Contributing to zoos and charities

RFindlater

RFindlater

Member
How many people here contribute/have contributed to a zoo or charity? If so, how do/did you contribute?

What would make you more/less likely to contribute?

If you could help endangered animals in any way, what would it be?

I'm aiming to improve wildlife contribution for my Honours Project so any feedback would be a massive help!
 
I donate £7 a month to the Aspinall Foundation via Direct Debit. For this I get a sense of well being and a small bit of literature every now and again detailing moves, births and departures [plus numbers], there are also tokens on them for 20% off [or similar, can't recall the exact offer].

I was approached by people in the streets of Northwich of all places, and I was a bit skeptical to start with [I always am of 'street charities'] but I did it and can now see that it is genuine :)
 
Hmmm..... Charity should be a private thing, I think - except when you declare it to the tax man for a break. :D I give a little bit to charity when I can.
 
I'm a sucker for adoptions, mainly apes in rescue centres, I've got more adoptions than Angelina Jolie! Chimps, orangutans, Mountain gorilla guardian... I also get them as presents so I had a panda and meerkats but they are once only!
 
Thanks for the responses everyone - you're all helping far more than you know!

Javan Rhino: That sounds really good; can you remember exactly what the tokens got you a discount for?
I was definitely planning on looking into ‘street charities’ as a lot of others have mentioned being sceptical of them too. Do you think you would be contributing if they hadn't approached you? :)

nanoboy: I had no idea you could get tax breaks from donating to charity! :p Would you say that the tax breaks (or anything else) influence when/how much you contribute?

OrangePerson: I probably should have known an Orangutan would have been one judging by your name and avatar! So what it is you like about adoption and how do you find out about all of these adoption schemes?
 
I like the updates you get about the animals and the centre's work, although you know the money isn't going in the chimp's chimp pocket it personalises the process and allows you to identify with a specific animal.

I follow loads of rescue centres or insitu programmes etc on Facebook and most of them have adoption schemes eg Ape Action Africa, Orangutan Protection Foundation, Gorilla Doctors, Lola ya Bonobo, or in the US Save the Chimps or UK based ones like Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary and Monkey World.
 
I will assume this discussion is on animal related giving (although I think my comments will apply to other types of charities). I used to naively think that all bonafide environmental groups were worthy of support. Over the last couple years I have come to realize that some - usually small ones - are much more frugal than others - usually large ones. Part of my enlightenment has come from discussions with a new biologist friend who is probably the world's leading small cat researcher and conservationist. (My fellow cat fanatics will know who I am talking about).

The bigger the organization - groups like Nature Conservancy and Worldwide Fund for Nature - the bigger their infrastructure. A significant portion of the money goes to offices, office staff, etc. And of course the bigger the organization, the higher paid the CEO. Of course they do not get millions like some for profit corporations, but they do earn six figure incomes. I am a very low wage worker (well below the US average) and can give very little, so when I give anthing at all I want it to count. I do not want it to supply plush office furniture in a Washington DC suite.

I quit my Nature Conservancy membership, not just because of this, but because they could not get the name right on my mailing address despite repeated requests. I figured if they are that incompetent that they cannot do a simple name change, how incompetent are they at dealing with more important issues?

That is not to say that Nature Conservancy and other large groups do not do good work - they certainly do. But I have found some small organizations where virtually all of the money raised goes directly to the work. My friend's small cat organization is one of them. He has NO salary and puts all donations right to work in the field. Another new group with some really big name people leading it is Panthera. Their salary and office finances are all supplied by a wealthy doctor so any donations people send in go directly to the field.
 
Tax breaks are definitely an attraction. I also like the free thank-you toys they send after you make a donation.
 
I guess, I have tried it all.
In the past by delivering enrichment items to the local zoo (forbidden now). By supporting big organizations, stopped for the reasons Arizona docent already mentioned.
I am now sponsoring smaller organizations, which would allow me to be in personal contact. On a regular base, or if a certain project has urgent needs.
I have a few adoptions in sanctuaries. In the beginning sometimes enticed by the fate of a certain animal, I grow attached especially to those institutions that can easily be followed, like on facebook, and therefore continue even when the reason for the adoption is no longer valid.
I find out about them not only through links, but books often include a list at the end, or tv documentaries and newspaper articles.
I could never be convinced by an ad, would never give anything to a collector in the street. And I would see no reason to support a zoo in a western country financially.
However, I read about an Australian visitor who felt so sorry for an orangutan in a Bali zoo, that she convinced the zoo to let her start a project, that succeeded in giving him a better enclosure and enrichment.
Or another group of people seeing a tiger cub being sent to a third world country, getting in contact with the zoo and now sponsoring the food for him.
 
OrangePerson: I see, would you prefer that more of the money went directly towards the chimp then? How do these updates differ from those on the Facebook pages? I’m guessing that you find out about most of the rescue centres/insitu programmes through your love of apes?


Arizona Docent: I’ve been wondering about the charities themselves; I have contacted a couple of larger charities but I’m still waiting to hear back from them. I can’t help but wonder if they’ll even get back to me after hearing about the name issue with Nature Conservancy.

