Animals in our community are counting on your help to find homes where they feel loved and valued, so thank you for making a difference. By fundraising for the Heart & Sole Walk for Animals, you’re helping give animals in need food, shelter, medical treatment, and most importantly, the love and care they deserve. Every dollar you raise goes directly toward creating happier, healthier lives for animals. Fundraising comes easily when you do it from the heart. Be creative and make it personal. And remember, you’re working hard for a wonderful cause — to help animals in need. Take a look at the tips provided in this toolkit below to get started today or view & print the 2019 Fundraising Toolkit PDF here.

Start early. The sooner you start asking for donations, the more time you’ll have to grow your fundraising total.

Set your fundraising goal. Give yourself something to aim for. Many people who set a goal raise more than they thought they would!

Make a personal donation. Be the first to show your commitment to animals in need.

Contact everyone you know. Start with your email address book, then your regular address book and member lists from clubs you belong to. You’ll be surprised who gives! 

Start a team. Ask your animal-loving friends, family, and coworkers to join you in supporting Potter League for Animals & the Heart & Sole Walk.

Send emails. Sending emails is a great way to get your message out. Share your story and include the link to your personal online fundraising page. Don’t be afraid to follow up if people don’t respond.

Reach out on social media. Send messages and share your fundraising progress on social media. And don’t forget to thank your donors!

Karaoke Night. Spend a Friday night at a karaoke bar and sing for pledges!

Ask about employer matching gifts. Many companies match their employees’ donations. Ask donors if their company will match their gift, raising twice the amount for animals in need.

Host a Television Show Finale Party. Provide some snacks and drinks and invite your friends over to watch a big season finale. Charge a small “cover” at the door that goes towards your pledges.

Partner with a local pub or brewery for a “Yappy Hour”. Ask your local watering hole to partner with you for a happy hour event where you bring in friends and the bar donates a portion of the proceeds.

Donate your birthday. Make birthdays fun again! Ask friends to support your fundraising efforts in lieu of birthday gifts.

Host a fundraising house party. A sure-fire way to raise money! Collect donations and entertain at the same time. Create a theme (like a costume party) and have fun!

Garage sale/Yard Sale. Spring Cleaning? Gather up all of that extra stuff collecting dust in the basement and attic—and ask your friends and family to do the same—then pick a Saturday or Sunday to host a garage sale! Make a sign explaining all proceeds will go to help homeless pets, and have a donation jar available.

Pennies for Paws. Decorate a shoe box with puppies and kittens, and create a sign encouraging co-workers/classmates to donate their spare change to help homeless pets. Leave the box in a high-traffic area at work.

Gym. Ask your gym to leave a pledge jar at the front desk.

Doctor/Veterinarian. Ask them to write you a check instead of the other way around! 

Yoga instructor. You’ve bent over backwards for them—now it’s their turn to do the same for you!

Host a scavenger hunt. Charge a fee to enter and get great prizes donated for the winner.

Game/Poker Night. Get your friends together and host a game/poker night at your place or a local brewery.

Email Signature Add the URL for your fundraising page to your email signature.

Get Piggy with it! Give out “piggy banks” and ask people to save their change for a month.

Get competitive. Start a little competition. Pick a nearby business, another department at your company or another club and set your team’s goal up against theirs! You can compete against the other team to raise the most money or recruit the most members. 

Matching Gift Programs. Does your company offer matching gifts? If you’re not sure, ask! 

Ask, Ask, and Ask again! People can only make a donation if you give them the opportunity. Don’t be shy about asking more than once. People need to be reminded.

Stay Focused. Remind yourself of why you are participating in the event, and how the money you will raise will help animals in need. 

Send a personalized thank you. After you’ve completed your fundraising, send your results to donors and thank them again for their help. 

Get organized. Host a get-together with your team! A coffee break, dinner, or happy hour is a great way to discuss all your creative ideas to collectively reach your team goal.

Movie night. Host a movie night at your home, a local gathering space, or a park for your friends and family. Make some popcorn and ask them to support animals in need. Make sure to have a donation jar or pledge forms available.

Spare change jar. Ask your place of employment to put out a change jar for people to drop in their spare change as they pass by. 

Party with a purpose. Invite your friends (and their friends) over and charge a few dollars for a good cause!

Game night. Invite your friends out for a night of games, donations, and prizes.

Charity Restaurant night. Host a charity night at a local restaurant, bar, or coffee shop.

Write a letter. A personal letter always goes a long way; share your message about why you are walking!

Advertise. Put up our posters in break rooms, local businesses, halls, etc. (Pick up posters or print them from our website.)

Collect extra change. Ask your colleagues if they can spare some change by placing a change jar near a vending machine, lunch room, or front desk.

Prize drawing. Request a $10 donation from your coworkers in exchange for being entered into a drawing for gift certificates, prime parking spaces, or tickets to shows or sporting events.

Host a jeans/casual day. An extra “jeans day” is certainly worth a couple of bucks! Offer employees the opportunity for an extra casual day in exchange for a donation.

Food/beverage sale. Cookies, donuts, popcorn, muffins, pizza, ice cream, and smoothies always go over well. Whip up a delicious treat for your colleagues and clients, or sell homemade dog treats for all the fourlegged friends! Set up a table at work, outside of a grocery store or at a local business!

Lunch-in. Encourage employees to bring lunch for a week (or see if your company will supply food) and donate the savings to your Heart & Sole Walk for Animals fund.

Candy grams. It’s a sweet idea for a sweet cause. Sell candy grams to coworkers as a way for them to show their appreciation for one another.

Staff cook-out. Spring is here, and it’s time to break out the grill. Cook for your colleagues for a $10 donation.

Used DVD/CD/Book sale. Pull your old DVDs and books off the shelf and put them to good use! Ask your friends, family and neighbors to donate books they no longer want and set up a weekend book sale in your front yard, or get co-workers involved and host it at work!

Create friendly competition. Motivate your crew! Offer a prize to your team’s top fundraisers to inspire each walker to contribute even more to your team total.

Host a “Potter League Promotion Day/Night”. Where a certain percent of the proceeds go to the animals. (We recommend at least 10%)

“Round Up for Rover”.  Your customers can round up their receipts to help the animals.

Dine to Be Kind. Restaurants can feature a promotion or feature certain menu items that are the “Pick of the Litter”, host a “Pint for Paws”, “Pasta for Paws”, or a “Yappy Hour” promoting a specialty beer (or food item) with a % of sales to the animals.

HAVE YOUR OWN IDEAS? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!

Contact us at susanr@potterleague.org and let us know your ideas.