Category: Events

MAXIMIZE YOUR FURRY 5K IMPACT – JOIN A VIRTUAL TEAM!

Posted on by Carol Eicher

If you’ve already registered for the virtual Furry 5K on Sunday, August 16, benefiting the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, you’ve taken your first step toward helping Seattle’s homeless pets.

Now that we’ve gone virtual, we’re asking you to reach out to your community further extend your impact to help cats, dogs, and critters in need. How? Create or join a fundraising team!

When you create a personal fundraiser or team up with your friends and family, you maximize the opportunity for pets in need getting the care they need.

Donations from the Furry 5K:

  • Provide top-quality vet care with advanced medical equipment and supplies
  • Assist with adoption and foster care programs
  • Support feline fospice care
  • Create and expand the life-saving behavioral program
  • Improve the physical and mental needs of thousands of cats, dogs, and critters until they find their forever families

With a few quick, easy steps you can connect with your community and help shelter animals, all while safely at home. Follow these five steps to get the most out of your Furry 5K fundraising team:

  1. Personalize your fundraising page:

    The most important thing you can add to your page is why you are fundraising to support Seattle Animal Shelter pets. Let your family and friends know why this matters to you; that’s what they care about most!

  1. Assign your fundraising goal (most teams target $150 per person)

    Start with your close contacts: It’s always best to start by emailing your close contacts because they are the most likely to donate. Send personal messages to your inner circle to build up some momentum. See if your employer will match your gift, too. Share with your contacts that every cat, dog, and critter who relies on the care of the Seattle Animal Shelter this year will benefit from their support.

  1. Invite others to join your Furry 5K team

    People want to feel connected now more than ever. Reach out to the animal lovers in your life – your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, your family, your community groups. Asking for even just $10 can provide vaccines for two pets in need.

  1. Share your fundraising page

    Share your fundraising page on social media and promote your fundraising goals (be sure to include the link to your page). Use social media to tag and thank people that have already donated while you are asking for new donations. This spreads your message further and lets the people you are asking know that people are already supporting you.

    If you want to take your fundraising to the next level, check out our 10 tips for meeting your fundraising goal.

  1. See your impact

    Keep an eye on the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation to see how donations like yours help pets in need. You can keep in touch by following SASF on Facebook, Instagram, or subscribing to our newsletter. And don’t forget to check out all the pets you’re helping by looking at Seattle Animal Shelter’s adoptable pets.

On behalf of all of Seattle’s homeless pets, thank you for taking these extra steps to help give animals in need the care they deserve.

If you have any questions or need support, please reach out to us at [email protected]

Q&A with Auction Emcee Tracy Turner

Posted on by Carol Eicher

KIRO 7 Traffic Anchor and Emcee Tracy Turner Shares why Seattle Needs the Annual Furevermore Fundraising Gala

published: 2019/10/13

By Taylor Laidley

The Furevermore Fundraising Gala is the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s (SASF) most anticipated event of the year. Its proceeds are essential to the survival of some of the shelter’s most important programs, including the Behavioral Training Program, which has helped save more than 3,572 animal lives to date. The Gala, which is expected to sell out this week, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, at The National Nordic Museum in Ballard. We sat down with Tracy Turner, traffic anchor for KIRO 7 and emcee of this year’s event, to talk about what Seattle animal lovers can expect from the 9th annual dinner and auction and why it’s so important to the city.

What do you think makes the Furevermore Gala unique compared to other events that you’ve attended?
Tracy Turner: What makes this event unique is the people and the passion that goes into it. You can tell in the details—everything from the food that is served, to the placements on the tables, to the atmosphere, to the small talk. Even if I wasn’t a part of it every single year and asked to emcee, I’d still be there. I would still be a part of it because I totally believe in everything that they’re doing right now.

It sounds like an animal lover’s paradise.
TT: I think anybody that’s involved with animals—across the board—there’s a special place in this world for them. They have big hearts and big minds and big ideas, and if they could, they would rescue every single animal. The difference between any other shelter [foundation] and the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is the people that are involved. They not only help with the dinner and the auction and the Gala, but they also go into the shelter and volunteer their time. And you don’t see that a lot with other animal foundations and charities. The people that are involved dedicate a lot of their time to make sure that the animals find their proper homes, get them proper training, the proper rehabilitation…At the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation—they’re just good people. And you feel that when you’re in the room. The electricity, the feeling, it’s just—you can’t describe it.

This is your fourth year as emcee for the Furevermore Gala! Tell me how you got involved with SASF.
TT: So, I am an animal advocate. Ann Graves (Executive Director of SAS) approached me and asked if I would be interested in not only supporting them, but also being their emcee one year, and I never hesitated. I love animals so very much. And if you were to come to our house, you would understand. I am one of those crazy dog ladies. I have two wiener dogs, and we’re officially getting another one in about two weeks.

