When an organization like yours collects revenue from the sale of a pet license, what happens to it? You might realize that regardless of where the funds go right away, it ultimately helps offset the costs of your vital local animal care programs.
DocuPet has been on a multi year mission to understand why licensing revenue is so important to these popular services, yet compliance is so uncommon. What we’ve learned is that a license is not just a tool to avoid fines or to return a lost pet, but licenses should be an opportunity for residents to donate to the local animal shelters they value. We discovered in our 2020 Pet Licensing Industry Research Report that local animal shelters are considered extremely important by over 70% of dog owners across North America.
In 2018 alone, people all across North America gave over $400 billion to charitable organizations and causes.
There are countless reasons someone decides to donate time or money, but most likely that decision is made because the cause is close to home. Few things are closer to home than the pup who loves to play or the cat who loves to lay across an owners lap while working. Pet licensing organizations need to be clear about the positive impact the decision to license a pet has on the well-being of the animals in the community.Successful philanthropies can keep donors contributing again and again due to a few simple things that pet licensing organizations should replicate:
- Thanking donors
- Every donation comes with a thank you. Consider taking the time to make sure your license sales include a thank you on their receipts or a friendly thank you the next time that pet comes into the shelter.
- Recognizing donors
- Donors are celebrated. Consider learning the positive pet stories of your licensees and sharing them on social media accounts or on the walls of your shelter.
- Updating donors on the progress of goals
- When donors contribute, they want to know their time and money helped their cause accomplish a specific goal. Define what your needs are and communicate the impact of a license in achieving those goals.
So what does all this mean for pet licensing organizations?
Think of your licensees as part of your donor network and treat them as such. We must allow people to see the impact their licensing decision has on the programs they care so much about. Not only will this reimagining help grow your license sales, this will help ensure your licensees come back year after year because they know they have taken action to help all pets in their community.
DocuPet is prepared to assist you. If you would like to speak with us directly, we have made organizational improvements that allow us to launch new partnerships faster and more efficiently, so click the button below and let us know how we can help your licensing program.