Growing up, I always knew I would have cats — my parents had cats, their parents had cats, their parents’ parents…maybe it’s genetic. When I got my own apartment, it was only a matter of weeks before it was time to add a kitty. I began my search at Petfinder.org and came across an “adorkable” kitty named “Roxy” (later renamed Quasi) at the Cool Cats Rescue, a no-kill shelter in Annapolis, MD.
When I met Quasi, the sneezy little kitty with a cleft lip, it was love at first “snarf.” I knew she was something special, and adopted her on the spot. She quickly became a wonderful, attention-demanding addition to my family and I knew I had to give something back. I began listing UglyKitty buttons in exchange for $1, $5, and $10 donations to Cool Cats. That was 18 months and $2,000 ago.
If you’ve ever wanted to thank the shelter who gave you your fabulous furry friend (or help another worthy animal cause), it’s time to use your powers of craft for good and consider donating to your favorite animal charity!
First, there are a variety of ways to raise money for animal charities. Decide which works best for you!
Designate specific charity items in your shop, like these notecards by ImagesbyAileen. She donates money to Petsmartcharities.org from the sale of these items.
Donate a portion of ALL your sales, like greytcrafts and gabrielsaunt.
Try helping locally, like greytcrafts. All her donations go to the Greyhound Pets of America – Arizona Chapter, her local greyhound rescue!
Gabrielsaunt suggests adding “PIF” as a tag, which stands for “Pay It Forward.” PIF items are a way to do a virtual good deed by offering items for the cost of shipping only. Many Etsians search for PIFs when looking to do something good. PIFs can be anything, so get creative with it!
Donate a set amount from an item, like retrowhale.
She suggests sending your donations to the charity at the beginning of every month — almost like a bill. That way you never lose track.
Offer a percentage from a specific item, like CaptureCapeMay.
If you have a lot of supplies, but not cash, consider donating an item to a charity shop, like classichound, who donated this collar to handmade4hounds.
She recommends joining charity teams like handmade4hounds (of course) and Etsy for Animals. Don’t be afraid to start your own team: every bit counts!
Or, go all out and open a shop entirely for charity, like RescueMeTugz.
Through RescueMeTugz, Michele is able to donate more than she ever could on her own. Instead of giving cash, she invests in supplies…for the toys she sells…to raise money for the Heartland Great Dane Rescue!
Things to keep in mind:
- Always remember to offer a tangible item in exchange for the donation. Per Etsy’s DOs and DON’Ts, you must have an item that you intend to sell. Listings just asking for money are a big no-no.
- Think about what items will best lend themselves to donations. For example, if you’re raising money for Golden Retriever rescue, consider dog or Golden Retriever items…that’s your target audience! Also, think about how much materials cost and how much you’d be able to donate, but only give what you feel comfortable giving.
- Give your customers the specifics about donations. Do you donate a portion of all your sales? A portion of certain sales? Do you subtract transaction fees? What about shipping costs?
- Be sure to include a website and specific information about the cause. Customers want to know how their money is helping. Adding a link also gives your listing credibility.
- Help your customers find your charity items. Try adding tags to your listings like: donate, charity, animal, shelter, pets, and team names (“team EFA” is the Etsy for Animals tag). Also, consider making a section in your shop dedicated to charity items.
- Figure out a system that works for you. I prefer to keep an Excel sheet with all the donations until I send them to the shelter. Also, be sure to check with your charity to see how they prefer to receive donations.
Now get out there and help some four-legged friends! And post your animal charity listings in the comments too!
Further Resources
Ace of Hearts Adoption
Heartland Great Dane Rescue
Greyhound Pets of America – Arizona Chapter
Almost Heaven Greyhound Adoption
Cool Cats Rescue and Adoption
Renee, aka UglyKitty, works 9 to 5 as an environmental scientist in Annapolis, Maryland and from 5 to 1 as a frantic crafter. If she had free time she would probably use it to sleep…or bake cupcakes — the world always needs more cupcakes. Quasi is a full-time lounger and enjoys hiding pens under the coffee table, Law & Order (SVU), and sneezing on “her person.”
31 comments
Sign in to add your ownetsyforanimals says:
Soooo wonderful!!!! :) Thank you to Quasi and UglyKitty for helping animals and promoting/helping others who do too!
4 years ago
bluedogrose says:
These are great ideas for helping your favorite charity, thanks Uglykitty! I like to donate to rabbit rescue.
