Give For Good Louisville Annual Fundraiser Recap (GFG Feels A Lot Like Playing the Lottery)

 -And I don't play the lottery.  

While I don't judge others for gambling (most everyone has his or her vices and/or diversions), I for one don't gamble. 

    OK, you'll catch me buying a scratch off maybe twice a year, when I've received birthday money for example.   And naturally, it's rare that I win.  And when I have won, it's never been for more than $20.00. 

     That's all fine and well.  It's no big deal, but for the fact that I don't like it.   I'm a very passionate and engaged human being, so it's in my nature to 'go there' quickly and with an almost-pre-conceived notion that, 'I'm gonna win.'   If I'm scratching off for a potential $20,000 grand prize, try as I may to reel myself in, I'm seeing myself winning that $20,000 prize as I scratch away ~not the $20 one.   

    Then the let down is so... disappointing.  It's so icky to feel like you've lost, when you've invested time, energy and a few bucks into this endeavor, and it was all for nothing... or for $20... a number missing 3 zeros at the end?!  -Just no.  It's not for me.  No bueno. I don't like it. 

Give for Good Louisville is an Amazing Opportunity to Fundraise. 

    In my opinion, it's by far the best opportunity to fundraise in and around Louisville, Ky.  

    It:

   -comes around just once a year

   -engages thousands of people supporting their various favorite local charities (this year 23,155 individuals donated thru the platform on or around giving day)

     -boasts the involvement of a dozen or so big-name, area corporations (LG&E, Brown Forman, Churchill Downs to name a few)

    -offers nonprofit participants pre-made graphics to share, weekly reminder emails to help keep your org on track with giving day objectives, free zoom trainings leading up to the big fundraising day, the potential for media coverage, an interactive chat with real people to assist you with your Give for Good profile, office hours for in person assistance leading up to the big day and...  

    -the highly-coveted potential prize boosts

And this, my friends, is where I struggle most with Give for Good (the only fundraiser this rescue participates in annually).

    On giving day, any $10 or more donation that goes to your org., can be 'randomly boosted,' at different times of the day, and at different amounts... the largest being $20,000.  -A $20,000 boost??!!     Well me being my impassioned and creative-visualizing-self, had already pictured WHAS 11 whisking over to the Z-bar where we were holding our little GFG event to interview me on 'how I felt after winning a $20,000 boost for my local nonprofit.'  

    -We didn't win the $20,000 boost.  We didn't win any boost. Whaah, whaah, whaaah... so, even though the fundraiser went extremely well for being a small, foster-based pet rescue, bringing in $2,690 from 33 unique (and awesome) donors (this total includes a generous $500 match hosted by Lancaster Fence Company), it still felt like we had somehow 'lost' or 'missed out' since we didn't hit one of those prize boosts.  

    For a complete list of this year's Give for Good Prize Recipients, click here: giveforgoodlouisville.org/prizes

L to R: Dee securing Tome, our current foster, and former-foster-dog, Betty, with her forever-mom.  Betty was a dog we took in with a litter of pups a couple of years ago from Metro.  -really great dogs. 

This Isn't a Problem with Give for Good Louisville, it's a Problem I Need to Address with My Thinking for Next Year's Big Day. 

    -I'm mature enough to know when I'm having, or have experienced, immature feelings.  

    After such a great giving day, with 34 individuals donating to offer much-needed financial support for our rescue's work, and several other awesome people, friends, taking time out of their busy days to stop by our little GFG-day event... to offer their presence, smiles, energy... with one supporter making and donating a gorgeous flower arrangement along with several high-quality dog bandanas, another made an adorable fall basket to raffle off (it didn't raffle, nothing raffled off, a-GFG-day-flop), others volunteered to play live, acoustic music, another friend agreed to set up and do tarot card readings (she's awesome and gifted by the way, check out Tia here: tiacoatley)... how could I have felt that I missed out on anything?!  -I was disappointed in myself for having felt that way.         But I'm only human, and have human emotions... and every opportunity, or every perceived-disappointment, renders us the priceless chance for growth and enhanced self-awareness.  

So I already know, for next year's Give for Good Day, I am not going to think or plan on winning any boost whatsoever!  

    I'm completely handing that over to God and the Universe, and releasing all attachment ideas of winning anything.  

    That's a must for me to be able to participate in this amazing Giving Day Event, for I refuse to dampen any aspect of the day with any tinge of disappointment or negative energy, on behalf of the entire community.  ~We are all, as with everything, in this together.  

    -Fundraising is hard.  It's a lot of work.  It's putting yourself out there in an uncomfortable way.  It's something I do not enjoy, but force myself to do this one time/year.   Fundraising is probably the main reason I initiated this rescue as an LLC rather than as a 501c3 back in 2018- I knew I did not want to fundraise.  But, having a nonprofit doesn't necessarily mean you must fundraise... even so, the 501c3 tax status is by far the best fit for Paw and Feather Plan Inc, because of the type of work we do... and it best serves our pet plan clients. 

L to R: Milo, Dariel, and my son, Sam! I'm SO glad some of Sammy's friends, our friends, came too! Friends are quintessential for all, but especially for an only-child. :)

Author's ending note: Of the $2690 raised on GFG day, $600 is being spent on this very day on new brake pads, rotors, calipers, hoses and labor on my 09' Accord (this was badly-needed maintenance and I use my Accord for all rescue work), $325 was spent on a new-used-iPhone (my old phone was so severely cracked it would give my fingers tiny cuts, and the camera quality was no good- my cell phone is used for all rescue work- to counsel various pet parents weekly, take photo and video for our adoptable pets, etc.) - to see our adoptable pets at any time, check out our petfinder.com page.  The money also has allowed me to resume paying Dee Dickey, a seasonal-W-2-paid helper to assist with random rescue duties (dog bathing, pet transport, etc.) here and there.  It also permitted me to pay off our small debt with the SNIP clinic for pets we've had sterilized through them. Basically, it's giving the rescue a bit of breathing room, so thank you anew if you supported us during the big Giving Day.  ~Thank You Notes are in progress!  

-This was the second year PAFP participated in Give for Good Louisville, as a Tier 1 nonprofit.