Online fundraising competition for pets in need runs through May 9
For the sixth consecutive year, Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic is purr-ticipating in a nationwide competition to help fund lifesaving programs and services for pets in Northern Colorado.
This year, Michelson Found Animals has partnered with NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations to sponsor this crowdfunding competition, now called Fund the Shelters Challenge. Last year, Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic finished in third place nationally, raising over $116,000 and competing with rescues across the country. Last year’s third place finish earned the rescue an additional $20,000 prize. This year, the rescue aims to raise $130,000 in honor of their 13th birthday and “13 Years of Lucky Cats (and Dogs)!”
In the past nearly 13 years, Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic has found loving homes for 17,671 cats and kittens, prevented pet homelessness by spaying or neutering more than 60,000 dogs and cats, and distributed over 128 tons of kibble to low-income pet owners in Larimer and Weld counties.
The Fund the Shelters Challenge is Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic’s single biggest donation drive of the year, and the funds raised will directly benefit the thousands of dogs and cats that will be welcomed through the nonprofit shelter and clinic’s doors this year. Open to animal welfare organizations dedicated to keeping pets out of shelters and in loving homes, the online fundraising contest on CrowdRise by GoFundMe launched on April 9 and will continue through 11:59 a.m. MT May 9.
“We think we can win first place this year and earn the $50,000 grand prize, but we definitely need the support of the community,” said Sarah Swanty, executive director of Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic. “It’s a crowdfunding competition, so every donation makes a difference, no matter the size. We have an incredible $64,000 in matching gifts this year, so your gift is essentially doubled. To increase your impact even more, individuals and businesses can join our online fundraising team and reach out to their own circle of friends or clients to get us to our goal. There are incentive prizes to our top donors, fundraisers, and business teams, too.”
The animal welfare organization that raises the most during the Challenge wins a $50,000 prize grant; second place earns $35,000, third gets $20,000, fourth wins $15,000, fifth place earns $10,000, and sixth place earns $5,000. There are also Weekly Bonus Challenges that enable Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic to win additional funds for its mission to prevent pet homelessness.
To help Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic win the 2019 Fund the Shelters Challenge head to bit.ly/FTSC19. For more information about the challenge, contact Director of Philanthropy Ashley Boothe at (970) 670-0210 or [email protected]
About Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic
Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic is an adoption guarantee, nonprofit cat shelter and subsidized sterilization clinic for both dogs and cats. The organization is dedicated to the well-being of all cats and dogs in our community with emphasis on preventing pet homelessness and on the sheltering and placement of surrendered or abandoned cats into loving, permanent homes. To further reduce pet homelessness, our organization also provides spay/neuter assistance and supplemental food to low-income pet owners, behavior resources for cat and dog owners, and a Community Cat Program that traps and sterilizes feral felines. Since its inception, the shelter has found homes for more than 17,600 cats, and the clinic has performed over 60,000 surgeries. More information can be found at www.FCCRSNC.org.