About Us

I recently read a news brief about a humane society that had finished the year with record high adoptions and few deaths. Intrigued by this news, I went to the organization's website for more information. Much to my chagrin, nothing was posted about it.

What a missed opportunity! Great lifesaving statistics should be shouted from the rooftops.

Unfortunately, this example is not unusual. When I look at animal welfare websites, it amazes me how chock full they are of upcoming events, pet tips and classes. But what has the organization done to save lives? This is what people really want to know, especially potential donors. They're desperate to differentiate one animal welfare organization from the other, to find an organization they can trust, to have evidence that an organization is using resources wisely and to discover a group that is successfully achieving its mission.

According to a 2001 Donor Expectations Survey by the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, over two-thirds (68%) of donors say they want information about a charity's program effectiveness and finances before they give. The Survey also reports that the internet is becoming an increasingly important research tool. About a third of adult Americans say they would be likely to use websites to get more information about charities. And 21% of adults report having personally gone online to research a charity. (These numbers have surely skyrocketed since this survey was taken four years ago.)

To build donor support and show transparency via your website, publish key financial information (e.g., the ratio of money spent on fundraising versus direct service) and clearly post lifesaving statistics (animals received, adopted, reunited, transferred, euthanized and an overall live release rate). The Asilomar Accords statistics tables are excellent guides for compiling such data.

A good place to reference numbers is an About Us page with a linked "Statistics" page or annual report including key facts and figures. The About Us section of Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation immediately gets the browser an Annual Report. Similarly, the Who We Are section of the Denver Dumb Friends League gives the Annual Report as one of two choices (their stats are on the seventh page of the PDF). Ideally, a person should be able to find measurable lifesaving results easily and quickly in two or three mouse clicks.

Websites are a critical element of all sheltering operations these days. They support an organization's work by showcasing pets for adoption, encouraging volunteers, providing service descriptions and offering donation opportunities.

But don't forget to clearly report the most important thing of all: the number of animal companions whose lives you have saved.