance. The more connected to your personal story a potential donor feels, the more likely they will donate to you.
Be sure to always re-share and update your Facebook fundraiser, go live on Facebook (connecting to your fundraiser) and Instagram, and always have your fundraising page link in your social account bios throughout the the fundraiser! If you are not sure where to begin with social media posts, you can find templates for different platforms in our resources section. Remember, adding a personal touch to each post goes a very long way.
Fundraising Via Text
Did you know that texting is the easiest way to fundraise? You can share your fundraising page directly on social media or with friends. You can log into your fundraising account on a mobile device, scroll down to the “text giving” option, and then copy links to your page. You can also click the “see it in action” option to see a tutorial.
Reaching Out to Donors
The most important thing to remember is that most donors will be donating to you because they support the cause AND YOU. This is why reaching out to donors in a personal way is best when asking for donations. Below, you will find recommendations for different methods of outreach, depending on your relationships.
Recommendations for who to ask:
- Immediate family
- Extended family
- Friends
- Coworkers
- Bosses
Saying “Thank You”
Thank You: two words that go a long way. A simple thank you is all you need to do to let your donors know you appreciate them, and make them feel seen. You can also do a two-fold thank you: one quick thanks via social and/or text, etc. and then a personal note after the event has ended. Below are a few examples of the many ways you can reach out:
- Send personalized emails and texts
- Write handwritten thank you cards (link to purchase stationary below)
- Give small, tangible tokens of appreciation
- Make shout-outs on social media (Thank You graphics below)
- Raise awareness of what their donation helped fund by sharing our daily adoptions, stories about our medical needs animals, or showing your involvement as a volunteer.
Communicating the TXHH Mission
Established in 1979, the Texas Humane Heroes is a No Kill, private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping pets find their fur-ever homes and keeping pet ownership affordable. We work with shelter partners throughout Texas to rescue adoptable dogs and cats that are at-risk of euthanasia. We offer one of only a few low-cost vet clinics in Central Texas.
Our mission is to end pet homelessness. How are we doing this?
- By providing low-cost spay/neuter —stopping overpopulation at the source;
- With high volume adoptions —stopping the flow of homeless animals through preventative efforts and adoption efforts to achieve a no-kill community;
- Pet Retention Services —stopping the lost and surrendered flow of pets to shelters by providing low cost, accessible services for better pet guardianship (including microchipping of all animals)
Need Help?
Feel free to contact the development team for general questions at giving@txhh.org