The Saving Pets Challenge helps animal welfare organizations raise money for the chance to win grants and prizes to support life-saving programs for pets in their communities.
As part of its commitment to keeping pets in safe and loving homes, the animal welfare non-profit organization Michelson Found Animals (MFA) Foundation has launched the 2021 Saving Pets Challenge (SPC).
In partnership with Mightycause, an online fundraising platform, the online competition will run during the month of September 2021. The program helps animal welfare organizations raise money for the chance to win grants and prizes to support life-saving programs for pets in their communities.
This year, over 200 animal welfare organizations will compete for $155,000 in grant prizes and raise community-based donations to support lifesaving programs in their region. Since its inception in 2014, the Saving Pets Challenge has raised over $8 million for rescues across the country, while MFA has provided an additional $1.2 million in grant money to those organizations. Combined, the Saving Pets Challenge has made an impact of over $9 million to allow these organizations to continue the work of keeping pets out of shelters and in loving homes.
“Thanks to the Saving Pets Challenge, Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue (FTTF) has been able to advance our fundraising efforts for our capital campaign to build our own, one-of-a-kind rescue facility,” said Stacey Greenwald, Operations, Marketing, and Event Coordinator at FTTF. “Over the three years FTTF has participated in the SPC, we have raised over $682,000 in donations and prize money to help us meet the needs of the homeless pets in our community. These funds have allowed our organization to take the next steps needed to grow by purchasing 46 acres of land for our facility and providing support for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts to reduce local feral cat populations.”
This challenge goes beyond traditional grant-making impact. It creates an opportunity for animal welfare nonprofits to learn critical fundraising skills and build a donor base that will help them achieve their lifesaving goals by competing for cash prizes.
“The Saving Pets Challenge has been an exciting, innovative way to raise money for animals in need,” said Kelly Cockerham, Institutional Funding Officer at the Stray Cat Alliance. “The challenges allowed us to learn new techniques for fundraising and helped us hone in on P2P engagement. In participating in these challenges, and through the generosity of Michelson Found Animals, we raised funds that allowed us to save thousands of cats and kittens in need.”
There are two ways for groups to compete. First, groups that raise the most money during the Challenge will be rewarded with cash grants from Michelson Found Animals Foundation, totaling $105,000. Second, there are weekly Bonus Challenges totaling $50,000, which are designed to encourage participation throughout the challenge, regardless of organization size.
“Michelson Found Animals Foundation is committed to keeping pets safe and in loving homes,” said Brett Yates, CEO of Michelson Found Animals Foundation. “We started the Saving Pets Challenge to inspire organizations to develop creative ways to raise funds, while providing resources and toolkits for organizations to continue these efforts even after the challenge ends. This past year has been especially difficult for shelters and rescues due to the pandemic, so it is more important than ever that the animal welfare community find support and funding to keep up this lifesaving work.”
After completing the application form, eligible organizations receive a toolkit filled with helpful items and information including sample messaging, webinars, email and social media content, and more to ensure that they have everything they need to clearly communicate the goals and objectives of the fundraiser with their community. Competitors have until September 30 to raise funds for their program and compete for donations and bonus prizes from Michelson Found Animals Foundation along the way.
For more information on the 2021 Saving Pets Challenge and participating organizations, click here.
