Being part of a foster network that is spread out does not mean you are doomed in the realm of fundraising. There are several ways that your group can fundraise through the long distances, and bring in money to save the animals in your spread out group. These ideas work for national and statewide groups. Many ideas are a spinoff of typical fundraisers, with a twist to make them work best for those groups that cover a lot of distance.

• Catalog shows with home party consultants. Your group can earn between 35% and 50% of sales generated through a specific consultant with Tupperware, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Discovery Toys and other home party companies. One of your group members may already be a consultant, or know someone who works for one of these types of companies. This is a great opportunity for the consultant to meet a wide range of people, and generate some high sales numbers during a contest period. Even though a percentage will be donated to the charity, many of the participants will become repeat customers for that consultant!
• Non Events are clever mailers that ‘invite’ people to attend an event that won’t happen. You can list several reasons for why they won’t attend, such as the amount of money they’ll save by staying at home that night, or they’re too busy that night and would just like to send $50 instead.
• Sponsorships for animals are a great way to connect people emotionally to an animal in your program. Sponsors will pay a set fee (between $20 and $50) to help support the animal. In return, they will get a photo of the animal suitable for framing, regular updates on the animal’s status in your program, and a certificate of sponsorship, with the animals pawprint stamped on the certificate.
• Sponsor a kennel/ run/ Kuranda bed/ donation bank or other item needed by your rescue. Donors can sponsor a purchase for various items, or to support a segment of your rescue group. Donors like to purchase these items to help support your group, such as a gift that keeps on giving. It’s also a way to give a ‘present’ to someone instead of the usual knick knacks for your grandmother.
• Ebay is a great venue to sell items through their MissionFish program for charities. You can collect items from your volunteers, or ask each of them to photograph the items at their homes and send you the info. Then, when the items is won and paid for, the volunteer will send the item out to the winner. No middle man is needed for mailing the item, and it saves on shipping costs.
• Cafepress is another online program where your group can create logos to place on various products that your supporters purchase. There are dog t-shirts, totebags, t-shirts, clocks, calendars and CDs. More generic messages will appeal to a wider audience outside of your rescue group. For instance, “I heart Poms” will appeal to all pomeranian owners, while “I heart My Dog” with a cut graphic will appeal to all dog owners.
• Cookbooks are a great way to bring in some funds, provided you are able to do something unique that hasn’t been done in your area. Create a cookbook for pet treats, special seasonal recipes, signature local specialties, recipes from your own local celebrities, or something else unique for your area. The more unique, the more you’ll be able to sell. You can publish these yourself through a local printer who can discount their services in exchange for an ad in the book. Sell ads to other companies to help underwrite the publishing of the cookbook. Or, you can create the cookbook online through professional cookbook publishers who will charge a fee. FundCraft and Morris Cookbook Publishers are popular companies for fundraisers.
• Recycling ink cartridges will allow your volunteers who are spread out over a great distance to collect the cartridges in their own areas to send to the companies. Most companies will give your group envelope mailers to pass out to people, and these are great for tabling events. You can encourage your volunteers to pass these out to friends and family, and to place them in their company areas. Cash For Critters is a popular group for animal rescues to use.
• Online Raffles can bring in funds from all over the world. Collect baskets or donated items from local vendors and group members. Place photos and descriptions of the items on your website, and advertise to fellow rescuers and animal lovers, past adopters, and family and friends. Keep track of bids and addresses, and announce the high bids after the auction ends. Use paypal to collect the bids and shipping costs.
• Online auctions through www.cMarket.com are being done by some of the top humane societies in the US. Higher ticket items make this type of auction really bring in the funds. This can be done in conjunction with an event, or with a non-event if your group is spread out.
• Cat-alog for sponsorships are an easy brochure to create, and perfect for the holiday season. Major charities such as Heifer, Intl., Christian Children’s Fund, and CARE use this type of catalog to bring in sponsorships for various programs. Your animal rescue group could create a cat-alog with several descriptions of programs and their costs. The sponsorship could be given as a holiday gift for a loved one, too.
• Affiliate programs through Food Lion’s Shop and Share program, GoodSearch and Google’s AdSense are easy ways for your group to bring in money without thinking about it. You recruit people to join your program, or just place the links on your website, and pennies come in a little at a time. It’s not a flood of money, but each penny counts.
• Memorials can be made to your group in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone for a special event. There are many holidays where gift giving is traditional. Encourage donors to give a gift to your rescue group in honor or in memory of someone instead of purchasing knick knacks or trinkets that will clutter their homes. Your group will send a thank-you note to the donor as well as an acknowledgment letter to the recipient explaining the gift.
• Calendars created by your rescue group can bring in some excellent funds. Use a photo contest to bring in photos, or use the photos of adopted pets from your group. The calendars can be sold to regular donors, as well as general animal lovers. Include special tips, quotes and pet treat recipes for a unique product unlike the traditional calendars already on the market.
• Country wide garage sales can be held on the same date throughout your service area. This is mostly a media designation that will encourage people across your state or region to host a garage sale at the same time with all the proceeds going to your group. Ask volunteers to collectively hold their own garage sales at home and donate the money to your group.
• Magazine subscriptions can be done via online ordering by your volunteers and their family and friends. MagFundraising and eFundraising have popular programs that will give your group ~40% of the profits just for directing people to your personal fundraising website.
• Photo Contests can be done in conjunction with creating a calendar or as a stand-alone fundraiser. Solicit photos from your region, and post them online for people to vote for the winner. Charge a fee to enter, and have prizes for the winners. Some groups also charge a fee to vote, such as $1 per vote, but this could cut into profits if using Paypal due to the fees per transaction.
• Cruises are a new fundraising idea that will appeal to many donors. Your group will arrange to have donors and their family and friends to join together for a cruise to the Bahamas, Alaska, the Caribbean or Europe. A portion of the cruise package will be given to the organizing group for the fundraiser. Your group can schedule conferences about breed grooming and care, host special dinners and meetings, and raffle off a state room as a prize to generate publicity. BenefitCruise and CruiseVacationCenter are two of the top fundraising cruise groups online.

Through a combination of several of these programs and your own local fundraising, your group should be able to bring in more money than you anticipated. Never underestimate local tabling and educational booths throughout your area, as this increases your visibility and chances of bringing in new donors.