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How to Organize a Kiss-a-Pig Fundraiser: 4 Steps

Interested in setting up your own kiss-a-pig fundraiser? Follow these steps to success!

1. Partner with a local farm or petting zoo to find a pig for your fundraiser. 

Finding a pig (or a few pigs!) to participate in your kiss-a-pig fundraiser will be key to making your event the best it can be. Consider reaching out to local farms or petting zoos to see if they have pigs or piglets that could make an appearance at your event.

You can turn this ask into a sponsorship conversation, asking the farm or petting zoo to donate their pigs and handlers’ time in exchange for publicity from your nonprofit. For example, you might announce at the beginning of your event the name of the farm your pigs came from, and sell their fresh honey or produce throughout the night. Or, you could pass out flyers during the event that encourage your participants to visit your sponsor’s petting zoo to see their other animals. 

2. Design your event. 

What will your kiss-a-pig event look like? It might be part of a larger event or stand on its own as a quick and fun fundraising experience! Here are some things to remember when planning your event: 

  • Create pig-centric marketing materials. This fundraiser stands out for its emphasis on pigs, so lean into this when designing your marketing materials. You might use different hues of pink on your event invitations, or pictures of pigs on your flyers. 
  • You’ll need a venue that is pig-friendly. It may distress your pig volunteers to be in a stuffy room with dim lighting. Consider hosting your event outside, or at least the kiss-a-pig portion outside. You can set up a roomy enclosure that is well-stocked with food, water, and toys—if the pigs you’re working with like them.  
  • Not everyone will want to kiss the pig, and that’s okay! Some of your participants will be eager to smooch a pig, while others may say, “I’ll consider it when pigs fly.” Consider offering different pig-related experiences, such as holding a piglet, taking a picture with a pig, or petting a pig. You can use these various experiences as different opportunities to raise money for your cause.
  • Plan a thorough event follow-up strategy. Depending on the nature of your organization, you may want to continue stewarding the individuals who attend and participate in your kiss-a-pig fundraiser. Leverage the unique qualities of your fundraiser in your follow-up communications to grab your supporters’ attention. For example, an email that opens with “We had a great time kissing a pig with you!” can be eye-catching and fun, encouraging your supporters to click through and read your message. 

3. Collect donations. 

The fundraising aspect of your kiss-a-pig fundraiser is where you can get really creative. Consider these different strategies for making money from your kiss-a-pig experience: 

  • Ask participants to donate to kiss a pig (and consider selling professionally-taken pictures of the fun moment). 
  • Have your supporters pay to nominate someone to kiss a pig. For schools, you might have students donate to nominate their teacher or the principal. Have whoever gets the most nominations kiss a pig.
  • Charge a small entrance fee for your kiss-a-pig event. This way, you can pull in donations from participants who may just be happier watching the kissing!
  • Have participants donate to engage in different pig-centric experiences, such as holding baby piglets or posing for a picture with a pig (as mentioned above). 

4. Let the smooching begin!

When the big day finally arrives, it’s time for the fun to commence. Make sure your participants have a clear understanding of the rules and safety guidelines for your event, and let the pig-smooching begin! 

Safety Considerations for Your Kiss-a-Pig Participants (Including Pigs!)

For your kiss-a-pig fundraiser to be a true success, you’ll need to do everything you can to keep both your human and pig participants safe during the big event. Here are some safety considerations your organization should have top-of-mind: 

  • Have your human participants sign waivers and agree to specific rules of conduct. Whenever your organization’s supporters are around animals, you should have them sign waivers. This way, if anything goes wrong, your nonprofit isn’t liable. You should also have each pig-kissing participant agree to specific rules of conduct that prioritize the pigs’ safety. For example, one rule might be to not try to ride the pigs. Another might be to not play with their ears or tails. 
  • Have handlers attend your event with the pigs. It will likely be easier on your organization’s team if you ask your pigs’ owners or handlers to come along for the duration of the event. They’re the pig experts, after all, and can help ensure that both participants and pigs are safe during the experience. 
  • Ask pig handlers to clean the pigs before the event. It’s no secret that pigs love to get dirty! Once you’ve partnered with a farm or petting zoo to make your event possible, request that the pig handlers clean the pig participants prior to the event beginning. Pigs may get dirty throughout the event, especially if it’s outside, so have a warm washcloth on hand to do any spot cleaning if needed. 
  • Skip the lipstick. Kissing a pig with lipstick may sound like a cute way to give your event photos a boost, but can in reality be harmful to your pig participants. Make it clear that participants should not apply lipstick before kissing a pig, and actively monitor this during the event, reminding people as needed. 
  • Set up handwashing/face-washing and sanitizing stations at your event. Many animals, pigs included, can carry germs that make humans sick. Address this fact in your event waivers, and make sure that your participants have ample opportunities to clean their hands and face after they give the pig a smooch. 
  • Give your pig participants frequent breaks. Your pig participants may get overwhelmed by crowds or by too many kisses. Arrange with their handlers to give them frequent breaks. If you’re able to have multiple pigs attend your event, you could rotate them. 
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