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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDigital fundraising works best when it starts with people, not software. That is the core advice in Best Friends Animal Society’s guidance for animal-welfare groups: decide whom you need to reach, find out who might realistically give, and only then pick the website, email system or other tools to support those relationships. This guide walks through that sequence in the order a small rescue or shelter would need it.
The advice here draws on Best Friends’ article “Going digital to seek out donors: 7 ways to prepare for adding the latest technology to your fundraising tools”, which relays guidance from Trish Tolbert, a senior strategist in embed development at the organization. It is strategic advice, not a vendor comparison. It reports no conversion rates or channel results, and neither does this guide. Its publication date isn’t shown on the page we reviewed.
Step 1: Define who you are trying to reach
Begin with your existing animal-welfare supporters: adopters, fosters, volunteers and past donors. Then widen the circle to people with adjacent interests, such as kindness, wildlife, habitat or community wellbeing. A person who cares about neighborhood safety or local green spaces may respond to a pitch about stray animals even if they have never followed a rescue.
Step 2: Look beyond current animal lovers
The guidance suggests linking your work to the concerns of local businesses and public officials. Community animal issues, such as strays, public health or neighborhood quality of life, give those audiences a reason to care that is not purely sentimental. Frame your message around the problem they already worry about.
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Step 3: Research prospective supporters
The article points to several public places to look for potential givers:
- Donor walls at other nonprofits
- Annual reports that list supporters
- Local giving patterns in your area
- The networks of your board members and community contacts
These are prospecting leads. Appearing on a donor wall does not mean someone will give to you, or that they can.
Step 4: Assess interest and capacity separately
Each prospect needs to be measured against your actual funding needs. Two questions matter: does this person care about your cause, and can they give at the level you need? The article recommends observing, researching, talking with people who know the prospect, and building a direct relationship where appropriate. Treat the research as the start of a conversation, not a substitute for one.
Step 5: Plan web projects before anyone builds them
If a volunteer offers to build or redesign your website, pause before saying yes. Decide first what the site must do for your organization, and ask peer organizations what worked and what didn’t for them. A free build that doesn’t match your needs, or that nobody else can maintain, can cost more later.
Step 6: Choose a primary channel and size your tools to fit
The article describes email as a relatively cost-effective way to stay in touch with supporters, and it says you can start small rather than buy a large suite of features you won’t use. It doesn’t name or rank any email services, and it gives no outcome figures. Invite subscribers to do more than donate: to volunteer, foster and advocate.
Because the source gives no vendor thresholds, judge any tool against your own situation:
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How many supporters do we have or expect? | Volume determines what plan you actually need. |
| What do we need to communicate? | Appeals, event notices and volunteer calls need different features. |
| Which features will we use this year? | Avoids paying for an oversized suite. |
| Is it affordable over time? | Check ongoing cost, not just the starting price. |
| Who will maintain it? | A tool nobody has time to run won’t raise money. |
Step 7: Put people before technology
The article quotes Amy Ward, identified there as CEO of NTEN, speaking in March 2020 as COVID-19 worries began to affect fundraising:
“Technology is not going to save us. Technology is never first. Technology is last. So, what’s first? People. Always, first and foremost, people.”
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In practice, that means understanding how your supporters think, connect and choose to help before deciding which platform to use.
Where digital fits in the wider fundraising mix
Best Friends’ fundraising resource page lists grants, events, digital solicitations and major-donor relationships as possible parts of a fundraising program. It also says fundraising should be backed by data showing how donations affect animal outcomes. Digital outreach is one approach among several, and it works best when you can show supporters what their gifts accomplish.
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