That’s awesome! Are they all rescue animals?
TT: Yeah, so I rescued Lucy a little over eight years ago. And then we rescued Clark just last year. And we just adopted and rescued from the Auburn Humane Society little miss Millie. She will be joining our family here in mid-October. I’m sure you can see the theme. We have human names for all of our pets. My little girl is a “Stranger Things” fan, and she was super pumped when she found that the dog’s name was already Millie. She was like, “Oh my gosh, we don’t have to change her name!”

Why are you excited about this year’s event, and what will you bring to it?
TT: I like to call myself a facilitator of fun. I just kind of keep things moving. Any other dinner and auction can be long and drawn out and whatnot. I think the one thing that makes a difference with the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation dinner and auction is that it’s fun. They have such unique items available for auction. And people know that the money they’re spending toward them is going to help with the animals in the shelter.

Also, they really play into finding homes for their animals at the Gala. They have what they call a “kitten tent.” You can go in, and you can play with all of the kitties. When I get there, I immediately lose my child because she goes straight there, and she’ll be in there until you tell her it’s time to go. And they have people there that are educated on the animals that are up for adoption right now.

You mentioned that they have some really unique items up for auction. Can you tell me more about those items/experiences?
TT: For the last two years, they’ve had an auction item that was a ride-along with a King County Animal Control Officer. They get reports of animals in abusive situations. And you kind of see a day in the life of what they do and the calls that they go out on. I’ve talked to a couple of the animal control officers who have given their time, and some of the stories that come out of the ride-alongs are pretty interesting and pretty funny as well. Another auction item that they have is a ride-along with a King County Sheriff’s Office Canine Unit. There’s a new canine unit that came on board last year. It was unbelievable the amount of support towards it and how many people really wanted to be a part of that.

Why should Seattleites care about this event and the work that this organization is doing?
TT: The work that they’re doing is to help our community. If you are an animal lover, or if you have even just a little curiosity about what the city does when it comes to its animal control programs, this is something that you’ll want to check out.

2019 Furry 5K Results

Posted on by Carol Eicher

We raised more than $113,000!

Thank you for all your support at the 2019 Furry 5K. The annual fun run and walk was a huge success! In case you still want to give to help the Help the Animals Fund, we are collecting donations through Sunday, June 30th. If you would like to make a donation, please visit this page for more details.

Check out your photo booth pictures here!

SASF Recruiting New Board Members

Posted on by Carol Eicher

The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) is currently recruiting new volunteer Board Members and non-Board Member committee volunteers. We are particularly interested in applicants with expertise in the following areas:

  • Auction and Events, including planning and executing auctions and other large- scale fundraising events, managing and participating in procurement activities, and partnering with local businesses to co-host smaller events or support other fundraising activities.
  • Development and Fundraising, including individual fundraising efforts such as direct mail and major gift solicitations, creating and implementing strategies for donor acquisition, and knowledge of fundraising cultivation and stewardship practices.
  • Governance, providing operational, administrative and legal support to the board as well as leading recruiting and grants processes. We are also seeking a Secretary for the 2019 SASF Board that would also serve in the Governance Committee. The ideal candidate has strong human resource, legal, industrial organization, nonprofit and/or “small company” operational skills and is passionate about helping Seattle’s animals.
  • Recruiting Specialist, who will will be an integral part of our 15-person board and supporting our Vice President. Among duties are: own and present SASF’s annual hiring plan to the Board; recruit volunteers, committee members and board members for SASF; The ideal candidate has 2+ years experience in Recruiting. Experience recruiting unpaid volunteers is preferred but not required.

See Job Descriptions and Application Instructions

About the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation

SASF is a 501(c)(3) organization and our purpose is to enrich and enhance the lives of animals cared for by the Seattle Animal Shelter. Our priority is to raise additional funds to help support the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) in its mission to foster caring relationships between people and animals.SASF provides funding to support the many services and programs of SAS. Some examples include:

  • Dog kennel renovations which allow for a calmer, healthier space for both animals and adopters.
  • A complete renovation of SAS’s cat and critter areas (completed December 2015), which allows for more flexible space for the cats and critters.
  • Construction of a new SAS Meet and Greet Room allowing animals to meet potential adopters in a quiet indoor space.
  • A veterinarian clinic room to allow for onsite veterinary assessments and treatments.
  • Quality-of-life improvements for all SAS animals including a cutting edge behavioral program to train SAS staff and volunteers to assess and train SAS shelter animals that would previously have been deemed unadoptable.
  • Adoption underwriting to help animals find their forever homes faster.
  • Training and supplies for foster homes and in-shelter volunteers.
  • Spay and neuter assistance for pets in low income families.Through innovative community events, outreach programs, and volunteer opportunities, we help SAS fund creative solutions for immediate needs, pioneer new programs, and build on what the City already provides. We are helping to place the nation’s most pet-friendly city on the leading edge of humane animal advocacy. We hope you will join us!

