Over the weekend, I was at the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Conference where I presented a workshop on fundraising that was based on my book Funds to the Rescue. Then I went to Utah to visit the Best Friends sanctuary. Being among so many "animal people" was an amazing experience. I can't remember when I've laughed and cried so much in a 5-day period of time.
One of the conference sessions I attended was presented by Mike Arms, the President and Executive Director of the Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego. When he took over the center, the group was on the verge of bankruptcy. Under his guidance, the animal center went from zero to $7M in its endowment. He also instituted a Home for the Holidays campaign that resulted in more than 313,000 adoptions in the 2004 holiday season. If you ever have the opportunity to hear this man speak, you will leave the room completely inspired to save more lives.
Mike is a businessman at heart and is one of the only people (other than me) who I've heard suggest that we need to apply basic business marketing tactics to adoptions. He says, "we are in the business of saving lives" and that "the animals have our hearts; we need to give them our minds."
He's right!
As a rescue or humane organization, you are in competition with free ads in the newspaper and online, puppy millers, backyard breeders, pet stores, and responsible breeders. Joe Consumer wants a dog or cat and he doesn't really care where he gets it.
Our job is to make adoption the most appealing option for people who want a new pet. If people adopt their animals from rescue, the market for puppy millers goes away. Millers are selling animals for money. It's marketing 101: if there is no market, there are no sales, and being a puppy miller becomes unprofitable.
That's why it is vital to do simple things like making your facility appealing. If you run a foster-only rescue or can't afford to spruce up your facility, do off-site adoptions. Participate in regional "super adoption" events. You need to make it easy and fun for people to adopt your animals.
Turn your screening process into a friendly, supportive dialogue. I've talked before about the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program, which focuses on matching the right animal with the right family, rather than making adoption a "test" that people pass or fail. The training shows you how to communicate more easily and effectively with prospective adopters.
Along the same lines, our next teleseminar is titled, "How to Run Your Rescue Like a Business" with Leigh Siegfried, CPDT & Behavior Consultant at Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training. On Tuesday November 3, at 11 am (Pacific), Leigh will talk about many aspects of business side of rescue, including marketing, advertising, and setting policies. We'll send out the call-in information to our “Helping Paw” and “Golden Paw Insider” Members on Monday.
As always thanks for all you do to help the animals!
~ Susan Daffron
Founder & President, NAPRP
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