Fundraising ideas for animal shelters
With millions of animals entering shelters each year, the financial need to aid these furry friends is substantial—not to mention the costs required to pay the humans who care for them.
Whether you’re raising funds for your own shelter or are an animal lover seeking to contribute to the cause, look no further. These animal shelter fundraising ideas will help you meet your goals and create adoption opportunities.
Battle of the food trucks
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
Adopt-a-room
Yard raking
Follow best practices for volunteer recruitment to build a loyal community of supporters ready to pitch in for yardwork and more.
Pool party
To make this fundraising event even more of a hit, sell summery snacks and drinks, too. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
Pool volleyball tournament
Teacher spelling bee
To make this event virtual or hybrid, livestream it from your event page for attendees to watch from home.
Staff vs. students
Multicultural fair
Hot chocolate stall
Make it easy for supporters to pay for their drinks as you make them with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless payment options.
Open mic night
Culture day
Drag bingo
Pet therapy
Charge an entry fee and sell inexpensive extras like dog and cat treats. Be sure to offer multiple ways to purchase treats in-person like scan-to-donate and Venmo!
Donation matching
Matching gifts create an enormous incentive for supporters who understand that they can automatically double (or even triple or quadruple!) their impact for your cause.
International Women's Day fundraiser
Whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid, raise more and stress less with easy online registration, mobile app check-ins, and live display
Ski-a-thon
Pride flag decoration party
Make the silent auction process as smooth as possible with mobile bidding tools that enable supporters to participate right from their phones.
Maze for a cause
Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze, and make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options.
Sponge toss
Sledding course
Spring cleaning
The guessing game
Use scan-to-donate to send guessers directly to your donation page for easy on-the-spot giving. Print the QR code onto a poster, or display it on a tablet or screen on your stand.
Frequently asked questions
How do animal shelters raise money?
Animal shelters raise money through donations, adoption fees, grants, and corporate sponsorships, as well as animal-themed fundraising ideas like pet-friendly bake sales and auctions. Many animal fundraiser ideas also utilize social media to reach a wider audience and solicit more donations.
What are the best pet rescue fundraising ideas?
Some of the best animal rescue fundraiser ideas involve both pet owners and their furry friends. Pet photo shoots, spa days, or competitive dog walks are all pet fundraising ideas that people love. Each supports the fundraising efforts of animal welfare organizations while also sparking joy. Other great animal-related fundraising ideas include selling products like pet calendars and treats.
How do I organize a charity dog/pet walk?
One of the most popular fundraising ideas for animal rescue organizations is a pet walk. It’s a great way to get your whole community involved in fundraising for animals while enjoying the company of their own pet at the same time.
To organize a walk, start by selecting a date, location, and route. Then, promote the event through social media, email newsletters, and flyers. Set registration fees and create fundraising pages for participants to collect donations. On the day of the walk, offer food, merchandise, and even additional activities to create more fundraising opportunities. Finally, thank participants and donors for their support and share the success of the event through social media and other channels.
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox
Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox