Need some inspiration? Learn from one of our successful fundraisers.

Meet Michelle Fulgham – With one email linking to her fundraising page, Michelle told people about her fundraising efforts to keep her local no-kill animal shelter from closing, she raised awareness on television and in newspapers, and also raised more than $15,400, all within the last 9 days.

Michelle is fundraising because
To keep Community Animal Rescue & Adoption (CARA) in Jackson, Mississippi running it costs $1000 per day.

From Michelle’s fundraising page:
We have exhausted every means we know to stay open. We continue to fundraise & donations are coming in, but even our bare minimum expenses outweigh the amount of money coming in.

Michelle has raised more than $15,400 within the last 9 days
Michelle is amazed at the number of donations that have poured in within the last 9 days. Besides donors from the local Hinds, Rankin and Madison Counties, other animal shelters, adopters, or just plain animal-lovers have made donations. Michelle said, “We have received donations from all over the US and even overseas.”

How one person’s fundraising effort has snowballed into a community’s

From Michelle’s fundraising page:
You may have heard the phrase, “The power of one can make a difference”. At CARA we hope to prove that phrase accurate. If a friend came to you and asked if you could “spare a dollar” for them would you? For every 1,000 “Friends” that can do that for us gives us another day!

With just one email, Michelle reached out to every contact in her address book. One of those contacts was a reporter for WLBT channel 3.

That very day she sent the email, Sunday, September 7th, the reporter called the shelter and their story made the evening and night-time news. It also aired the following morning.

From there, the awareness escalated and various local newspapers covered the story.

Now, the community has gotten involved with kids hosting lemonade stands to raise money for CARA, as well as folks and local businesses making financial and non-financial contributions, eg dog food.

Firstgiving has made it easy to focus on other efforts
Because one email and a fundraising page have generated so much publicity and have given CARA supporters a way to donate online, the shelter has been able to focus on other means of raising awareness and money, including letter-writing campaigns, garage sales, and barbeques.