Why Small Organisations Must Ask for Donations

In the world of animal rescue, there is a growing and dangerous divide one that most supporters never see. On social media, large “brand” organisations dominate feeds, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and generating impressive revenue through platform monetisation, corporate sponsorships, influencer partnerships, and brand deals. They are successful, polished, and financially stable

But beneath this glossy surface of animal rescue lies a very different reality for grassroots rescue.

Small rescue organisations, the ones quietly caring for hundreds, sometimes thousands of animals do not have access to the same financial privileges. They do not have monetised social media accounts. They do not receive lucrative sponsorships. They do not attract corporate attention. Instead, they survive day by day, dog by dog relying entirely on public donations to keep their doors open.

And this is where the problem begins.

Big Brand Accounts Can Fund Themselves — But Small Rescues Cannot

Large organisations with strong branding and social media reach don’t need to ask for donations constantly because their platforms generate income for them. Here’s how the difference works:

How Brand Organisations Generate Money (Without Asking):

• Monetised Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & YouTube X accounts
  → income for views, comments, shares & ads

• Corporate sponsorships
  → companies pay to be associated with them

• Brand deals & influencer collaborations
  → animal profiles become “influencer dogs”

• Paid promotions, merchandise & affiliate links
  → passive income streams on every post

• Viral content
  → rapid growth means rapid funding

This financial model allows them to care for a few animals while generating a lot of funding.

Meanwhile, Grassroots Organisations Are Drowning

Small rescues don’t have slick media teams or marketing budgets. They do not run curated accounts designed for virality. Their days are spent feeding, cleaning, medicating, rescuing, fundraising, and fighting for survival not creating content.

Some grassroots rescues are caring for hundreds, sometimes thousands of animals. One sanctuary is currently responsible for 2,500 dogs. That’s not just rescue that is emergency frontline care on a scale that few people can even imagine.

Yet these are the organisations expected to survive purely on kindness and sporadic donations. They must ask for help. And they must ask often because every day, dogs are eating, dogs need medicine, dogs need safety, and none of that comes for free.

What Happens If the Small Organisations Fail?

If grassroots rescues collapse the consequences will be catastrophic:

• Thousands of dogs will die, quickly and silently.

• Municipal solutions will involve mass euthanasia.

• Street dogs will suffer without veterinary care.

• The burden will fall back onto volunteers and individuals.

• The “brand” organisations cannot absorb the volume nor will they.

The brands may showcase a few dogs at a time perhaps 10, 20, even 50.
But who will protect the 2,500?

Why They Must Ask for Donations

Small organisations do not have the privilege of silence.
They must fundraise.
They must ask for help.
They must speak on behalf of the animals who cannot speak for themselves.

Asking is not a weakness it is survival.

When people say “Why are you always asking for donations?”
The answer is simple:
Because today, 2,500 dogs need to eat. Because tomorrow, another dog will come. And because if we don’t ask they die.

The Future Depends on You

When thousands of people give just a little rescue becomes possible.

So if you follow small rescues, if you admire their work, if their stories move you support them. Even the price of a coffee a month makes a difference when hundreds of kind people do it together.

Because the big rescue “brands” may dominate social media…
…but the small rescues are the ones truly keeping animals alive.

The next time you see a grassroots organisation asking for donations know this:
They are not begging.
They are fighting.
For every single life in their care.

And if they fall… those lives fall with them. Trust me, those big brands will not be there.