4 years ago
kittenskornercafe says:
this is a great article. lots of good tips in here. ;)
4 years ago
InaBit says:
here's an item that I give a portion of the sales to a dog shelter. It totally promotes dog adoption. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11248111
4 years ago
WhatsEatingYin says:
My family adopted many cats! We still do our bit to help neuter strays and find kitties new homes when we can. Cat Welfare Society is a wonderful organization to work with, http://catwelfare.org So without hesitation, I'm donating part of the proceeds from an item in my shop. After currency conversion, your 50 cents donation is actually 72 Singapore cents. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9986113
4 years ago
mishkat says:
Much-needed information! Thanks to Renee (and Quasi!) for all the money you and other sellers have raised to help animals!
4 years ago
bunny says:
Yay! I have 3 prints for charity. I give all the proceeds to the Mayhew Animal home where I used to volunteer: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8782520 http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8737179 http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8783167
4 years ago
APunkinCardCompany says:
Thanks for the great advice! I think it's time I helped out my local shelter!!!!
4 years ago
BeadedTail says:
Great article and thanks for the information UglyKitty! Our shop also raises funds for animal awareness. We're honored to be part of such an animal-lovin' group here on Etsy!
4 years ago
LissaLushHelpingCats says:
Thanks for writing such a wonderful article, UglyKitty! I wear my Quasi buttton proudly. :)
4 years ago
WHSKR says:
Awesome article and massively helpful!!! You were one of my first purchases on Etsy - Go Quasi the cutie.
4 years ago
andreapratt says:
Sure would love to know how one gets publicity for these listings. I left a note in yesterday's Storque comments for this: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10951582 AND NOT ONE VISIT. What do I have to do?
4 years ago
raghousenternational says:
Cute article. Good information to know.
4 years ago
dragonhouseofyuen says:
What a fantastic and thoroughly informative article uglykitty. Quasi is such a sweetie! (Been in my favourites for ages!) I donate a percentage from some items in my store - mainly to rabbit rescues -as I have 2 little rescued bundles of furry joy. I am also a member of etsy for animals. It's all great work. Here is one of my items donating funds - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10400952
4 years ago
UglyKitty says:
Thanks everyone! I checked out every link and I encourage everyone to do the same. There are some amazingly talented (and generous) people on Etsy!
4 years ago
LolaLynn says:
Thank you for such a wonderful article.
4 years ago
jenmaestre says:
Great article!
4 years ago
misskitty1983 says:
This totally inspired me to do something to help out my favourite Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF Ontario)!! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11406482
4 years ago
SharonFosterArt says:
Yeah! for this article and Etsy for Animals EFA! I have sections in my shop for charity listings - One is for Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=38108§ion_id=5329115 and the other is for AWBAR http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=38108§ion_id=5329113
4 years ago
KreepyKids says:
this is such a wonderful article and it's great that these talented artists are getting promoted for "doing good in the neighborhood"! animals really need our help and it's fantastic to see that there are so many like-minded, giving artists out there. KUDOS!
4 years ago
jenrosesegrest says:
awesome article
4 years ago
makemesmile says:
Quasi is the most famous cat on Etsy. =^x^= Great article. (The profit of my kitty hats is for the animal shelter.)
4 years ago
metroretrovintage says:
How adorable! And what a beautiful story. 'Fashion Kitty' is now in love with Quasi! :)
3 years ago
haighthearts says:
what an awesome idea! i want to do something like this one day.
3 years ago
WabiBrookStudio says:
Thanks for the tips. You've helped to clarify things, can't wait to try out some of these ideas!
3 years ago
zunebest says:
Hello, I am newbie here, This is a nice website Welcome to my website: http://www.mp4-converter.net I donate a percentage from some items in my store - mainly to rabbit rescues -as I have 2 little rescued bundles of furry joy.
3 years ago
faeriegood says:
Our paws are all up for your informative article!!
2 years ago
PawPawsWorkshop says:
Ten barks for this article
2 years ago
JeansVintageCloset says:
Thankyou for educating me with this touching article. We have a Kitty and puppy clinic near our home that works via the donations that they receive. This clinic helps educate pet owners. Many pets can receive the care they need once the charities receive their support
2 years ago
uneeklee says:
This is great! I was wondering how to donate money to the Puppy Rescue Mission. Their mission is to help our soldiers bring home dogs and cats they have rescued in Afganistan and Iraq where they are left to survive on their own or forced to fight. Thank you.
1 year ago
VenusCrystals says:
I would love to do something like this for cats!
294 days ago