Get Involved
WAYS TO HELP AT NO COST —- YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
With an operating budget of more than $1 million/year, of course Donations and Memberships are critical to our ability to care for the cats. We cannot exist without this financial support. But you can make a very significant difference in other important ways as well. There are many ways to support our cats and help end abuse that cost nothing. Some are actions you can take or avoid. Others are ways to make purchases you already make in ways that result in funding for the sanctuary.
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Actions you can Take
Post a 5 Star Review if you have been here
Please post your reviews at Google Places, TripAdvisor, Yelp and Charity Navigator, as that helps others know about us and helps counter balance the 1 star reviews that animal abusers fraudulently post on those sites to bring down our overall ratings.
Become an “Advocat”
You can make an enormous difference by signing up to receive our email alerts and taking action by voicing your support for legislation and your opposition to abusive exhibits in our easy online system. Click here to learn about becoming an Advocat. To see current issues and take action now visit CatLaws.com.
One of the biggest impacts that animal lovers can have is to guide the conversation when it happens. This is how we do it:
1. Set up google alerts for words like tigers, cubs, lions, zoo, circus, fur, etc.
2. Sort through the results daily and find the ones that are really about cats and not Tiger Woods, the Detroit Lions, etc. and read the articles.
3. Join the conversation and steer it in the right direction. ie: explain why people shouldn’t attend circuses that use animals, or wear real fur or how having your picture made with a cub results in lions and tigers being over bred for that purpose, exploited and then discarded or warehoused.
Don’t bother getting into debates with the animal abusers and don’t make it personal. Just deliver the facts so that people who don’t know the issue can understand what they can do to end the abuse. Everything you need to know about what to say is here: http://bigcatrescue.org/abuse-issues
Big Cat Credit Card
You can give more without spending more by turning your everyday spending into meaningful donations with a customized Big Cat Rescue Capital One credit card. Share your passion and donate to Big Cat Rescue with your everyday purchases. We’ve partnered with Capital One® Card Lab Connect to bring you our newest fundraising program, which helps us earn money doing what you do every day! Just carry one of our custom credit cards where 1% of purchases made with the card will be donated to Big Cat Rescue.
Not only will you be donating to the cats with each purchase you make, you’ll be helping to spread the word when people see your wildly unique card, designed specifically for Big Cat Rescue. Three custom cards are currently available featuring Cameron the lion, Cheetaro the leopard, and Shere Khan & China Doll the tigers! What a great way to share the cats’ stories every time you pull out your credit card.
Sharing your passion and your support is easy and automatic. Apply today!
https://www.cardlabconnect.com/Big Cat Rescue
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Visit the sanctuary. Revenue from day tours, kids tours, feeding tours, keeper tours, photo tours and private group tours covers about half of the cost of caring for the cats.
Volunteer on site at the sanctuary.
Volunteer remotely by becoming an “Advocat”. Help stop abuse and support better laws by joining thousands of other big cat lovers in making our voices heard.
Become an Intern for three months.
Send us items on our Wish List .
Recycle your used inkjet printer ink cartridges, laser toners and cell phones to benefit the cats.
Join our Legacy Society to remember the cats in your estate planning.
See how you can investigate and expose abusers. Be a Saber Tooth Sleuth. When you see big cat abuse take photos and post them and your report on 911 Animal Abuse site
Visit our Corporate Sponsor page to show them you appreciate their support.
Use your Social Networking to help build awareness by linking to us from MySpace, Facebook etc. and watching and rating our cool videos on YouTube.
Hold a Meeting or Party, company or personal, in our Party House in a relaxing, rustic setting at the sanctuary. Events can include various levels of tour from a short walk to see a few cats to a full tour.
Participate in our Contests and Raffles.
Vote for us in online contests when available. (none currently, but register here to receive alerts so you know when you can help in this way)
Create a wedding gift registry with the I Do Foundation’s partner stores and up to 10% of gift purchases will be donated to your favorite charity. Choose Big Cat Rescue when you register HERE.
