Ideas for a bunny toy drive?

[AbbyGirl]

The rabbit rescue is shutting down most adoptions soon due to Easter and they have asked me to help them with this.  In other words, I get to help advertise.  They would like to have a toy drive for the bunnies for Easter.  She would like to do gently used stuffed animal, hard plastic baby/toddle toys,rabbit toys, wicker baskets and wreaths.  She will have a donation box where she works and a dog kennel/pet supply store.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get the word out?

[Sarita]

Does she have a Facebook page? That would be my suggestion.

[Eepster]

Is it that you just want to get the word out that a toy drive is going on, or do you want to really motivate people to come to the shelter for some fundraising and awareness? If you just want to get the word out, you can call the local paper and see if they will run a story on the toy drive and the general plight of easter bunnies.

If you want to really get people into the shelter and do some serious fundraising, you could through a spring bunny festival. For extra fundraising, you can sell photos with the easter bunny (someone with a decent quality digital camera and a small printer, takes photos of kids with a calm/cooperative bunny against a nice background.) Just switch out the bunny frequently so they don’t get fatigued. Sell bags of bunny fertilizer. Sell lemonade. Give free talks and demonstrations about responsible bunny ownership. Etc. Bringing a toy for the toy drive would be the “admission fee.”

[LittlePuffyTail]

What a great idea!! I like that your shelter doesn’t adopt out at Easter. Our local SPCA will not adopt black cats out around Halloween.

I think a Facebook Page is a great idea. Also advertise on kijiji/Craiglist. Maybe have a bunny-themed bake/craft sale if you could find a place to hold it. Bake sales are always a good money raiser for the cat rescue I volunteer with.

[Sarita]

There are 2 type of Facebook Pages – there is one where you are an actual “page” because you are an organization and people “like” you and there is one where people friend you – you would want to be a page because you are a non-profit organization.

In order to get alot of “likes” you have to really actively post on your page as much as possible. Spread the word on your website, ask others to suggest you etc..I started administering the guinea pig rescue page that I volunteer at and it has taken me awhile to get as many “likes” as I’m at, which is not alot at this point (413) but it has increased significantly since I started telling everyone about it and have since posted or at least try to post at least once a day.

Social networking is the way of the future and it’s an easy way to keep people up to date on adoptions, intakes, events, etc…

[AbbyGirl]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I’ll definitely see if they can try some of it. They do not have their own building which is why they do it from their work place. All of their rabbits our at their own houses and in foster care. They will be putting it on their facebook pages (personal and organization). I’ll be posting it on craigslist and where ever else I can think of. Now I just need to come up with an ad………

[Author]

Messages