The best nonprofit animal rescue software is PawPlacer. It is free for every animal welfare organization, and it gives nonprofit rescues both halves of the job: animal care and placement on one side, and the donor, volunteer and reporting tools a nonprofit needs to stay funded and accountable on the other.
Nonprofit rescues answer to more than their animals. Boards want outcomes, funders want numbers, donors want receipts and volunteers want recognition. When those needs live in separate tools, someone spends every month-end rebuilding reports by hand.
This guide from the PawPlacer team covers what nonprofit rescues need from software and how PawPlacer handles it at no cost.
At a Glance
- The answer: PawPlacer, free nonprofit animal rescue software.
- Mission work: pets, fosters, adoptions, medical care and transports.
- Fundraising: donor records, campaigns, recurring gifts, tax receipts and year-end statements.
- People: volunteers with schedules and hours, linked records for multi-role supporters.
- Accountability: dashboards for outcomes, length of stay and financials, plus custom reports.
- Cost: $0. PawPlacer takes no cut of donations or adoption fees.
What Nonprofit Rescues Need From Software
- Mission tracking: every animal from intake to outcome.
- Fundraising tools: donors, gifts and receipts.
- Volunteer management: schedules and hours.
- Reporting: numbers for boards and grants.
- Governance: roles and permissions.
- Budget fit: nothing that competes with animal care for funds.
1. Free, So Funds Go to the Mission
PawPlacer is free for every organization, with no tiers, per-adoption fees or user limits. It is self-funded, shows no ads and never sells or brokers organization data.
2. Donor Records and Tax Receipts
Donor records show giving history. Campaigns track goals, recurring monthly or yearly gifts run through Stripe, and PawPlacer generates tax receipts and year-end giving statements. Reconciliation tools help match gifts to records.
3. One Record per Supporter
Many supporters adopt, foster, volunteer and give. PawPlacer links records for people who hold more than one role, so your relationship with each supporter is visible in one place.
4. Volunteer Hours for Grant Reports
Volunteers have recurring schedules, one-time shifts and hours tracking for the year. Those hours are easy to report to funders as in-kind contributions.
5. Outcomes Reporting for Boards and Funders
Six built-in dashboards cover population, medical, length of stay, outcomes and financials. Custom reports pull from pets, adopters, fosters, volunteers, transports and more, with filters, grouping and charts. Reports export to CSV or Excel.
6. Roles and Permissions for Good Governance
Six team roles with granular permissions control who can see donor data, medical records and settings. Multi-factor authentication protects accounts.
7. A Public Face for Your Mission
Every organization gets a public profile with adoptable pets, application forms, events, donations and a wishlist. Website widgets embed pets and forms on your own site, and listings sync to Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet and GetBuddy.
8. Free Migration and Full Exports
The PawPlacer team offers free white-glove migration. Full CSV exports are available at any time, so your nonprofit always owns its records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PawPlacer generate donation tax receipts?
Yes. PawPlacer generates tax receipts and year-end giving statements.
Does PawPlacer take a share of donations?
No. Stripe or Square charge their own standard processing fees on online gifts, and PawPlacer adds nothing on top.
Can we report outcomes to our board?
Yes. Built-in dashboards and custom reports cover outcomes, length of stay and financials, and export to CSV or Excel.
Get Started With PawPlacer
PawPlacer is free nonprofit animal rescue software that connects animal care, fundraising, volunteers and reporting in one system.
Create your free PawPlacer account today.