Run a fundraiser for Big Cat Rescue on Razoo.com Find out more about Razoo Fundraising for Big Cats
Actions to Avoid
You can help by NOT doing the following and discouraging others from doing so. Click to see more about each:
- Don’t go see the new white tiger cub on display. Details on white tigers
- Don’t attend performing acts or traveling exhibits containing big cats. Why not?
- Don’t participate in offers to pet or have photos taken with a cub or adult big cat. Why not?
Shopping for Gifts or Things you already Buy
Your Pets Will Thank You and So Will the Big Cats
If you buy groceries this is a way that 5% of your typical household purchases can benefit Big Cat Rescue and you can earn a residual income as well so that you can spend your time saving animals. Shop and Earn
You can help at no extra cost by making purchases you would otherwise make in ways that generate donations to Big Cat Rescue. Looking for gifts or items you need for yourself? Please consider these alternatives:
Big Cat Rescue Online Gift Shop: Shop in our online Prostore Gift Shop
Big Cat Rescue eBay Store: Shop in our eBay Store
Big Cat Rescue Cafe Press: Check out our Café Press store for hundreds of big cat items from t-shirts to mugs and everything in between.
Big Cat Rescue Zazzle: Our Zazzle store has big cat calendars, logo items and many other Big Cat Rescue items.
Big Cat Cards: We make it easier and cheaper than ever before for you to send a real printed card with our two new card programs.
Enthusem – Upload your own photos, or choose from ours, and send a card for less that what it would cost you to buy a card and postage in the store. Send a real cat card!
SendOutCards – Upload your own photos, or choose from ours, and send a card at prices lower than what you would pay for cards and postage from the store. The difference is that when people get your cards and see how purrsonalized they are, they will probably want to do it too. If they do, you get paid. Find out more HERE
Cat Decor & Jewelry: Purchase elegant cat themed home décor and jewelry selected by award winning designer Barbara Krai through our Luxe Line.
Magazines: Buy or renew your favorite Magazine Subscriptions at up to 85% off newsstand prices. 40% of your online purchase is donated to BCR. Over 650 popular titles.
Bingo for Big Cats: Like Bingo? Try our bingo card game where you can win $500 and proceeds go to the cats.
Dining: Dine at Whiskey Joe’s restaurant not far from us on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. A portion of your check is donated to Big Cat Rescue.
Online stores that donate part of your purchase to Big Cat Rescue:
Albertson’s – Available if you live in, AZ, CO, FL, NE, NM, LA, TX or WY
Amazon – Enter through our portal. Prices are the same, but part of purchase is donated.
Shop for Museums- Raise Funds for Big Cat Rescue at No Extra Cost to You! Big Cat Rescue is excited to announce its involvement as a Museum Partner with ShopforMuseums.com. As a Museum Partner, anyone shopping online with their favorite national retailers can have a portion of their purchase directed to Big Cat Rescue at no additional cost. Whether you are in the market for books, office supplies, apparel, gifts, travel reservations, home improvement, school supplies, toys, electronics, flowers or gourmet food…You name it, the place to start is at ShopforMuseums.com!
Participation is simple and secure. To designate a portion of your next online purchase to Big Cat Rescue, simply:
• Go to www.ShopforMuseums.com
• Click on Shop Now!
• Click on Big Cat Rescue (we’re on the first page, very easy to find!)
• Then just click on the link of the store you want to visit and go about your shopping. Stores are organized by categories.
The percentage of your purchase will help feed the cats as long as you follow the steps above at ShopforMuseums.com. You can also create a login where you can track your donations and allow Big Cat Rescue to thank you personally for your contributions.
ShopOnPurpose will donate 1% to 31% to Big Cat Rescue every time you shop through the store links on Big Cat Rescue’s shopping page. Choose from 45 online stores including; Aeropostale, Banana Republic, Columbia, Disney Store, Puma, Sears, Target, The Body Shop and more. ShopOnPurpose, is passionate about showing people how they can contribute to Big Cat Rescue every time they shop online. With ShopOnPurpose, you can make a difference while saving money on the things you already buy from the stores you already use! There is no registration required, just click on the link HERE to go directly to Big Cat Rescue’s shopping page.
