Online Donations Built for Animal Shelters & Rescues.
From emergency medical fundraisers to sponsor-a-pet recurring gifts and capital campaigns for new kennels, CoreCause is built for the way animal shelters and rescue groups actually raise money. No donor tipping, donors can cover the processing fees, and next-business-day deposits so urgent vet bills get paid on time.
How Animal Shelters Use CoreCause
Emergency Medical Campaigns
Spin up a dedicated campaign for an injured or sick animal in minutes. Add a name, a story, a photo, a goal. Share the QR code or pay link via email and social. Funds land next business day to cover urgent vet bills.
Sponsor-a-Pet Recurring
Build a sponsor-a-pet page where supporters choose an animal and a recurring monthly amount. The Automatic Card Updater keeps sponsors active when their card gets reissued so you do not lose support to dead cards.
Memorial & Tribute Giving
Donors can give in memory of a pet that passed, their own or a friend's. Optional message and dedication on every gift. Many shelters dedicate a memorial wall page that updates as gifts come in.
Foster Care Fund
A dedicated restricted fund for foster supplies and reimbursements. Donors can direct their gift to fostering specifically, not just the general fund. Track exactly how much has come in for foster support.
QR Codes for Adoption Events
Generate a QR code for any campaign and put it on signage at adoption events, on flyers, in the lobby. Visitors scan, give, done, no cash, no awkward card-reader fumbling at the table.
Automatic Tax Receipts
Every donor receives a branded tax receipt within seconds of giving, including the IRS-required statement that no goods or services were provided. Year-end donor statements export in one click.
Donor Records by Animal
Tag donors to the specific campaigns or animals they have supported. The next time a donor gives, you know whether they are an emergency-fund supporter, a monthly sponsor, or a memorial giver. Stewardship gets personal.
Next-Business-Day Deposits
Urgent vet bills, foster reimbursements, and seasonal capacity surges do not wait. Funds clear next business day on average so your shelter's bank account moves in step with your incoming donations.
No Donor Tipping
Animal welfare donors are generous and pay attention. CoreCause never prompts them to add a percentage on top of their gift to support the platform. Their gift goes to the animals. With Platform Fee Offset, you decide if donors cover the fee, optional or required.
Ready to Raise More for the Animals?
Explore and build for free. No contract. Underwriting happens when you go live.
Donors cover the fees. You keep the whole gift.
No transaction fees. Donors cover the processing fee at checkout, so 100% of every gift reaches you, and we never prompt donors to tip. A monthly platform fee and texting fees apply.
Frequently asked questions
Why Animal Shelters Switch to CoreCause
Six reasons we hear from shelter and rescue leaders when they move off Givebutter, Donorbox, or PayPal Giving Fund.
No donor tipping. Ever.
Your donors never get prompted to add a percentage on top of their gift to cover platform costs. Their full donation goes to programs and services. Givebutter's tip prompt and Donorbox's platform fees both quietly redirect donor dollars away from your nonprofit.
Donors can cover the fees.
Every online donation carries a processing fee. CoreCause simply lets donors cover it at checkout, so the full amount they give reaches your cause.
Automatic Card Updater.
When a recurring supporter's card expires or gets replaced, CoreCause refreshes it through the card networks automatically. Most platforms make you chase them to re-enter their card. We do not.
Next-business-day payouts.
Donations clear to your account by the next business day. Many donation platforms take several days to deposit, and some payout services take even longer.
Real human support.
Email within one business hour. Real phone support. Real account managers. Not a chatbot that loops you back to a help article when something breaks during a campaign.
No contracts. Cancel anytime.
Month to month, with no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees. Explore and build your campaigns first, then go live when you are ready.