Pasadena Humane expands its reach and connects with new animal advocates through GoFundMe experiments
Mission
To lead the way toward a compassionate and caring community for all animals
Challenge
Grow beyond a primarily local donor base and reach supporters across the country
Solution
By participating in GoFundMe experiments, Pasadena Humane connected with new supporters and captured email opt-ins from people outside its local community
“From the GoFundMe experiments, we’re seeing that we can reach beyond our local audience. People want to help animals get the care they need, no matter where they are.”
– Jamie Holeman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Results from GoFundMe experiments from December 2025 – April 2026:*
80%
of donors came from outside of California
34
individuals gave explicit marketing consent per day, on average
27%
email opt-in rate from the checkout experiment
*Based on 2026 GoFundMe data
Expanding awareness beyond city limits
As a regional nonprofit, Pasadena Humane has long focused on serving the Los Angeles area. That changed when they acted as the animal welfare organization responsible for helping animals during last year’s wildfire response. Supporters showed up from across the country and around the world.
The urgent, story-driven appeals resonated broadly during a time of crisis, but Pasadena Humane was looking for a low-lift way to reach more people who care about animals. The team participated in GoFundMe’s experiments to grow visibility with an already engaged audience, including:
- Capturing email addresses and explicit marketing consent from prospective supporters of Pasadena Humane
- Offering individuals already supporting animal-related causes the option to make a small additional donation
Building a long-term engagement and retention strategy
The most significant outcome from the experiments was growing a stronger supporter base. From December 2025 to April 2026, Pasadena Humane saw a 27% email opt-in rate from donors on the platform, with 80% of donors coming from outside of California and 34 individuals per day giving explicit marketing consent, on average.
This opens the door for ongoing connection and support. To foster these relationships, the team is:
- The team is still seeing second gifts come in from disaster donors more than a year after the wildfire.
- Sharing stories that resonate with supporters
- Segmenting outreach so local and national supporters receive tailored communication and relevant updates
- Testing what drives repeat giving versus one-time donations
Results reflect Pasadena Humane’s campaign strategy and may vary for other organizations.