Do you think that these smaller, more frugal charities should be publicised more? I can imagine a lot of people would only know about the most well-known charities (say WWF for example) and therefore donate to them. I suppose the ‘brand name’ that larger charities have could influence the decision too. I thought that some form of free (or low-cost) advertising could help them, as they’d be more well-known to those not as knowledgeable whilst being able to spend all of their money towards the work. I’ll definitely look more into this!

Would these small organisations be completely (or almost completely) volunteer-based then? Would you consider doing volunteering yourself or would you prefer to donate?


nanoboy: So how did you find out about the tax breaks; did you know about it before you first donated? Is there anything you would improve about the donation process?


Taisha: It sounds quite frustrating being forbidden from delivering enrichment items then realising that your money might be best used going towards smaller organisations. Which method of contribution has been the most enjoyable in your opinion?

Do you tend to find out about the organisation before the animal or the other way around? It definitely seems like more zoos and charities can harness social media more - I've heard a lot of success stories, and they could perhaps focus on this for advertising instead of TV ads and street collectors. How would you ideally like to keep up with what’s happening?

Also, welcome to ZooChat!
 
I think it is fairly well-known in Australia that any donation above $2 to a registered charity is tax deductible. It even states it on the forms, and at the end of the financial year the charities send a tax statement telling you how much you donated for the year, and how much is tax deductible. No, the process seems fine as is.
 
@ RFindlater

Delivering enrichment was more rewarding to me than being a volunteer in a newly created organization aimed at saving orangutans.
For me it needs close contact to animals to increase my motivation.

Such a new organization, consisting in the beginning only of volunteers, seemed to demand almost too much from the people at the top. They had to interrupt their studies and work for hours without end.
Those without administrative tasks would try to promote, f.i. with little exhibitions in zoos (where the zoo was supportive), and try to persuade zoo visitors to join and to donate. The same was done on special markets like X-mas or environmental markets. Also small events were organized to raise awareness, and school programs were developed.
In the end it was successful enough to be transformed into another "monster" organization (Arizona Docent...).
Although I also enjoy being updated by e-mail about adopted animals, nowadays I prefer these messages as news about the institution itself, makes me feel connected.
If I hadn't had the chance to get into very close contact with some primates abroad, I would never have looked out for wildlife-saving organizations, which in turn inspired me to more personal involvement.
But as this is not the normal course, I would think, to find out the best way to advertise, depends on your target group. Each age group needs a different approach.
I am informed about tax deduction for donations, but it would never influence any decision.

Now it is my turn for a question: what is the meaning of "honours project"?
 
RFindlater said:
OrangePerson: I see, would you prefer that more of the money went directly towards the chimp then?
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Not at all, 'rescue' is not just (or even mainly) about removing the animals from unsuitable conditions, it's about either providing good conditions and care for the rest of their lives or rehabilitation and release where possible. I therefore want to see them achieving a sustainable solution for life-long care or working towards release and 'my' chimp having a few quid of its own would not be the best way - also you don't want to think it would go hungry if your circumstances change and you stop sponsoring :)

I also 'sponsor' a child and that is the same - there is a 'face' to bring home the reality of where the money is going but the child or family doesn't get the money it goes to improving life for the whole community eg a source of clean water.

How do these updates differ from those on the Facebook pages? I’m guessing that you find out about most of the rescue centres/insitu programmes through your love of apes?
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Usually there is more about the individual animal whereas the Facebook updates are more general about the whole place/programme.
 
nanoboy: I see, I’ve looked into it and it appears that the UK has an equivalent called Gift Aid where the charity is able to claim some of the tax you pay; it is fairly well-known although it seems that a lot of people aren’t 100% sure how it works. So what charity/charities do you donate to, and what made you decide on it/them?


Taisha: What would you say was most rewarding about delivering the enrichment? Did it allow you to get in closer contact with the animals or was it just nice to see them react and play with it?
That does sound like a bit of an issue; perhaps helping to publicise smaller conservation groups wouldn’t be the best way to aid them. I’ll definitely have to look into that.
I’m guessing that getting news from the institution makes you feel more like you’re a part of it as opposed to a member of the public that is helping?
My research definitely seems to show that people more likely to donate/contribute upon close contact with endangered animals so I definitely think I’ll try to harness that.

I was wondering when people would ask that! I am currently in my fourth (and final) year of a Product Design course at Dundee University. The year is graded by a self-directed project (or honours project) of our choosing.
I decided that I wanted to help endangered animals by giving people (possibly those that are interested in animals but haven’t donated) more of a desire to contribute. Although I’m only in the research stage for the moment you can follow my progress on roryfindlater.co.uk/blog if you’d like - I'm also having a few issues with the site but that should be sorted soon.


OrangePerson: That is a very good point that you’ve brought up; I hadn’t realised the ‘contradiction’ of the user ‘adopting’ an animal versus the charity/zoos need to use the funds efficiently (i.e. to the whole group). I can’t help but wonder how effective a Meerkat Manor-style approach could be in comparison to this, in other words if it would help the user relate to the animal if they had an immediate family to relate to as well.

