Part of our dream has always been to make a difference for animals and wildlife. Ever since we were kids, Greg and I have shared the same passion for animals. And we believe in taking action when we are passionate about something. Thanks to you, we are now able to make a lasting difference.
At Lush Throws, 10% of our net profits goes directly to the protection and support of endangered species.
We really couldn’t do it without you. And so, we thought we’d give you the run-down of our non-profit partners.
A little something about me...I love to research. I have done extensive research into each organization we partnered with, because we care about where our donations go. We wanted to make sure that each organization is transparent with their funds, and that the actions they take make the very best impact for endangered species.
We’ve chosen three organizations that we can really get behind…
Panthera is the leading non-profit for the conservation of big cats. They have specific programs for each of the 7 species of big cat, (Tigers, Lions, Jaguars, Snow Leopards, Leopards, Pumas, and Cheetahs), as well as one that includes the 33 small wild cat species. These programs span 47 countries within 4 major continents. Each program is designed based on the needs of the represented species and environment. In their 2020 annual report, they announced that they’ve signed new anti-poaching documents with the local governments in both Senegal and Malaysia. In Malaysia, they’ve “established a fully operational anti-poaching team, the majority of whom are Dusun Indigenous people”
Panthera also has anti-poaching teams and technology in India, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Gabon, and Belize. In their 2020 annual report they stated,
“We conservatively estimate that our law enforcement support prevents the poaching of at least 8,000 animals per year.”
Even still, wild cat populations continue to decrease due to poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, habitat fragmentation, deforestation, human-predator conflict, and wild-fires. Panthera is committed to improve the population rate, habitat, and safety of all species of wild cats. Their breakthroughs with tracking technology, their collaboration with local governments, and their integration with local communities all make a huge impact to our earth’s species of wild cats.
Panthera posts their financial statements each year to the public. According to Charity Navigator, Panthera’s transparency rating is 100%. Charity Navigator concludes that people can “give with confidence” to this non-profit.
At Lush Throws, we are very excited to contribute to Panthera. Please click the pictured link above to learn more about this non-profit.
Big Life Foundation employs local Maasai rangers and utilizes technology to track, protect against, and apprehend poachers within the wild Amboseli ecosystem of East Africa. Big Life rangers patrol millions of miles on the border of both Kenya and Tanzania. In Africa, 35,000 elephants are killed for their ivory or meat each year. That is an annual 10% drop in elephant population. As for lions, only 20,000 wild lions are left to roam in Africa. This means that the lion population has decreased by 75% over the last 20 years. Big Life Foundation states,
“At the current rate, there will be no elephants or lions left in the African wilds within 15 years.”
Big Life is driven to change these odds and protect these species threatened by poachers or human-predator conflict. Through operating closely with local communities, “Big Life’s teams are successfully apprehending poachers almost every time they kill.”
Here’s their impact in the last decade through the numbers:
- 2,300,844 miles patrolled by rangers
- 4,957 weapons or tools seized from poachers
- 3,828 arrests
- 343 local Maasai trained rangers
- 42 ranger units
- 30 permanent outposts
- 14 patrol vehicles
- 2 surveillance airplanes
- 2 tracker dogs
Big Life Foundation supports 4 ongoing programs. The Wildlife Protection Program, the Human-Wildlife Conflict Program, the Habitat Protection Program, and the Community Program. They believe in the power of community. Their vision states,
“We believe that if conservation supports the people, then people will support conservation.”
According to Charity Navigator, Big Life Foundation has an exceptional overall rating of 95.47% regarding their financials and transparency, giving it a 4/4 star rating. Charity Navigator concludes that people can “give with confidence” to this non-profit.
At Lush Throws, we are very excited to contribute to Big Life Foundation. Please click the pictured link above to learn more about this non-profit.
First of all, I highly recommend watching the 2017 documentary, Jane, by National Geographic. I watched it years ago and forever have been inspired.
In 1960, Jane Goodall was driven to leave her London hometown and explore the wilderness of Gombe, Tanzania. Her passion to observe animals, specifically chimpanzees, in their natural habitat led to groundbreaking findings of the time. These findings forced the scientific community to acknowledge how alike humans and chimpanzees really are.
Since then, she has been a leader for multiple chimpanzee studies in Africa, world education about our earth, and the power of conservation through community. Her ongoing program at Gombe that spans the last 60 years is “the world’s longest-running field research on chimpanzees.” Jane’s approach has broadened to include the impact of local communities and environmental factors. She believes,
These projects are based on 9 strategies that strengthen Jane’s dream of community-centered conservation.
- Conservation Science: Revolutionary science and technology is used to monitor habitat, track animal routes, and in study human impacts.
- Advocacy: Jane Goodall’s voice empowers the world to create lasting, positive change for our planet.
- Public Awareness and Environmental Education: Education about illegal poaching and trafficking helps communities protect their wildlife.
- Healthy Habitats: Local governments and communities create plans for habitat protection.
- Gender Health and Conservation: Access to education, healthcare, and clean water empowers young women of local communities.
- Sustainable Livelihoods: Education for the communities that live near chimpanzees empowers them to protect their natural resources.
- Protecting Chimpanzees and Other Great Apes: The Jane Goodall Institute protects species of apes against poaching throughout Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of Congo.
- Roots and Shoots: A global movement throughout 100 countries that promotes youth leadership for the planet.
- Research: Research continues to flourish that is built on Jane Goodall’s early studies of the chimps in Gombe.
These strategies apply to many areas of our planet and speak to the interconnectedness between all living things.
The Jane Goodall Institute posts yearly financial statements to the public. It is analyzed by Charity Navigator regarding financial expenses and transparency. Charity Navigator states that people can “give with confidence” to this non profit.
At Lush Throws, we are very excited to contribute to the Jane Goodall Institute. Please click the pictured link above to learn more about this non-profit.
We are so grateful for companies like these who relentlessly work to create change in our world. And thank you for supporting our small business! Together, we can save and protect our wildlife.