Director's Corner
Greetings,
The pandemic has changed so much of our lives, including how we fundraise for our lifesaving work. In-person events have been cancelled or gone virtual and will remain so for who knows how much longer. This is both a challenge and a chance to try new fundraising approaches. It's also an opportunity to refocus on our connection with our donors and celebrate how important they are to our mission. In this edition of Director's Corner, we're sharing fundraising resources. We'd love to hear about your successes and challenges!

Thanks for all you do to make life better for senior dogs. The more we can learn from one another, the more senior dogs we will help!

Sincerely,
Lisa Lunghofer, PhD
Executive Director
Making Our Donors Feel Like Heroes
Donors want to feel like they are making a difference in the world, and one of the best ways to recruit and retain them is to make them feel like the hero. But it takes more than telling them they’re heroes; we need to make them feel like heroes. Crafting effective donor-centric communications that reach deep into the hearts of donors requires the right balance of impact and emotion.

Join us for a fantastic webinar that will explore ways to find your organization’s voice, make the case for your lifesaving work, and tell compelling stories that move donors.
Presented by: Kelly Cramer
Kelly is an animal lover and fundraising professional, in that order. She's currently the senior manager, development strategy at Best Friends Animal Society.
Making the Donor the Hero:
Tips for Effective Donor-Centric Communications
Tuesday, February 23, 1pm ET / 10am PT
Fundraising Tips from Our Colleagues
RKD Group and The Nonprofit Alliance supported a study that looked at donors’ thoughts about year-end giving. They found that large donors still had more to give despite the challenges of 2020. In this article, four animal welfare organizations, including two of our current grantees (!), share fundraising strategies and lessons learned from the end of last year. 

Click here to read their tips.
Tips and Tools: Online Auctions
With so much of our lives remaining virtual for the foreseeable future, you may be considering (or may have already done) an online auction. Online auctions can be a fun way to keep supporters engaged while also introducing new folks to your organization. Grey Muzzle will launch our first virtual auction this summer.

Here is a handy list of platforms if you're just starting out. We'd love for you to share your experiences and ask questions of one another on our grantee Facebook page!

Bonus: Arcstone is offering a free webinar all about creating successful virtual events. Learn more and register here.
Our 2021 Call for Grants is OPEN!
We are accepting applications through Tuesday, March 16. We encourage you to consider how your proposal might draw on the findings of our Maddie's Fund study. We are particularly interested in projects focused on keeping senior dogs out of shelters and with their people. New and creative strategies are welcome! Also, ICYMI: Here's the playback of our overview webinar for prospective applicants.
The Grey Muzzle Organization | Website