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Your
Zoo or Institution Can Make a Difference!
Is your zoo or institution looking to get more involved in helping
international conservation? Don't know where a small amount of
money can make a big difference? The MFG can be your solution.
Join
the MFG
First of all, is your facility an MFG member? If not, start working
on interesting your colleagues in Madagascar. Find out more about
joining the MFG.
MFG's
Membership Concept
Members support the MFG's programs by paying annual membership
dues. The MFG steering committee and advisors meet each year to
establish projects and an annual budget, which are then forwarded
to all member institutions. In 1988, when a budget was drawn up
to support the first agreed-upon projects, the cost was split
evenly among the founding members. At the time, this amounted
to $9,000 per member. The Founder level annual dues have remained
the same since then. As new programs are initiated, the budget
has been increased by inviting more zoos to join, either as Founders,
Supporters, or Contributors. The latter two groups are full-fledged
members of the MFG, although their dues are lower and they have
less priority in being asked to participate in some breeding programs.
The
importance of the annual membership dues and the continuity they
engender cannot be overstated. It is the commitment of our members
which has allowed the MFG to maintain a strong full-time staff
in Madagascar, and this has been crucial to our success. It has
allowed us to develop stable working relationships with the government,
and has given credibility and reliability to our programs. By
having a dedicated membership that is willing to fund the crucial
but less glamorous aspects of conservation -- in-country salaries,
vehicle repairs, and infrastructure, the MFG has been able to
be much more effective than groups which must raise funds on a
project by project basis and recruit new staff each time. With
the advice of our members, steering committee, staff and advisors,
we are able to dedicate resources to what should and must be done,
rather than to projects which appeal to particular donors.
And
here is something not many groups can say -- over 99% of the donations
are spent directly in Madagascar*. This
is possible because the St. Louis Zoo, where the MFG is headquartered,
provides office and operational support.
THANK
YOU - MISAOTRA BETSAKA!
*Donations made online through the "Donate
Now" button are subject to a processing fee and so this amount
is slightly decreased. MFG encourages large donation amounts to
be paid by check for the maximum benefit to our programs.
If
you would like to send a check, please send it to:
Madagascar Fauna Group
c/o Saint Louis Zoo
1 Government Road
Saint Louis MO 63110
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