Ways Your Donation to ATD Can Make a Difference

Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has been a charitable 501c3 organization since 1990. We are an international registry of certified therapy dog teams. ATD provides testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance for members who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities. Our objective is to form a network of caring individuals and their special dogs who are willing to share smiles and joy with people, young and old alike. As a 501c3 charitable organization, our earnings are used for charitable purposes only. Here are four ways your donation to ATD can make a difference this holiday season:

  1. Volunteer work not only benefits those that are being helped, but it can benefit the volunteer. Volunteering releases dopamine in the brain, which makes the volunteer feel happier. Volunteer work can give someone a sense of accomplishment and a sense of purpose if they are struggling to find somewhere to fit in. In many cases, volunteer work has led to friendships that become very important to the volunteer.
  2. Nonprofits rely on donations to continue running through the year, and most of their donations are received during the holiday season. Here at ATD, we rely on donations to pay for many things, such as volunteer team supplies (like the ATD red heart tag), office supplies, portions of our therapy dog insurance policy, paying our office staff salaries, and more. ATD has a very small number of paid office staff and our Board of Directors, Tester/Observers and Members are volunteer and give many hours of work through the year.
  3. During the holiday season, our ATD volunteer teams are very busy visiting those who need us most! There are a variety of visits that are important during the holiday season. Hospital visits with those who are not able to leave during the holidays, end of semester school visits to relieve the stress of final exams, airport visits to relieve the stress of delayed holiday travel, and nursing home visits for those who may not have family that visit are just a few ways our teams make a difference during the holiday season.
  4. Providing you with a sense of joy! Did you know donating can trigger the release of endorphins, which can help reduce your stress and anxiety? Knowing you helped an organization of over 18,000 therapy dog teams can be a great holiday present and give yourself a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

How can you donate this holiday season? There are a variety of ways to donate to ATD:

  • Harness Giving: You can find our Harness Giving link here or through our website. Here you can make a one-time donation, a monthly donation, or utilize round-ups. For round-ups, by linking your credit card, Harness will round up your purchases on that credit card to the whole dollar, giving ATD the rounded-up portion. This can make a big contribution over time.
  • Endowment funds: ATD established an endowment fund in 2022. Endowments are designed to protect and grow a principle over time. Over the years, the distribution will grow, providing an additional revenue stream for the organization and helping to diversify our funding sources. To donate to our endowment fund, contact the ATD Office for more information at Office@therapydogs.com.
  • Facebook and Instagram (Meta) Fundraisers: Starting a fundraiser through Meta can allow your followers, friends, and family to see how important ATD is to you and allow them to donate in your honor. We have many Members who promote fundraisers during their birthdays in lieu of gifts.
  • Direct to the ATD Office: ATD accepts checks or money orders directly to the ATD Office at the following address:

Alliance of Therapy Dogs

P.O. Box 20227

Cheyenne, WY 82003

We thank you for considering ATD for your holiday donations. We hope you feel compelled to help us continue our mission of sharing smiles and joy with those we visit. Our teams adore the volunteer work they do and we know those they visit appreciate them not only during the holidays, but all year long. To find out more information about ATD and the work we do, please visit our website: www.therapydogs.com