Today, I have a fundraising success story that I’d like to share with you. Usually, the focus of this newsletter is client fundraising but this story will offer you a glimpse into other kinds of fundraising that go on here at NEADS. I hope it will also show you how committed the staff members at NEADS are to supporting our clients, our dogs, and the overall NEADS mission.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to the Litter Mates!

The Litter Mates are a team of NEADS Breeding Center staff, volunteers, and breeder caretakers who chose to participate in our annual NEADS Pulling 4 Paws fundraising event. Each team had a fundraising goal of $3,000, yet the Litter Mates went above and beyond and brought in over $6,000…in only two months. They were a fundraising powerhouse!

I sat down with team captain, Kate Albertini – Manager of Breeding & Puppy Development, to find out how the Litter Mates managed to be such successful fundraisers. Kate was kind enough to walk me through the team’s thought process and some of the methods that they used. As it turns out, The Litter Mates used all of the fundraising techniques that we talk about within the NEADS Client Fundraising Team…and they worked!

According to Kate, the team…

• Started fundraising immediately. They leveraged the initial excitement and launched their NEADS fundraising page to keep that excitement going.
• Shared their fundraising on social media. Made sure to keep posts positive and upbeat, and posted regularly. (How to: Share to Social)
• Sent out emails with a link to their fundraising page to people that they know.
• Created a QR code that linked to their fundraising page, and made flyers using that code. (How to: Create QR Code) (Fundraising Flyers)
• Visited local businesses that they frequent and asked for donations.
• Utilized matching funds that were available to some of their donors through their employers. Many companies offer donation matches.
• Thanked donors! Showing gratitude is always a good idea and is never not appreciated. Always be sure to thank your donors either through your fundraising page, or via email, or social media. (How to: Thank Donors)
• And most importantly, no member of the Litter Mates worked alone. They enlisted help from each other, and from friends and family. The easiest way to reach a fundraising goal is by having multiple people spreading the word about your efforts. (How to: Build a Fundraising Team)

The Litter Mates success is a great example of what can be done with some effort, a bit of creativity, and a strong desire to make a difference.

As part of the Client Fundraising Team, you see how frequently clients reach their $8,000 fundraising goals. It’s a huge achievement to reach that goal, and it is VERY doable!

Fundraising is a critical component to sustaining NEADS, and we’re fortunate to have dedicated staff, volunteers, and, of course, clients, working hard to make sure that we can continue breeding and training our amazing Service and Assistance Dogs. Thank you for being part of our team – you’re helping us change lives!

And a very special shout-out to all of the members of the Litter Mates for setting such a great example of what can be done through teamwork and determination. Thank you Allie, Anne, Avril, Bec, Cathryn, Chrissy, Corinne, Debbie, Emilie, Gregory, Jocelyn, Julia, Kate, Kelly, Meaghan, Megan, and Tori!