Creatives Unite with Animal Welfare Orgs
June 11th, 2010
Are you an animal welfare group in need of a web or graphic designer, or how about a writer for a press release?
Are you a creative who loves animals who also wants to help give back to animals?
Linda Formichelli’s Creative Professionals for Animal Welfare (Creative PAW) is just the place for all of you. The service pairs animal loving creative volunteers with animal welfare organizations that need a 1- time creative professional to complete a task such as updating a website, creating a graphic for a fund raiser, writing a press release, editing a newsletter or other creative jobs.
Linda developed the database of creatives to help animal welfare organizations over two years ago.
“I was walking with my husband and I told him I knew I wanted to do more with animal welfare,” says Linda, who is a freelance writer and author. “I somehow wanted to use my creative ability.”
Linda knew by volunteering with shelters and at feral feline clinics that most shelters and rescue organizations don’t have the resources necessary to have good marketing campaigns.
“The creative marketing just kind of falls by the wayside,” says Linda.
Originally, Creative Professionals for Animal Welfare was a database that allowed animal welfare organizations to search for the creative talent they needed.
However, the process has recently changed. Now the animal welfare organization fills out a request and Linda forwards the request to a list serve of about 100 creative professionals. If a professional can help, they will contact the animal welfare organization.
Linda doesn’t know how many organizations have been helped as it is up to the rescues and shelters to follow up. “I’ve heard from about 20 of them,” says Linda.
One of those, the Friends of Cullman Animal Shelter, had one of the Creative PAW create a t-shirt logo (pictured). A representative of the organization wrote Linda to say the run of 100 shirts were all sold and the money helped save 40 cats.
If you’re a Creative
Before Linda recently changed the database to a listserve, she had about 2,000 volunteers and that number dwindled to 100 when she changed the procedure. Creative P.A.W.s can always use volunteers. Simply go to the registration page and fill it out. You’ll start receiving emails about on a weekly basis with volunteer opportunities listed. You can then contact the organization directly to offer your volunteer services.
If you’re an animal welfare organization, rescue or shelter
You must be a legitimate 501 (c)3 non profit organization in need of a 1-time project (for example, you can’t hire a writer to editor to write/edit an ongoing project such as a monthly newsletter). “This is not an unpaid part time job,” says Linda. “We want to make sure the organizations aren’t just trying to get free work.” If you need a volunteer, go to this page and fill out the form. Once you receive responses, Linda says it is the job of the organization to make sure the professional is right for your project. When the job is done, follow up with Linda. Success stories make her day!
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Tags: Creative Professionals for Animal Welfare, Creatives Unite with Animal Welfare Orgs, volunteering for animal welfare organizations
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Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell has had dogs all of her life. Her first rescue was Hershey, a miniature black and brown Dacshund. She ruled the Campbell household until 2005 when she passed away at age 16. The case of Scruffy, a Yorkshire terrier whose torture death was videotaped in 1997, horrified the nation when the tape appeared on national news shows. Kerri began covering the trial for the local daily newspaper in Kansas City, Kansas where the crime occurred. Her investigation into animal cruelty cases led to her awareness of the puppy mill problem in that state.
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This is great info Kerri! There are a lot of people who would love to give some time and energy towards helping a rescue organization. Good to know that there are ways to contribute artistic skills to the worthwhile cause of homeless of animals. I’ll be checking out the links, above. Thanks for the post!
Kerri, thanks for interviewing me! We’ve got 8 requests for volunteers this week, so I could use some more volunteers!
Kathleen, You would be a great match for this effort.
You’re welcome, Linda. I hope you get more volunteers!