Sell on eBay and Benefit Big Cats
eBay has a non-profit component called eBay Giving Works. Through this, Big Cat Rescue and many other charities may use eBay to promote items for reduced fees.
But another large purpose of eBay Giving Works is to allow other eBay sellers to choose a registered charity to automatically receive a portion of their eBay sales.
In 2008, Big Cat Rescue had 640 community sellers through the eBay Giving Works program. These sellers raised over 2,800 dollars for Big Cat Rescue by selling through eBay! We would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You and let our community sellers know how grateful we are for their donations.
If you are a community seller who provided address information through Mission Fish, you will receive a thank you note and tax receipt for the total we received from your efforts.
If you are not a Big Cat Rescue Community Seller through eBay but are interested in becoming one, it only takes five easy steps!
1. When selling an item on eBay, under the “Choose how you’d like to sell your item” tab there is an eBay Giving Works option.
2. If you are already a community seller for Big Cat Rescue, the icon will show up automatically. Otherwise click on “Or, select another nonprofit you love”.
3. In the “Nonprofit name or key word” search box, type in Big Cat Rescue.
4. When Big Cat Rescue shows up, hit the “Select” button.
5. You automatically return to your “Choose how you’d like to sell your item” tab with Big Cat Rescue selected. All you have to do choose the Donation percentage you want Big Cat Rescue to receive when your item sells!
eBay Giving Works also provides benefits for sellers who participate in the program – check out what you receive in return at http://www.ebaygivingworks.com/
Thank you again to all of our community sellers who have chosen to include Big Cat Rescue in their nonprofit giving through eBay!
Social Networking for Big Cats
If you have an account at MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Photobucket, AOL, or any of the myriad of social networking sites, you can help promote Big Cat Rescue. Add us as a friend, watch, rate and embed our videos, or post photos of our cats with links to our site. Your visitors will love it and you will be helping to save the big cats!
It’s a great way to support the cats at no cost to you!
Big Cat Rescue’s sites:
Blogger http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com
Care2 http://my.care2.com/savethecats
FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/bigcatrescue Like Us and add our donation app to your page!
Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/BigCatRescue/
Google Plus at: bigcatrescue.org/plus
Jumpcut http://jumpcut.com/bigcatrescue
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/BigCatRescue
MySpace http://www.myspace.com/1BigCatRescue
PhotoBucket http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x243/BigCatRescue/
Posterous http://bigcatrescue.posterous.com/
RSS of big cat news http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Tumblr http://bigcatrescue.tumblr.com/
Twitter http://twitter.com/bigcatrescue
VEOH TV http://www.veoh.com/users/BigCatRescue
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/bigcatrescue This is our main YouTube site
YouTube Mini Clips http://www.youtube.com/DailyBigCat
Suggest a site to [email protected]
Adding us as a friend on your social networking site helps raise awareness for the cats.
Run a Razoo Fundraiser on Your Social Networks
Participate in a fundraising race or event for a Big Cat Rescue and use Razoo to collect donations from all of your supporters. Use it as a way to let people do something for your birthday or holidays rather than buying you a gift that you really don’t want or need.
Host a real or virtual event in support of Big Cat Rescue and ask attendees to donate to your fundraiser on Razoo. Their donation receipts can serve as “tickets” to the event!
Creating a Fundraiser takes only 5 minutes. To get started, set up a free Razoo account and Create a Fundraiser. Customizing your Fundraiser page is simple: you can include a personal story about why you love Big Cat Rescue as well as a photograph or a YouTube video related to Big Cat Rescue.
Once your Fundraiser page is complete, use the “ShareThis” button at the bottom of the screen to send friends and family a link to your fundraiser through email, Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media tools you use. Razoo is powered by Network for Good and the best part is that they do all of the donation processing for free so that 100% of the donations go to Big Cat Rescue. Get started with Razoo now!
