Bummed, frustrated: not OT

Yesterday there was a story in the local paper that the biggest no-kill
shelter locally, Ten Lives, has had to start turning away cats due to nearly
insurmountable vet bills. Tenth Chance is in a deeper crapper, and also must
turn cats away. So people are dumping kittens at 2 AM on known volunteers'
doorsteps, and someone at Petsmart got ****ed and complained about the
fundraising efforts. Now the Tenth Chance people aren't allowed to verbally
ask for donations. We can put up all the signs we want, but can't outright
ask. On top of it, Tenth Chance was moved for their store shows...into the
d*g area! I love the D-critters as much as anyone, but it's a hell of a place
to put cats for adoption.

Part of Ten Live's problem is actually the gas crunch. They have a corporate
sponsor in Delta-Sonic. (Sorry, i don't know if this place is limited to
Western NY or not. It's a gas-and-wash chain.) More people take the bus, the
less buy gas, and fewer people in to buy the car-wash ticket bundle that
benefits the shelter. Tenth Chance, however, may be the poorest of the bunch.
I try to crochet handbags and things to sell, but I can only work so fast.
(Part of my recent absence from the board was spent playing with yarn, so
that the kitties can get their care.) But dammit, i am only one person. I
have four feet of hair, and I want to pull it out. It is time to organize. I
have never done a full-out, butt-kicking fundraiser before. Any ideas on how
to get one going? I'm ready to rip oiff the MD Carnival idea to get something
rolling.

Blessed be,
Baha

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200808/1

"Baha via CatKB.com" u18616@uwe wrote in message news:8820d1bebadfc@uwe...
Yesterday there was a story in the local paper that the biggest no-kill
shelter locally, Ten Lives, has had to start turning away cats due to
nearly
insurmountable vet bills. Tenth Chance is in a deeper crapper, and also
must
turn cats away. So people are dumping kittens at 2 AM on known volunteers'
doorsteps, and someone at Petsmart got ****ed and complained about the
fundraising efforts. Now the Tenth Chance people aren't allowed to
verbally
ask for donations. We can put up all the signs we want, but can't outright
ask. On top of it, Tenth Chance was moved for their store shows...into the
d*g area! I love the D-critters as much as anyone, but it's a hell of a
place
to put cats for adoption.

Part of Ten Live's problem is actually the gas crunch. They have a
corporate
sponsor in Delta-Sonic. (Sorry, i don't know if this place is limited to
Western NY or not. It's a gas-and-wash chain.) More people take the bus,
the
less buy gas, and fewer people in to buy the car-wash ticket bundle that
benefits the shelter. Tenth Chance, however, may be the poorest of the
bunch.
I try to crochet handbags and things to sell, but I can only work so fast.
(Part of my recent absence from the board was spent playing with yarn, so
that the kitties can get their care.) But dammit, i am only one person. I
have four feet of hair, and I want to pull it out. It is time to organize.
I
have never done a full-out, butt-kicking fundraiser before. Any ideas on
how
to get one going? I'm ready to rip oiff the MD Carnival idea to get
something
rolling.

Blessed be,
Baha


Ouch. Rough stuff, Girlfriend. Mandy's boyfriend, Jim's church used to do
a flamingo thing where someone could pay to have flamingos placed on
someone's yard and they they'd have to pay to get them removed. It worked a
treat until people decided to just keep the flamingos. Not cost effective.

Do you sew (sewing machine?) I made nip snakes using flour sacking, white
thread, and a sewing machine. For a bit more money and effort, I could add
Velcro to the end to close it. Even selling them at $1.00/ea one would come
out ahead. I'd try for more though. I got 8-16 snakes out of a piece of
flour sacking depending on the style of sacking and the width of the snake.

One of our no-kill shelters sponsors a couple of yard sales every year.
They sell donated stuff from their members and sometimes baked goods as
well. Everyone has a good time and it makes some money. I'd do that the
first weekend of a month, if it were me. More people with disposable loot.

They also have pictures with Santa for Christmas, Halloween, Easter,
Thanksgiving themed pictures offered through the local PetSmart.

They also take food, supply, toys, and litter donations at the local stores
that let them sit outside of them for these purposes.

If there is access to a local TV station which is game, a local telethon is
possible. They've done it down here with jobseekers, diseases, and other
fund raisers. Why not pets as well?

Oh, one of the local charities raffled off a gas card for $500 worth of gas.
It is a thought.

Sherry is the best person to ask, IMO, about this as she is as inventive as
she is experienced.

