why homeless animal charities traditionally do pretty well in some of these types of contests? i think it is because of a couple of different reasons, but the biggest being because of how personally invested people can be in our charity work. we have a unique ability to include people in the actual nuts and bolts of what we do. we can share the stories, the struggles, the day to day life of rescuing homeless animals.
it becomes personal. we build up a following thru blogs, websites, facebook and the ability to actually personally visit, to touch, feel and witness the work that we do. when the opportunity arises to help us...our followers are right there to see it and right there to help us come thru.
that base of involved and immediate daily support is already built.
animal charities absolutely cannot compete in overall donations to human charities like heart and stoke foundations, red cross disaster relief or cancer research..their donation bases are far greater..far more universal. animal charities are specks on the wall compared to what the big human charities can and do. but their donors while greater in numbers, are also usually farther removed from the great work that these charities do. their donor base expects to write a couple of cheques every year but not to be too closely or personally involved with the work that they actually do.
this is what makes animal charity supportors unique. their love and support for animals is a living, breathing, daily thing. so they have kept involved, they are in the know, they are immediately right there ready to vote as soon as an opportunity to help the animals appears.
it took me awhile to figure this out...the pepsi challenge, aviva, nature's bounty...why do the animal charities, usually so small and insignificant in their donor bases compared to the big human guys, do so well in these contests?
i think it is because while our supportor numbers in comparison are ridiculously small...our supportors are personally invested every day. they have the unique opportunity to be aware of what is happening each and every day. and this means they are right at our sides to vote and spread the word every day.
it is the one thing that animal charities have going for them that the big guys do not.
it is because of the people who live their love of animals every moment of every day that in these types of daily vote contests, the usually insignificant and invisible animals, become the surprising dark horse.
goes to show you, the small can be mighty by just being there.
BIG thank you to everyone who is voting for the saints animals every day!
Naomi has a good point too. From my experience most animal lovers have huge hearts but not huge bank accounts. So something like voting is a huge way that we can show our support! Til we win the lottery! LOL