I can imagine it must be quite nice to get information about both the animal and the organisation to see where it overlaps and what not. What would you change about the donation process or the updates you receive?
 
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By tax break, what I mean is that if I give $100 to WWF in 2012, when I file my tax return in 2013 for 2012, the government will refund ME the tax I paid to earn that money in the first place. So if my income tax rate is 20%, the government will give me back $20, but the charity keeps $100.
 
I adopt 2 animals at mobkeyworld in Dorset. I love the 'personal' relationship that develops with 'my' animal. I like to know how they are doing etc, but I also like the membership (free entry for a year) that I get in return. I also have annual membership at twycross with give reciprocal visits to some other uk zoos. When I use my free pass, I always eat in the cafes and nearly always buy from the gift shopas well.

I am definitely moving towards making more concrete contributions to smaller organisations. I regularly donate food etc to my local pet sanctuary. It's privately run on a shoe string and needs every penny it can get.
 
Maybe a definition of close contact would be helpful?
When I brought enrichment items demonstrating them through the glass to the primates, they would on later visits signal their interest to see more.This kind of exchange could perhaps have been called close contact.
But it felt different, when enrichment I brought, had been given to them by the keeper. Closer.
Even more rewarding was what I watched one day, when under the former director a school class offered a lot of different enrichment to our group of chimpanzees. I have never seen them happier and displaying more behaviour.
But could even this truly outstanding event have inspired the average visitor to donate for endangered chimpanzees? I doubt. Perhaps, if at the same time a lot of well-made information about their plight had been around.
The adoption scheme of the zoo also seemed to backfire sometimes.
I know of a sponsor who was heartbroken when her animal was suddenly sent away, she would never go back to the zoo.
And I know of other sponsors who, because of the development of a personal relationship to an animal, became more critical about certain conditions and also left for good.
 
FYI on how we choose charities, we recently had some good news in our lives, and decided to give 5 charities X dollars (not much) each. We have done the same for a few years now. For us, part of the fun is researching cool organisations in Australia and around the world that would benefit from a small donation. My wife chooses 2, I choose 2, and we compromise on the 5th.
 
nanoboy: I thought that might be how it would work; it sounds like it would be much more of an incentive than Gift Aid is. It’s a shame that I couldn't just change things so that the UK get tax breaks instead or as well!

I see, what made you decide on five charities instead of three? Would you ever be interested in something that helped you learn about these?


mazfc: Can you remember what the tipping point was; what pushed you from thinking about it to actually doing it? I haven’t even considered the fact that using cafes and gift shops could be considered as a method of contribution. Why do you go to the cafes/gift shops and what do you buy?

What kind of food do you donate? Does it tend to be food that would otherwise be disposed of or wasted, or is it bought especially for donating?


Taisha: Although I initially had being in close proximity in mind for a definition, your response has shown that close proximity may not be needed for close contact. It definitely seems that being able to donate enrichment objects really helps to engage the public; it’s a real shame that it is no longer allowed. I suppose some of them could have been inspired to donate to their cause through that close interaction, even if it isn’t all of them – I can imagine that well-made information wouldn’t have caused any harm though.

It’s interesting you should say that after OrangePerson’s mention of the adopted animal as a ‘face’ for the species; I wonder if the person knew that it may have been for the best even if it would mean being away from the zoo (e.g. if it was for a breeding pool). Do you know what it was sent away for?


Also, I just want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their feedback - I’ve received a lot of valuable information and I cannot thank you all enough for it. Although I won’t be as active as I have been I will still be more than happy to continue discussing this with you all. I'll still be on the forums conducting other research; if desired you can follow my project progress at the following site:
http://productdesign.dundee.ac.uk/~rfindlater/wordpress/
 
RFindlater said:
nanoboy: I thought that might be how it would work; it sounds like it would be much more of an incentive than Gift Aid is. It’s a shame that I couldn't just change things so that the UK get tax breaks instead or as well!
Click to expand...

If people really want a tax break they could donate less, gift aid it and the charity ends up with what they first intended to give! Maybe they can point that out!

I don't sponsor zoo animals usually because I think zoos can make money in other ways so I tend to sponsor animals in rescue centres and also because many zoo animals can be 'transient' and you do build up a bond with an 'adopted' animal and to have it sent away even for good reasons is a bit of a bummer! I am a member at a couple of places and as Maz says if I visit others under a reciprocal agreement try to use the cafe (as if I need an excuse) and/or gift shop. I have done various keeper experiences though which can be pretty expensive but I accept that as the money often goes to a specific cause.

I do think specifics are interesting rather than a blanket 'conservation' project, eg there was a thing where you could pay to sponsor a tiny area of land for gorillas. You could find it on a map (?Google Earth) and know that bit of land was being protected from snares or whatever. Gorilla Doctors have a number of specific options to donate to, I think these things help to make it 'real' and achievable "All our rangers now have new boots' etc.
 
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