Bringing about a time of No More Homeless Pets no doubt takes more than one national organization — it takes a movement, with a multitude of animal groups, big and small, contributing to and advancing that movement within their respective communities.

To help organizations do exactly that, Best Friends has created the Network Charities Program, running right now on the recently revamped Best Friends Network, a cutting-edge social networking site with an array of tools for saving lives.

Network Charities offers animal organizations the ability to promote their life-saving work on the Best Friends Network and communicate with a captive audience of tens of thousands. All non-profit 501(c) (3) animal welfare organizations committed to achieving a time of No More Homeless Pets are invited to apply.

After being approved by Best Friends, a group can then create its own mini-website on the Best Friends Network. From there, a wealth of possibilities opens up, including the abilities to:

•    Accept donations online.
•    Announce and promote fundraisers, awareness-raisers, adoptions and other events.
•    Educate viewers about your organization, the work you’re doing, the issues you confront, and ways the public can help.
•    Recruit volunteers from the Best Friends volunteer database.

The only expense an organization will ever incur by being part of our Network Charities is the small cost associated with online donation processing (which is paid to a third party donation processor, not Best Friends). And with that online presence, your organization benefits from Best Friends’ state-of-the-art marketing, promoting our Network, our Network Charities Program and, in turn, your organization.

“The program is an opportunity to take advantage of the visibility that Best Friends has with the public and with the over 78,000 registered users of the Network, all people who care about animals,” says Lavanya Raju, Network Charities’ coordinator. “In addition, a Network website allows groups to engage their supporters with a two-way communication using news, blogs, forums and media files. And, it’s easy to do!”   

Now is the time to apply, because on November 9 we begin our Network Charities’ “Double Your Impact” challenge, in which Best Friends will match every dollar donated to each participating organization (with an individual maximum donation of $500). The challenge, introduced as part of Best Friends 25th anniversary celebration, lasts 25 days (until December 4) or when a total of $25,000 in donations to all organizations is reached.

So that your organization can be approved for the Network Charities Program before the challenge begins on November 8, be sure to apply now. For those who volunteer at or support a local shelter, be sure to encourage that shelter to apply for this program so it too can gain from the “Double Your Impact” challenge and from all of the great networking tools Network Charities has to offer.

For more information on the Network Charities Program, click here.

To submit an application on behalf of your organization, click here

Photos by Molly Wald, Best Friends' photographer.

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