Frequently Asked Questions
Our Mission & Why Zoo-EV
Aren't there enough wildlife conservation groups already?
It’s true that many wonderful organizations are dedicated to wildlife conservation. Each has its
unique focus and expertise. At Zoo-EV, we’re not trying to “reinvent the wheel.” Instead, a
core part of our mission is to support and amplify the efforts of these existing
organizations. We believe that by working together and strategically directing resources, we
can achieve a greater impact.
Why should I support Zoo-EV?
Zoo-EV offers a distinct approach to conservation. We aren’t claiming to be better than other
organizations, just different. Our core principles revolve around complete transparency, with
no hidden print or misleading language. We want you to feel confident that your support
is going directly to where it’s needed most, and we’re committed to showing you exactly how
your contributions are making a difference. We believe in empowering our supporters with
clear information and a voice in our initiatives.
Why focus on wild cats?
Wild cats are often referred to as umbrella species. This means that by concentrating
conservation efforts on protecting them and their habitats, we inherently safeguard a vast
array of other species and the entire ecosystem they inhabit. When wild cats thrive, it
indicates a healthy and balanced environment for countless other plants and animals.
Protecting these apex predators has a ripple effect, benefiting all life within their ecosystems.
What do we hope to accomplish?
Our primary goal is to raise awareness about the critical conservation challenges facing wild
cats, especially the lesser-known species. We believe that awareness is the essential first step
toward generating action and support. Equally important is raising funds to provide
much-needed resources to existing conservation groups. Did you know that a staggering
amount of global funding for wild cat conservation (estimates suggest around 99%) is
directed towards only a handful of iconic species, leaving the vast majority (over 30 species)
to share the remaining small percentage? By targeting awareness and funding, we aim to:
- Expand the current operations of existing conservation groups, enabling them to do more
vital work on the ground. - Encourage more researchers to get involved with lesser-known species. When
researchers know that consistent funding is available, which provides the necessary
incentive and stability to dedicate their efforts to these one overlooked but equally
important wild cats.
What do we see as the biggest challenges for researchers and conservation groups?
The challenges are multifaceted, but some of the most significant include:
Lack of Awareness and Funding: As mentioned, many wild cat species simply don’t receive the attention or financial support they desperately need. This leads to a critical knowledge gap and limits the scope of conservation efforts.
Elusive Nature of Wild Cats: Many wild cat species are incredibly shy and difficult to track in their natural habitats. Technologies like camera traps are vital for monitoring populations and understanding their behavior, but deploying and maintaining these traps, and then analyzing the vast amounts of data they collect, is highly labor-intensive.
- Uncertainty of Ongoing Funding: Unfortunately, many researchers are hesitant to dedicate their careers to studying lesser-known species due to the uncertainty of available funding. Understandably, researchers will gravitate towards areas where consistent financial support is more readily available. We believe that by providing ongoing, reliable funding, we can attract and retain talented researchers to all wild cat species.
Cultural and Governmental Differences: Conservation efforts often involve working across diverse cultures and with various governmental bodies. Navigating these differences, building trust, and ensuring local communities are involved and benefit from conservation initiatives can be significant challenges.
Fundraising: Our Philosophy & Methods
Our methods and philosophy
At Zoo-EV, while we certainly won’t turn down direct donations, our primary focus isn’t solely on collecting them. We deeply respect that money is hard-earned, and we believe in providing value in return for your support. That’s why we are developing a comprehensive online store where you can purchase unique products. This approach isn’t just about giving you something in return; we also hope our distinctive products and designs will stand out and spark conversations, helping to advance our crucial goal of raising awareness.
Similarly, our membership offerings are designed with this philosophy in mind, providing tangible benefits to our supporters.
While our store is a key focus, we also encourage other forms of support:
- Direct donations to our PayPal Giving Fund, easily accessible through “Donate Now” buttons on every page of our site.
- Membership incentives that encourage active participation, such as starting a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
- Encouraging your employer and coworkers to initiate a payroll deduction program with a company match, where employees might donate as little as $1 per week.
How funds will be used
We employ a transparent fund accounting method to ensure accountability and clarity in how your contributions are utilized. All funds received will be deposited into a single investment account. However, internally, each of the wild cat species will have its own dedicated “Fund” ledger. At the end of each month, all revenue generated will be divided equally among these individual species funds.
There are a few exceptions to this equal distribution:
- Donor-Directed Funds: Any funds specifically designated by a donor for a particular species will be directly aflributed to that specified fund.
- Legal Requirements: In certain cases, such as raffles, we may be legally required to keep funds in a separate Once it becomes legally permissible (generally after a specified period following the raffle’s completion), those funds will then be distributed equally among all 40 wild cat funds.
Membership
Why are we offering memberships?
Our membership program aligns perfectly with our fundraising philosophy: we want to give something back to our dedicated supporters. Memberships are designed to provide tangible value and allow you to feel more connected to our mission, specifically through our member rewards program.
What are the benefits?
For a detailed breakdown of all the fantastic benefits you’ll receive as a Zoo-EV member, please visit our dedicated Membership Page.
Voting?
Yes! We believe you deserve a say in how your hard-earned dollars are used. As a member, you’ll have the opportunity to vote on certain initiatives and projects, providing an additional layer of value and involvement. Your input helps guide our conservation efforts.
Transparency
Goals in transparency
Our commitment to complete transparency is a cornerstone of Zoo-EV. We aim to be fully open about our operations, how funds are used, and the impact your support creates. We believe that by being transparent, we build trust and foster a stronger, more engaged community dedicated to wild cat conservation. We will provide regular updates and clear financial reporting to demonstrate our accountability.
Policies
Returns and Quality Issues
Due to the unique nature of the products offered in our store, we generally cannot accept returns unless there are clear manufacturer errors or quality defects. Our providers have strict policies, allowing us to return items to them only in cases of defects, at which point they will replace the item with an exact duplicate of your original order.
Please note that “quality issues” refer to errors or defects in the product itself (e.g., crooked stitching, items not printed flat, significant blemishes). They do not include subjective preferences such as “I thought the colors would be brighter/duller” or similar aesthetic opinions that are not a result of a manufacturing fault. We encourage you to review product descriptions and images carefully before making a purchase.
Privacy and User Data
Your privacy is paramount to us. We will never sell, rent, or in any other manner distribute or disclose any of your personal information to third parties. Furthermore, we will not utilize any form of dynamic advertising or similar technologies that have the ability to track or collect data about your Browse habits.
We may, however, embed static display ads directly within our website. These ads will be controlled entirely by Zoo-EV and will not be made available to external entities like Google Ads or similar advertising platforms.
Cookies and Tracking
We do use cookies on our website, but primarily for essential functional purposes. The main reasons for using cookies are to:
- Track your activity on the site for features such as your shopping cart or account
- Track the activities of any visitors you may have referred to our site using your unique referral These tracking activities are necessary to accurately award points or benefits for qualified referral activities.
- Perform internal analysis of our website’s performance and traffic paflerns, helping us to improve user experience.
Rest assured, none of this tracking information will ever be sold, rented, or distributed in any manner to any entity or organization not directly affiliated with Zoo-EV. Your data remains confidential and is used solely to enhance your experience and our internal operations.
