The highlight of last week was definitely Giving Tuesday. We love giving days because they require a lot of energy and engagement, inspire great story-telling and creativity, and help to connect us with supporters we often hear from only once per year on these days. This year, our goal was to raise $35,000 as we had two major gifts pledged as matches up to that amount. While we fell short of that goal, we still raised $25,099.00 in that 24-hour period. That money will be used in service to the daily care and husbandry of animals. Thank you to everyone who donated. I am also very pleased that both major donors honored their full matches despite our falling a bit short.
If you missed out on some of those amazing Giving Tuesday stories, be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter. You can find the sign-up widget for that on our home page.
Speaking of fundraising activities, the end-of-year campaign, Unleash the Love, continues. This end-of-year coordinated campaign includes direct-mailings, Giving Tuesday, social media and peer-to-peer efforts, and more. As much as 40% of our total annual fundraising gifts come in during this time. While a tumultuous and uncertain economy continues to suppress charitable giving nationwide, we are still depending on your generosity to support our mission here. So far, we are 44% of the way to our end-of-year goal. That puts us a little behind - can you make a gift today to help us catch up?
Other activities last week included meetings for both the Shelter board and the Cheyenne Animal Shelter Foundation’s board. The Foundation is a separate organization whose partnership is critical to the ongoing success of the Shelter and who stewards the Shelter’s endowed funds. Preparing for these board meetings is a monthly task requiring several staff reports, follow-up items, and logistical coordination. I am grateful both to our staff members who help to support these meetings and to the volunteer board members who give of their time and talents each month to serve the organization and community in this way.
We posted our Q1 contract reports to our website. For anyone interested in viewing those, you can find them at https://lnkd.in/gDS5xEXH.
We launched our final Empty the Shelters event with the BISSELL Pet Foundation. Since the launch last week, our longest two resident dogs, Buck and Molly, have already been adopted! We are still full to the brim with kittens on our adoption floor, and the few adult cats are getting passed over. I would be so happy to see all of these animals get adopted, and be celebrating the holidays and New Year in the safety and comfort of new, forever homes. With the Pet Foundation’s help, adoption fees are deeply discounted from now through the 17th. Please come visit us!
Happy Holidays, everyone.
Here’s the stats:
Intakes: 72
Outcomes: 100
Animals provided with non-sheltering services: 16
Number of animals in care: 164
