Did you know that January is National Dog Walking Month? We thought this could make a fantastic fundraiser to have some fun with our furry friends. 

The most important thing about a fundraiser (apart from the money you make!) is excellent planning and organisation to make sure it’s a successful event for everyone involved – Including the dogs! 

Will your dog walking fundraiser be a one-time event or continuous?

The great thing about a fundraiser like this is that you can run it as a one-time thing or a rolling service that people can do all year round. This month might be National Dog Walking Month, but people need their dogs walking all year round, so why not make it a year-round fundraising opportunity?

Encourage your supporters to volunteer their services to their local village or housing estate, with all the proceeds going towards your cause. 

If your charity is linked to animals then you’re likely to have plenty of supporters willing to take part in this fundraiser. But even if your charity is unrelated to animals, it’s still likely to appeal to plenty of people, encouraging them to do something for their local community as well as spending more time outside. 

If that’s not a good way to start the year then we don’t know what is! 

Will the Dog Walking fundraiser be an in-person event or arranged remotely?

If you’re a community based organisation in a particular area, then you might be considering a group dog walk where people can come and meet together in person and walk their dogs together. 

Whilst this is a lovely idea to bring the community together, there are some factors that you need to consider if you arrange this type of event. 

• Will you be checking that all dogs attending are up to date with vaccinations?
• Will you be ensuring that the dogs attending the event are well trained and behave well around other dogs? 
• Will you have any stipulations on breed or size of dog?

It’s imperative that an in-person event of this type is safe for all humans and furry friends so make sure you consider how you’re going to ensure the safety of all. 

The alternative is to run this as a remote fundraiser, where people take part by walking their dogs on their own terms in the place they live, on any day they like. 

Create a dog walking route for extra donations

If your charity operates in a particular location, you could create some maps with some dog-friendly walks in your local area. Selling these as e-books could bring in even more donations for your cause! 

Not only does this help raise more money, it also means that your supporters can find new places to walk their furry friends. 

Don’t forget to promote your dog walking fundraiser

The more people that know about your fundraising event, the more people you’re likely to get taking part! And the more people taking part, the more donations you will receive. So make sure your dog walking fundraiser is well advertised amongst your supporters.

Talking about it on your social media platforms can help reach a wider audience with new potential donors and supporters finding about your cause. 

You could also share the details of the fundraiser in your email newsletter and of course on your website. Don’t forget to share a link to your online fundraising page, or even better, a Donate Now button. 

Encourage online sponsorships among friends, family and colleagues

Share an online donations platform with your supporters so they can ask their friends, family and even colleagues to sponsor their dog walking efforts! There’s nothing like a bit of sponsorship money to help give some more motivation to incentivise your efforts. 

Check out Donater’s online fundraising platform to find ways to help you fundraise digitally.