Looking for a creative and heartwarming way to support your local animal shelter all year long? Consider creating your own calendar! In this post, we’ll discuss how you can create a great-looking calendar that not only promotes some furry friends, but also helps raise funds for your shelter or rescue.

And best of all, we have a great template that you can use to get started!

What Goes into the Calendar:

• Captivating Canines and Feline Friends: Populate each month with heart-melting images of the shelter’s dogs and cats. Try to match your pictures to the month. For example, put some dogs and cats in cute costumes for the month of October. Or get some window winter shots for January.
• Pets of the Shelter Employees: Add a personal touch by taking a month to feature the furry family members of your shelter’s employees.
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Now, here’s where you can help cover your printing costs. Offer businesses or individuals the chance to sponsor a specific month in the calendar. Their logo or name can be prominently displayed on that month’s page, alongside their chosen image.
• Pet Inclusion for a Fee: Let supporters have their own pets featured in the calendar. Charge a reasonable fee for each submission.

How to Sell the Calendar:

• Online Sales: Utilize your shelter’s website and social media platforms to promote and sell the calendar.
• Local Events: Sell the calendar in person at local events, fairs, or adoption drives. Having a few of the calendar’s ‘stars’ present can make it even more enticing.
• Subscription Programs: Offer the calendar as part of a recurring donation program. Donors can receive a copy as a token of appreciation for their recurring support.
• Giveaways and Promotions: A few months into the year, consider giving away remaining calendars at events and to pet adoptees.
• Donor Appreciation: Show your gratitude to your loyal donors by gifting them a calendar as a token of appreciation. It’s a thoughtful way to nurture your donor relationships.

Get Your Free Template

We’ve created a free Canva calendar template. This template makes it easy to create your own calendar. Just add your shelter’s images, captions, and sponsorship details. Then you can export the finished file for printing where you choose. You can access it through the Asset Library.

Download from the Asset Library (bottom of screen).

Printing Options

After you’ve designed your fundraising calendar to perfection, it’s time to bring it to life in print. Here are some options to consider:

• Local Print Shops: Print shops or professional printers in your area can guide you through the printing process. They can help you choose paper quality, and provide a finished product.
• Online Printing Services: Numerous online printing companies offer a wide range of options for calendar printing. Some popular choices include Vistaprint, Shutterfly, and Printful. You can upload your design and choose from various customization options.
• Print Through Canva: You can also print your design directly through Canva itself.
• Local Printers for Special Features: If your calendar includes special features like embossing, foil stamping, or unique binding methods, you may need to work with a specialized printer.

Quantity Consideration: Decide on the number of calendars you want printed. This will be based on your budget and expected demand. Printing larger quantities may lower your cost savings per item.

Plan how you’ll distribute the calendars. Whether it’s through your website store, at local events, or in partnership with local businesses, (or a combination of them all) having a distribution strategy is essential.

After all, you don’t want all those calendars sitting around in boxes all year!