Who doesn’t love pets? For some people, the love of their pet makes every day better. There’s nothing like your pet getting excited when you come home after work.
If you’re a pet lover you likely already know about the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). They’re one of the biggest humane societies in the world. They’re an established non-profit that works to protect animals throughout the United States.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Donate to ASPCA In Memory of a Loved One
- How to Start an ASPCA Memorial Fund for a Deceased Loved One
Animal cruelty is a huge issue. Making sure that animals get the care they need is a cause that’s very close to some people’s hearts. And it may have been important to your loved one. If they loved animals and were an activist, they probably supported the ASPCA. If you’d like to make a memorial donation in their honor, the ASPCA is a great organization to support.
How to Donate to ASPCA In Memory of a Loved One
The ASPCA offers a lot of donations options. If you don’t want to give a cash donation, there are many other ways you can support the ASPCA’s mission.
1. What do you want to donate?
Making your donation decision is the first step. Of course, you can always give money. But if you’re on a limited budget, the ASPCA also accepts vehicle donations. I
f you have an old car, truck, or boat, you can donate it to the ASPCA. It counts as a charitable contribution, too. That means it can be tax-deductible, which might make a big difference come tax season.
The ASPCA also offers free towing service for your vehicle. So you don’t need to figure out how to get it to them. These vehicles are typically resold with the proceeds of the sale going to the ASPCA. But if you have a special kind of vehicle, like a large van or truck, they may use it for day-to-day work.
2. Who are you honoring?
The next step is to decide who you want to dedicate your gift to. Due to the nature of their organization, the ASPCA allows you to donate in honor of a person or a pet.
3. Get started
Start by going to the ASPCA’s donation page. Go to their home page, then hover over Ways You Can Help. Then, click Ways to Give. Scroll down to Memorial and Honor Gifts. Then, pick the amount you want to give. If you’re looking to give a recurring donation, the Ways to Give page has an option for Monthly Donations.
Once you’ve chosen the amount you want to give, decide whether you want to give anonymously. If you want the recipient to know about your gift, check the box that says “Yes, I would like to mail a card or send an e-card with my gift.”
4. Enter your details
Before you enter your payment information, you need to give your personal information. This includes your first and last name. You should also include your address.
Then, select what kind of emails you’d like to receive from the ASPCA. If you check yes, you may receive a thank you letter for donating, can also choose to receive a subscription to their member magazine.
5. Enter payment
Choose between three payment options: credit card, checking account, or PayPal. Click your option. Then, enter your details.
Before you do, you’ll be greeted with a sentence that confirms your amount. It will say something like: “You are making a one-time donation of $50 to the ASPCA!”
6. Send a card
You might have selected the anonymous option at the beginning. If not, make sure to fill out your details. Write who this donation is in memory of. You’ll need to fill out their name and email. That way, ASPCA can send the e-card to the right person. They only offer one card design; a card with a picture of a dog on the cover. But the message inside can be personalized.
As with a physical card this space can be used to explain your gift. Or you can write a little note to let the recipient know you’re thinking of them.
Click the bright orange button that says Complete Donation. Then, you’re done.
Tip: Honor a beloved pet's memory with a memorial diamond. Eterneva specializes in one-of-a-kind creations to honor your loved ones, furry friends, and their memories.
How to Start an ASPCA Memorial Fund for a Deceased Loved One
Crowdfunding is one of the most popular ways to make a difference today. Lots of people rally around a cause, donate money, and it’s used for a good purpose. But some people are mistrustful of sites like GoFundMe or Kickstarter. And it’s understandable. These sites take a portion of the raised money as part of a fee for using their site.
But the ASPCA is a trusted association, and anything given to them is used to continue their mission. All the money gets funneled to the ASPCA, so all your money goes to supporting animal rights.
1. Create an account
To create or join a campaign, you’ll need to create an account with the ASPCA. You can do this by creating a username and password, but there’s a catch.
The ASPCA requires you to be over 18 to create an account. If you aren’t 18, you’ll need a parent or guardian to register on your behalf.
2. Should you make a campaign?
After you create an account, take a few minutes to review some of the other campaigns. This will give you a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. What details do they include? What goals do they set? The ASPCA lists the top campaigns on the right side of their memorial page. You can review these and make decisions.
While reading through campaigns, you might find one that is like what you were planning to create. So you may not feel the need to create a campaign anymore. Instead, you might just want to donate to someone else’s fund. That’s a great choice, too. But if you want to create a memorial page for a deceased loved one, it’s pretty easy.
3. Pick parameters and details
You’ll need to create goals for your campaign. If you’re not set on raising a specific number, pick a ballpark figure based on other campaigns. The campaign doesn’t shut down once the goal has been reached, so the goal amount is just a placeholder. A good base number to try and fundraise is $1,000. If you don’t reach your goal, don’t worry about it. Any money you raise helps an animal.
Once you’ve decided on your goal, find an image to head your campaign listing. Lots of campaigns feature photos of a loved one with their favorite pet. If you don’t have any photos like that, a simple image of their face will do. The important part is putting a face to the campaign.
Then, it’s time to write a story. Each campaign's story is unique to the person or pet it was created for. Some are very emotional and personal—the kind of stories you might expect to see featured on the news. But others are very professional and detached. Pick the style that fits your writing and personality type.
If you’re struggling with what to include, remember that it’s essentially a biographical paragraph. And it doesn’t need to be all-encompassing. All you need to do is connect their life to the ASPCA. This will show potential donors why their money would matter to this person. If they loved animals and spent their days raising dogs, include that information. Once you’ve written your story, you can complete your campaign.
If you’d like, you can start the fundraising by making a donation yourself. But if you don’t want to, or don’t have the money, it’s time to start sharing.
Once your campaign is complete, a link will be created. You can share this across your social media profiles, emails, and more. Other people can share it, too, which maximizes the amount of exposure your campaign gets.
Giving the Gift of Compassion
Sometimes, especially if your loved one didn’t start end-of-life planning, you’re left guessing what they wanted. Did they want a funeral? Or did they just want donations made in their honor? The best you can do is try. And when it comes to making donations the ASPCA is a great choice.
A donation helps them to protect and enrich the lives of animals. And that means more animals will be placed in good homes and given long and happy lives. While taking the time to choose a custom urn from Foreverence or another memorial gift is a great first step, sometimes you want to do something that leaves a real impact in honor of your pet.
If you’d rather donate your money to a smaller organization, you can always look for the ASPCA’s regional offices. You can donate to them online. But if you’d rather make sure your money goes to that specific office, there are other options. You can donate in person, by check, or over the phone if you prefer. Whatever you choose, you’ll be honoring the passion of your loved one. And that’s what matters.
Sources
- ASPCA. “Memorial Funds.” n.d., secure.aspca.org/donate/memorial
- ASPCA. “Memorial Campaign.” n.d., secure.aspca.org/team/memorial-campaign