How can i get donations for my animal rescue?

i run a small animal rescue called Ella's Rescue. we're located in long island,ny. i have a website on myspace www.myspace.com/tikko14 where i have a paypal account set up for donations. unfortunately we haven't been getting any. we had to find urgent homes for many of our animals and i have been paying for the rescue out of my pocket. i don't have a government tax id # for my rescue because i was told it's alot of money and red tape. i don't have alot of money right now. i keep posting what we need on craigslist and freecycle but nobody has come forward to help. we really need a 10x10' dog kennel or larger our dogs keep getting out of the property and other pet supplies. how do animal rescues get the funds and their needs met w/o a government id# or tax exept?

i have 3 dogs 2 of them unadoptable 1 fear agressive and 1 too skitsy. i have a tabby cat that i rescued from a pet store that was going out of business, 4 gerbils 1 with a really bad eye due to a fight with his father and over 70 fish. all my animals are rescues and i have found countless others homes. one's i can't take i repost on a variety of sites to get them as much exposure as i can. yes i'm not an animal rescue the size of the aspca but i do my best to help animals in need. my rescue is not a phony nor will ever be. i would honestly give my life to save as many animals as i can putting me in thousands of dollars in debt but the looks on their faces make it all worth it.

start a wish list or try getting a grant from the town or city you live in.

Because you look like you may not have a CLUE!!!!! People dontate to ACTUAL rescues....not people with a MYSPACE page that take PAYPAL.

The reason it takes a lot of time and money to get a Tax ID or to be a Non- Profit agency is so that not just anyone can set one up.

If you want to become legit, you will go the extra mile to BE legit.
There are a LOT of people that parade as a rescue that are really NOT using funds they way they should be used.


**So you currently have a "fear aggressive" and a skitsy dog that get out of the property??? Doesn't sound good. What is going to be done with the "unadoptable" animals??????
What happens is that people end up keeping all the unadootable ones and before you know it, you are a hoarder and the legit rescues have to rescue your rescues.

You could try doing a door knocking service asking for donations and bring a dog which currently lives at the rescue with you.

contact paper retriever and recycle paper they will pay you
have a cash bash
have a silent auction
become a non profit and do lots of fund raisers
our local no kill shelter does a fund raiser every month also put out the word to friends and neighbors what you are doing do not over burden your self with animals as you do not want to be know as a bad shelter
see your local vets and see if they could help with spaying neutering and shots I am praying for you Martha

Set up a web page and ad paypal to it.
Join/shart a yahoo or gmail group and do a raffle
make item and sell it on ebay.

abd let me know i woudl like to start a ferret shelter

Become registered as a charity in your community. contact your SPCA and see if there is some way you can work in conjunction with their activities. Contact you city and find out what is needed to get a tax ID number it may be worth it in the long run.

do a press release and send it out to all your local TV and radio stations. If there are any free newspapers of community newsletter get a notice put into that as well.
Do yard sales or flea markets, lots of communities have flea markets where you can get a table for cheep. Send out notices in your neighbour hood asking for donations of gently used items and let them know about your rescue. If you have a table at a public flea market it is a great way to both spread the word and get donations. print up information sheets about what you do and how people can donate money or items, adopt animals, and how to help out.

Do a bottle drive that's how my high school paid for our graduation decorations. Lots of bottle depots allow people to start accounts so all people have to do is bring the bottles to the depots and say they want to donate the proceeds to you.

If you get a lotto licence you can do a 50/50 draw or a draw on a basket.

Put wish list notices up in pet stores, pet groomers, and vet hospitals.
make up posters explaining what you do and put them up in every public space you can post a notice.

I wish i knew as i have taken on loads of cats and rabbits which were kept in horrendous conditions.Somebody said to me about setting up a webpage with paypal linked to it so people can donate and putting pics of the animals on their also.Good luck

Donations of goods can be gotten by posting 'wanted' on your local freecycle (google your city and that word, then sign up). You can also post over on Craig's List, or any 'sales and barter' lists for your city. You'll need to go pick up the items yourself, but they'll be free or nearly free.

Too bad you don't live in Milwaukee, I've got a group of 60 three ring binders from work that they were throwing out--great for holding vet info or records on the animals. They're being given away to the freecyclers here, and anything left is going to the humane society as a donation.

To be taken seriously you must come across much more professional. Tax ID status certainly would be the first step you would need to take and expand your network with like minded friends who would be willing to serve as "foster" parents for strays. If you are going to keep this as a "one woman show", then don't take in more than YOU can handle, otherwise, you become part of the problem and not the solution.