On Aug 3, 1:01�pm, "Baha via CatKB.com" u18616@uwe wrote:
Yesterday there was a story in the local paper that the biggest no-kill
shelter locally, Ten Lives, has had to start turning away cats due to nearly
insurmountable vet bills. Tenth Chance is in a deeper crapper, and also must
turn cats away. So people are dumping kittens at 2 AM on known volunteers'
doorsteps, and someone at Petsmart got ****ed and complained about the
fundraising efforts. Now the Tenth Chance people aren't allowed to verbally
ask for donations. We can put up all the signs we want, but can't outright
ask. On top of it, Tenth Chance was moved for their store shows...into the
d*g area! I love the D-critters as much as anyone, but it's a hell of a place
to put cats for adoption.

Part of Ten Live's problem is actually the gas crunch. They have a corporate
sponsor in Delta-Sonic. (Sorry, i don't know if this place is limited to
Western NY or not. It's a gas-and-wash chain.) More people take the bus, the
less buy gas, and fewer people in to buy the car-wash ticket bundle that
benefits the shelter. Tenth Chance, however, may be the poorest of the bunch.
I try to crochet handbags and things to sell, but I can only work so fast..
(Part of my recent absence from the board was spent playing with yarn, so
that the kitties can get their care.) But dammit, i am only one person. I
have four feet of hair, and I want to pull it out. It is time to organize.. I
have never done a full-out, butt-kicking fundraiser before. Any ideas on how
to get one going? I'm ready to rip oiff the MD Carnival idea to get something
rolling.

Blessed be,
Baha

--
Message posted via CatKB.comhttp://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/cat-anecdotes/200808/1

Baha, I could write about this forever, but the first two things that
came to mind are rummage sales. It takes
several months to prepare; you have to advertise for people to donate
"stuff" first, and have a building available to store it in till the
actual sale. The fairgrounds board loaned us a building for the sale
this year, but usually it was at the shelter, which made the animals
more visible, and we usually got adoptions out of the deal too.
Besides the "stuff", you can have handmade stuff to sell; baked goods;
and some kind of lunch like
hot dogs/drinks. It's *hard* work and takes a lot of volunteers, but
we usually make at least $5,000.
It's better $$$$ if you can come up with something elegant to attract
large donors, too; like a dance, or charity auction held at your
country club or other really nice place. Arrange for them to do a
dinner (beg them to do it at cost)...and sell tickets for $25-$50 per
plate. Hire a nice band, and have an open bar. When folks
get tanked up, they bid better. All auction items are donated; artwork
does well, as does gift certificates, just *anything*. We usually do
about $30,000 on that one. (But it costs several thousand to put on,
you have to do it up ritzy, nice flowers, decorations, all that stuff)
Hey. I have a whole list compiled of fundraising ideas done in Word.
It's everything from cake walks to car washes to homemade dog treats.
I think I can just e-mail you the whole folder, if you want it.
Good luck! Start calling in markers on everyone you know. You can't
have too much help.

Sherry

Baha via CatKB.com wrote:
Yesterday there was a story in the local paper that the biggest no-kill
shelter locally, Ten Lives, has had to start turning away cats due to nearly
insurmountable vet bills. Tenth Chance is in a deeper crapper, and also must
turn cats away. So people are dumping kittens at 2 AM on known volunteers'
doorsteps, and someone at Petsmart got ****ed and complained about the
fundraising efforts. snip It is time to organize. I
have never done a full-out, butt-kicking fundraiser before. Any ideas on how
to get one going? I'm ready to rip oiff the MD Carnival idea to get something
rolling.

Blessed be,
Baha


Lots and lots of purrs and best wishes,
Polonca and Soncek

Sherry wrote:


Baha, I could write about this forever, but the first two things that
came to mind are rummage sales. It takes
several months to prepare; you have to advertise for people to donate
"stuff" first, and have a building available to store it in till the
actual sale. The fairgrounds board loaned us a building for the sale
this year, but usually it was at the shelter, which made the animals
more visible, and we usually got adoptions out of the deal too.
(respectful snip)

I guess my question is, how do you go about asking, setting up, etc?

To call Tenth Chance a shelter is somewhat incorrect. It is a network; there
is no free-standing place where the cats are housed. All the cats are kept in
"foster homes" where they are cared for and socialized until adoption. They
have an "arrangement" with a vet for discounted services, but otherwise have
to rely on handouts and the grace of God.

We do have a KJ who is willing to set up the karaoke system and maybe have
people do a buck a song, if we can get people who have the cojones to get up
and sing. Not everyone has the guts to do it sober, as Louie and I do. We may
have a fire hall. What I don't know is how to get together a corps of
volunteers and get people to donate things like that hefty gas card. Help...?

Blessed be,
Baha

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com