There've been some very good ideas put forth, such as using websites like iGive.com, the Buck of the Month Club, signing up with ferretstore.com's purchase program and creative fundraising events. I have a couple more ideas to suggest. First, perhaps SOS or the IFC websites could post a feature "Shelter of the Month" article, just a short write-up/bio sketch with a few photos and a wish list. Right now SOS has links to shelters and a list of needs, but there's nothing on the home page that 'grabs' people and makes them want to donate, i.e. a compelling story or lead-in. Visitors to the site can bookmark the page and check back every month to see who's being featured this month, and what some of their critical needs are. The featured shelter should set up a PayPal account, and the article would include a hyperlink to donate online. In addition to raising funds, I think it would be a really nice way for us to get to know the people and faces behind those email addresses that we see on the FML every day. I'll volunteer to do the writeup to submit it to the webmaster for posting. The shelter would provide the information and pics. (Many shelters already have bios and pics on their own websites.) If this is a go, then I guess one way to determine who gets featured and in what order would be first-come first-serve...or even just pick names from a hat. :) Another idea: gift basket raffles can really raise a nice amount of $$. How about if just one person each month volunteers to create a gift basket on behalf of a shelter. Same as above in terms of deciding the order. The contents of the basket could be purchased from another shelter that sells ferret merchandise. You can help two shelters for the price of one. Not only does the raffle benefit a shelter, but the purchase of goods benefits another shelter at the same time. :) A third idea: some of us who run marathons or hike or bike long distances, would people be willing to sponsor us? You could donate $1 for each mile run, or something like that. We in turn donate the money to a shelter. Organizations like the Leukemia Society (which sponsors Team in Training for marathoners), American Cancer Society and Avon (huge walk/runathons) and Multiple Sclerosis Society (annual long distance bike relays) do this with phenomenal success. This would of course be on a much smaller scale, but the same idea applies... Feedback? Other ideas? Susann Thiel [Posted in FML 5477]