Board Member Specifics

Responsibilities of Board Members:

  • Attend all Board meetings (1 per month), and the annual Board meeting and occasional teleconferences
  • Chair one Board committee or serve as a key contributing member on two committees.
  • Maintain knowledge of the organization and personal commitment to its goals and objectives.
  • Attend and support SASF’s major fundraising auction and events.
  • Current weekly time commitment is approximately 5-10 hours
  • Contribute $1000 to SASF in funds or in-kind donations (solicited auction donations count towards $1000)

Benefits of Board Membership:

  • Contribute to a cause you care about in a high-impact way. Serving on the Board of an organization gives you the ability to significantly impact the lives of Seattle’s animals.
  • Gain important skills. Board Members are expected to actively participate in strategic planning, financial management, and fundraising. Bring your existing expertise and gain new knowledge through your Board experience.
  • Expand your network. Your fellow Board Members, the staff of our organization, and its funders, donors, and clients will considerably expand your personal and professional network.Board Members serve three-year terms. Board Members may serve two consecutive terms and return to the Board after a one-year absence.The SASF is an all volunteer-run organization, and this is a volunteer opportunity. Board Members will not receive monetary compensation for their board duties other than reimbursement for Board-related expenses.

Volunteer Committee Member Specifics

Responsibilities of volunteers

  • Contribute time to assist with committee-specific projects and needs. Time commitment for volunteer committee members varies depending on projects, but is generally less than board members.
  • Attend volunteer orientation and complete volunteer onboarding forms.

Benefits of Volunteer Committee Membership

  • Join a community of passionate animal advocates to help SAS shelter pets with less time commitment then full SASF Board Member.
  • Learn more about SASF board membership and explore future board member roles.

Applying to the Board and to be a volunteer Committee Member

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer Board Member or a volunteer Committee Member, please submit a letter of interest and resume to [email protected] by January 7, 2019 for a January 9, 2019 interview and by January 20, 2019 for a February 13, 2019 interview.

We would also like to invite you to an open SASF Board meeting on January 9, 2019. If you are interested in attending this meeting, please email [email protected]. The meeting will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at WeWork in South Lake Union. We will interview potential new candidates after the open Board meeting on January 9, 2019 at WeWork in South Lake Union.

We also expect to interview potential new candidates on February 13, 2019 at WeWork in South Lake Union. We may be able to accommodate limited interviews at alternate times if January 9, 2019 or February 13, 2019 are not possible.

Furevermore and More – Event Roundup 2018

Posted on by Carol Eicher

You knew it as It’s Raining Cats and Dogs in previous years. Beginning in 2018, we’re ushering in a whole new fundraising era. Our 8th annual fundraising gala – Furevermore – brings our donor community to the auction table in honor of Seattle’s shelter animals. Tickets are on sale now!

The Ziva X-Ray Suite is now open and serving the dogs, cats and critters of Seattle. Dedicated to retired Seattle Police Department K9 patrol dog Ziva, Officer Mark Wong and our generous donors celebrated this milestone moment at the Seattle Animal Shelter to dedicate this innovative, high-tech facility to the shelter.

Thank you, Ziva, Officer Wong, our amazing donors and all who attended the event! Special mention to Seattle Barkery, Street Treats and Rachel’s Ginger Beer who gave their time and goods to support this cause.

Beer and dog lovers unite! This summer, Seattle’s craft beer enthusiasts have poured hundreds of pints in the name of shelter dogs. Urban Family Brewery and Floating Bridge Brewery donated proceeds from their fundraising events to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. Coming up, we thrilled to partner with Growler Guys for Dog Day Afternoon on August 26. In November, we’re partnering with Reuben’s Brewery to keep the dog love-fest going well into 2018. For details visit SeattleAnimalShelterFoundation.com/events/

Join us for Creeptacular 2018 at the Seattle Animal Shelter on Saturday, October 6, 1-4pm. This special event promotes awareness of critters at the shelter, as well as educating the public about good critter care. We hope to see you there with family and friends!

It’s the Critters: Creeptacular 2018

Posted on by Carol Eicher

Creeptacular is upon us once again! Join us at the Seattle Animal Shelter on Saturday, October 6, 1-4pm for a special event to promote awareness of critters at the shelter, as well as educating the public about good critter care.

For 2018, we are thrilled to have the following organizations as our guests: All Parrot Rescue, Pacific Herpetological Society and Washington Ferret Rescue.

Bring family and friends for some critterly fun. We’ll have special treats on hand to feed the critters, and photographers to capture the spookiness!

Save the date!

Creeptacular 2018
Saturday, October 6
1-4pm
Seattle Animal Shelter

We look forward to seeing you!