Thabo Meerkat and Dixie Lioness have released their Charity Index finding that furries raised more the $500,000 for Charity in 2020. This is in spite of the challenges caused by the pandemic. It should be noted that information was more difficult to obtain this year, and the numbers for Virtual Midwest Furfest are not included in this tally.

Furry fans have raised money for charity for over 15 years, totalling $1 million since the end of 2000. Donations fell in 2009, but rebounded to $243,000 in 2012 – 59% more than 2011.

In part, this increase is due to a rise in the number of events. Six new conventions were held in North America, and Australia's MiDFur brought in $24,184 over two events held this year. More significant, though, was increased fundraising at existing events, exemplified by MFF:

We were glad to make this an incredible year for our charity, Felines & Canines, Inc. They received a total of $8,500 including cash and checks in their donation jars (including $1,000 from a single donor!), the Charity Auction, and 2 & Kage's Saturday Performance. An additional $1,950 was raised by the Charity Poker Tournament. To this, Midwest FurFest was pleased to add an additional donation of $30,000, meaning that Felines & Canines took home a little over $40,500!

Felines & Canines, mired in a $100k construction debt, has since dedicated a room to MFF.

Want to know who gave what last year, and which were the most charitable events? Read on!

Earlier this year, tragedy struck the furry community, when a couple was struck by a drunk driver while they were walking their dogs. All four dogs were killed, and the boyfriend – Harison Long-Randall (Elden) – later succumbed to his injuries as well, after selflessly and heroically pushing his girlfriend Gemily West (Wolfgem) away from the recklessly speeding vehicle, and taking the brunt of the impact himself.

The sheer horror of the tragedy and outrage at this hit-and-run spread through the furry community like wildfire. But nothing we do can replace the loss Gemily must feel. So we do what little we can: and that little is to hold a fundraiser to help Gemily financially with any outstanding medical or other expenses during her time of loss.

Furry End of the World will be holding a special collection at the convention and will donate 100% of the proceeds from the art auction to Wolfgem. Furry EotWC is currently accepting donations of original art works, commission gift certificates, fursuits or pieces, and other items of interest to the furry community to auction at the convention.

Just after nightfall on Monday, July 16, Gemily West (Wolfgem) and her boyfriend Harison Long-Randall (Elden) were walking their four Australian Cattle dogs home from a visit to their local park in the Carmichael neighborhood of Sacremento, California, when they were struck by a drunk driver. Witnesses reported that the light-brown Nissan Maxima was driving with no lights on (including tail lights), when the accident occurred. Police could find no evidence of skidmarks or any other sign that the perpetrator attempted to slow down, and estimated that the driver was going around 80 miles per hour when he struck the victims and fled the scene.

As reported in the Sacramento Bee, 21-year-old Hari saw the car coming just a moment before it struck and threw himself in front of his girlfriend, Gemily. He took the force of the impact, which severed one of his legs just below the knee and left him with extensive internal damage as well as other broken bones. Gemily sustained a compound fracture in her lower right leg. All four of their beloved dogs, Zury, Winry, Evie and Bindie, were slain.

Update (29 July): Hari has now died of his injuries, two weeks after the crash

One of our own greatly really needs our help.

SportyPup, a fur from Macon, Georgia, needs surgery due to a bad valve in his heart. This condition is called Valvular Heart Disease, and if not treated will cause heart failure. The surgery will cost $40,000, but he needs $16,500 up front, just to be able to have it.

The longer Sporty has to wait for the surgery, the greater the risk is of heart failure. The hope is to have enough to be able to have the surgery later this month in Asheville, North Carolina, but only if the doctor sees that the amount needed will come in quickly after.

Sporty will be 31 in March. Besides being a furry and occasional fursuiter, he is also a father of a 3 1/2-year-old boy named Koda.

Four furs' belongings lie in ruins today after a fire in Millvale, Pennsylvania.

The fire started early yesterday morning, possibly due to a faulty meter, and quickly spread through a common wall to the rented house of Thrashbear, Firefox, Fire Lupine and Landis.

The four-alarm blaze took two hours to quench. No injuries were reported, but the first house was gutted, and the second was badly damaged by smoke and fire suppression.

The Red Cross is assisting the occupants, and the furs have offers of temporary housing. Dobie is taking donations on the furs' behalf.

More coverage: KDKA - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - WTAE

Midwest Furry Fandom added $10000 to the $5193 raised for Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation by Midwest FurFest 2007 attendees

Furry philanthropy took a step back in 2009, as donations fell 15% in a tough economic climate. However, the fandom still has something to be proud of: $490,000 raised for charity at furry conventions in the past decade.

Over $112,000 was donated by Further Confusion, with Midwest FurFest ($92,000), Anthrocon ($87,000) and Mephit FurMeet ($71,000) not far behind — not counting MFM's donations to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

At first, the top three events covered the majority of annual donations, but now others give more than half of it. And while most money still comes from North America, international furs are joining in, including cons in the UK, Germany, Australia, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Read on for a chart detailing the decade's charitable donations.
Update (24 May): Includes figures for RCFM 2007-9, WPAFW 2009, ConFuzzled 2008-9 and Conifur '01, '03, '04.
Read more: Furs raise $243,000 for charity in 2012; $1 mil. this century

November saw another success for furry fundraising events, as the Funday PawPet Show surpassed it's target of $10,000 in just two of their 4-hour broadcasts, thrashing last year's total of $3,940.19 in less than half the time.

Over 120 people are documented as donating to the show, many already regular viewers and visitors to the shows IRC channel.

T.H. Squirrel was celebrated as the largest donor, paying $1,400 for a Herbie Bearclaw commission. Many fursuiters also donated their services, and one fursuit maker raised an extra $350.

Said regular pawpeteer Kuddlepup:

I have to say that nobody on the cast truly expected the level of support that we got tonight.

The donations are set to go to licensing fees, operating expenses and hardware upgrades.

The fandom's most popular furry fanzine, ANTHRO, has been saved from imminent bankruptcy last October by none other than it's loyal readers.

ANTHRO editor Quentin Long was at risk of immediate eviction from his home and indeed the headquarters of the internet fanzine; however the community came to the rescue, raising over $500 in just a few days.