Home » Consulting » Digital Transformation » Case study – Speranta Dog Shelter
Adăpostul Speranța is a Romanian dog shelter dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming abandoned and abused dogs. Founded in 1996, it currently provides medical care, emotional support, and safe housing for over 500 dogs, many of whom have suffered trauma. The shelter also promotes responsible pet ownership through education and community outreach, aiming to end animal cruelty and homelessness while helping each dog find a loving forever home.
When Upsall International first engaged with Speranța 3 years ago, they had limited digital fundraising capability with no systems or strategy in place to support individual giving through online channels. The initial challenge was to help them take the first steps to building a foundation for sustainable online fundraising. Since then, we’ve supported them in growing a successful digital fundraising programme across various European markets.
Our solution was to provide hands-on, end-to-end support throughout the growth of Speranța’s digital fundraising programme. We worked closely with the team from strategy development through to campaign delivery, helping them understand their audience, the wider fundraising space, shape their plan and launch their first digital fundraising campaigns. This practical, embedded approach ensured they could steadily build confidence and capability over time while seeing real results.
The result was a significant transformation in Speranța’s fundraising capacity. From having no digital presence, they grew into an organisation with an active internal donor base of thousands, made up of loyal supporters passionate about their cause. Their digital fundraising programme now plays a central role in sustaining their work and engaging new audiences consistently.
“Sightsavers really enjoyed our time working with Upsall International. The team particularly demonstrated a high level of professionalism and their client engagement was excellent. We were really pleased with the consultancy and would definitely recommend their services.”
Anna Becker, Director of Institutional Funding, Sightsavers
"Working with Upsall International’s team has been a true partnership—glued together by genuine collaboration and co-creation. They tailored their consulting precisely to our needs, delivering top-level support at exactly the right time, and helping us advance our mission to bring joy where it's needed most."
Natalie Porias, CEO, RED NOSES International
“The support we received from Upsall International was truly instrumental at the start of our journey. With their unparalleled experience and the personal mentorship of Daryl Upsall, we were able to build trust with donors, strengthen our case for support, and grow far beyond what we imagined possible. Thanks to this partnership, we can now reach and help thousands more children in need.”
Tetiana Novytska, CEO, Children of Heroes
“Upsall International quickly got to grips with the Coalition's ambition to grow and diversity income, as well as the opportunities and challenges behind this ambition. The team brought invaluable insight about global fundraising trends in the sector and a huge amount of expertise gained from working with many other organizations on developing effective fundraising strategies. They were able to succinctly map potential opportunities across our strategic priorities and operational activities, giving us clarity and confidence in the way forward. “
Clara MacKay, CEO, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition
"As the MSF Movement, we keep requesting Upsall International’s support when assessing new fundraising markets, and when deliberating market re-entries. Their advice is always evidence-based, ambitious, and grounded in a deep understanding of how private fundraising works – while challenging us in the best possible manner. We would not be where we are today without their thorough analyses. Looking back, we often say ‘they were right!’ And we mean it as the most appreciative compliment. Thank you!"
Barbara Gerold-Wolke, International Fundraising Coordinator, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
"As I reflect on our collaborations that have made a meaningful impact— working with you and your team has certainly been one of the most impactful... in every sense! Your support and shared commitment to driving change with the Networks in the informal economy have been invaluable. The strides we’ve made together would not have been possible without your dedication It has been inspiring to see how our partnership has navigated the complexities of the people we work with and contributed to their progress. Thank you for being such a vital part of our work."
Sofia Trevino, Global Networks, Project Manager, WIEGO
"Working with Upsall International was an outstanding experience. Their deep knowledge of global philanthropy and fundraising strategies brought immediate value to our team. They quickly understood our mission, tailored their recommendations to our unique context, and provided practical recommendations that we could move on right away. Professional, collaborative, and highly effective—I’d recommend them to any organization looking to grow its international funding."
Noelle Williams, Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships, The Center of Reproductive Rights
"The team at Upsall International was simply phenomenal. Their process was not only deeply informative, combining rigorous market analysis with our own team's expertise, but it was also a delightful collaboration that built powerful alignment across our global organisation. The resulting strategy gives us a clear and reassuring path to confidently scale our fundraising and impact."
Eric Bebernitz, Director Of External Relations, Action Against Hunger USA
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