Interview! Dr. Lynn Bahr, Feline Veterinarian and Owner of Dezi and Roo
March 17, 2018
Interview! Daniel Spehar, Co-Founder of the Together Initiative for Ohio’s Community Cats
March 24, 2018
As spring approaches (we hope!), so does kitten season — and with kitten season comes added costs for spay/neuter, food, and supplies. One popular current fundraiser that may be able to help you and your group is Kitten Yoga. Below is a tip sheet written by Julie Jacobson on how to run a yoga fundraiser. So start thinking spring — and make a little extra cash with Kitten Yoga!
This can be a fun fundraiser and has worked in all parts of the U.S., in urban and rural areas. (You can probably also do this with puppies, but our experience is with cats.)
1. Find a yoga instructor.
Have some detailed discussions and make some written agreements. Remember, you are talking to someone whose business is yoga and that is his/her livelihood. Be professional and respectful. You are asking for a favor!
Considerations:
Where? If the instructor has her/his own studio, there may be concerns about having animals in and other clients with allergies. You could schedule your event for last of the day and spend time doing solid cleaning afterwards to eliminate allergens. You could also provide an alternate venue if the instructor is willing/able to travel there (venue should be in location convenient for your supporters).
Who? It is helpful if the instructor is willing to do a special class, open to all ages and all levels of yoga experience. Agree ahead of time on the limit of number of students in class and how registration is tracked.
How much? Most groups charge a special rate for the event. You should discuss this with the yoga instructor and decide how much of the fee will go to your group and how much he/she will keep. Don’t expect the entire fee.
2. Find some cats.
Yeah, you probably got those. These events seem to work best with young kittens (under six months old) and those that are litter mates or are from the same foster home. If the kittens know each other, they are more playful and it’s more fun for yoga students than watching cats hiss at each other the whole session. Ideally, all casts will be previously fixed and available for adoption. A good rule of thumb seems to be five to six cats for about twenty students. Have volunteers (foster homes) on hand to help watch cats and keep them from running outdoors.
3. Fundraiser.
You may want to set up a table with some of your literature, a volunteer or two to answer questions about your program, a donation jar, and whatever swag you have to sell (tote bags, t-shirts, etc). For TNR programs, a new live trap can make a nice donation jar, with a base to catch coins, or a soft-sided cat carrier also works as donation jar. If your program also handles dogs/puppies, go ahead and have some of those items available for sale too (dog bandanas, dog treats, etc). You could have door prizes (best downward dog, etc.) and perhaps a raffle (check with your state for gaming legalities).
