With effective planning, your organization can host an engaging and memorable event for participants and their pets. Before you hit the runway with your dog fashion show, set your fundraiser up for success with these steps:

1. Plan your event.

Take the time to determine your organization’s unique needs and goals, which will guide your event planning. Depending on your fundraising objective, decide how much you’re planning to charge for each dog’s entry fee. Additionally, this is a good time for brainstorming an entertaining theme for your dog fashion show.

2. Find a venue.

To ensure an enjoyable experience for your contestants and their owners, look for a venue with ample room for a runway as well as space for the dogs to roam and play. Ideally, this would be located outside.

3. Assemble volunteers and sponsors.

An excellent event requires an excellent team to see it through. Reach out to your current supporters and recruit those who’re interested in collecting entry fees, supervising the event, and even hosting the show. A love of spending time with animals is a must!

Also, find ways to connect with local businesses in the community and have them sponsor your dog fashion show. They could provide exciting prizes such as dog toys, accessories, or even grooming and training services.

4. Promote your dog fashion show.

Once you have your event ready to go, it’s time to spread the word to local pet owners! Create flyers, social media posts, and email updates that point potential attendees to your online event registration page. Additionally, feature the event on your organization’s website.

If you’re working with local businesses to make this dog fashion show a success, encourage them to pass out flyers to their customers and share your upcoming event with their online networks.

5. Raise funds and have fun!

On the day of the event, make sure you have everything set up to make sure your supporters and pets have a positive experience once they arrive. This includes having dog waste stations, water supplies, and toys. 

Consider selling refreshments and branded merchandise to offer participants additional ways to support your organization during and even after the event is over. If you’re a shelter seeking donations to care for your animals, featuring some of your dogs in the fashion show can be an excellent way to help supporters emotionally connect with them. This is the time to watch all of your hard work pay off and let the adorable fun begin!