Shouting from the mountain top! Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region
With an ambitious goal of $20,000 for its 2019 Colorado Gives Day (CGD) campaign, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) implemented some creative marketing strategies and a successful match program that helped them not only meet, but far exceed their fundraising goal.
HSPPR is the largest animal welfare group for homeless and abused animals in Southern Colorado. Founded in 1949 without affiliation to a national organization, it depends on donations to fund its work as a local, independent nonprofit. They never turn an animal away, and they give every animal the care and respect they deserve to ensure the best possible outcomes.
They began participating in CGD in 2011 after donors expressed interest in supporting them through the program, and participation has allowed them to acquire new donors. Having participated for nine years now, the thing that still surprises them about CGD is how much donations grow from year to year, sometimes almost doubling totals from years past.
When asked what she’s learned from participating in CGD, Amanda Wilson, Annual Giving Manager at HSPPR, shared three things that might help other nonprofits as they ramp up their campaign this year:
- It’s important to send multiple emails for your campaign and start sending them early.
- Make sure to post about Colorado Gives Day on your social media accounts.
- For us, Colorado Gives Day campaigns are most successful when we choose a single animal to focus on or a tangible item for which to raise funds. This year we are focusing on a Dachshund puppy named Charlotte who arrived at HSPPR in critical condition and needs extensive medical care.
They also get creative with their social media posts. Last year their social media campaign included a “Tweet-Along,” where they tweeted posts throughout the day to demonstrate a “day in the life” at HSPPR. Team members were asked to send pictures of themselves doing their jobs throughout the day while three staff members floated around the shelter taking photos. The communications team tweeted each of the photos as they came in throughout the day, tweeting roughly 250 photos during CGD. “It was a lot of work, but it was work that really paid off,” Wilson said.
When asked about their hopes for CGD this year, Ms. Wilson said they hope to raise $2000 more than last year, noting that “our supporters have been very generous throughout this challenging year. I’m hopeful that their kindness will carry through the holiday season and make this Colorado Gives Day successful. We also have a $10,000 match from our friends Bill and Teri Mantia, meaning each donation will have double the impact for homeless pets, so we are very hopeful.”
To build your own successful campaign this year, we invite you to download our Nonprofit Toolkit.
There’s also an Ambassador Toolkit you can share with your ambassadors so they can help you spread the word.
You can also reach out to our team anytime at communications@communityfirstfoundation.org with specific questions or to share your creative ideas.
