The Cat Network Finds New Ways to Thrive

There must be a special place in heaven for people who rescue animals. I asked the question, "What are you doing to cope with financial challenges?" Jill Steinberg, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Cat Network, Inc. wrote back. Often, here on Nonprofit Conversation, we feature big Nonprofits with big ideas and every so often, I like to feature small, local Nonprofits who are tackling the world's problems one person, animal or issue at a time. The Cat Network in Miami rescues cats, provides spay, neuter and adoption services. And they are amazingly creative in their fundraising efforts! If you are in the Miami area, give them a hand, donate to this cause or adopt one of their lovely foster cats. Bunnie

The Cat Network Finds New Ways to Thrive

by Jill Steinberg, Secretary of the Board, Cat Network, Inc.

Bunnie,

The Cat Network, Inc, http://www.thecatnetwork.org/ is using social media to promote our mission to spay/neuter feral and stray cats as well as to adopt cats.

We have helped the public spay and neuter over 50,00 cats and have adopted out over 6500 cats to the public.

Without the use of Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, I could never achieve getting more members giving as easily as we have in the last 4 months. With two challenges, we will have raised over $4000 in 4 months and added about 100 new members to our non profit group. We also have added JustGive Donation buttons and are currently working on adding PayPal and Signing up for Mission Fish/Giving Works to do EBAY auctions. I have also been able to connect to other people in small non-profit animal welfare groups and we have shared ideas on grants, donations, and web presence.

We have also partnered with the Humane Society of Greater Miami and Miami Dade Animal Services to get maximum penetration to our target audience

Since we are so hands on as a board and we have no Executive Director, only volunteers, we do everything except the vetting ourselves.

We have a van, known as the Miami Meow Mobile which is manned by local vets as well as using certificates for our Spay/Neuter Program

We have various fund raisers during the year, Toast to Cat Network(for our large donors); Pet Fest(for the public) and various small fundraisers at our adoption venues.

We have recently partnered with a retail chain that will give us 10% of the proceeds of the day we are there showing our cats. It averages about $250 each time we are there and we can go once a month thus hopefully netting about $2000 for this venue and also hopefully being able to adopt more cats to the public

We have also partnered with the cities in Miami Dade County for more exposure.

One of the things, remarkably that has helped us was the Cat Killings in Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay, here in Miami. We were involved in disseminating information to the public and we received numerous amounts of publicity around the world for our involvement.

Jill can be reached www.thecatnetwork.org

or info@thecatnetwork.org