Pet Pawty and Parade Event Project Audit
As part of the DePaul University team and as a group we decided to host a pet parade event to help our fundraising goal of $1,000 in support for PAWS. The organization allowed us to create a fundraising link to facilitate donations and tracking of these. It also allowed us to reach out to other groups and facilitate a bigger audience. We created a digital flyer that we used to promote the event on socials and personally invite friends and family.
The event was held at Wicker Park Friendly Dog area on Nov 2nd, 2023. The theme of the event was Dia de Muertos. We organized activities such as trivia with questions related to both Dia de Muertos and overall pet care, costume contest, and raffles. Through sponsorships, we secured goodie bags with trats for the dogs, as well as gift cards for the owners that won any of the activities.
Description of charity selected
The charity we selected was PAWS Chicago. PAWS is a national organization that supports No Kill animal sheltering. Its purpose is to build No Kill communities, end overpopulation of homeless animals, and transform animal welfare. They do so by providing adoption, donating, volunteer, and fostering opportunities.
Project Success Metrics
The goal of the project was to raise awareness of the initiatives and involvement opportunities that PAWS offers, as well as raise funds to help these efforts. The success of the event was measured by the number of people that attended the event and total amount of donations. We had a total 30 people which was our most likely scenario, and total amount of donations of $796, which was higher than our most likely scenario.
Lessons Learned
Ensure things keep moving, don’t assume things are moving. If you have not heard from a sponsor or venue within 24 hours, make sure to follow up. Don’t be afraid to go in person to talk to someone, it is better to invest the time to speak with someone in person than to keep waiting for a response. Be flexible and adjust as necessary, this is important because things might not always turn out like we planned but being flexible allows for an opportunity to better the situation.
