When buying gifts for friends, I always try to be creative as well as sentimental by trying to choose gifts that are representative of the friendship. I was recently challenged by picking out a birthday gift for a very dear friend and was drawing blanks. I racked my brain, thinking of what her favorite things were, going through the list of things we often do together, favorite restaurants, movies. What was something that would be valued and not just tossed into a drawer or back closet to slowly disappear from our memory? I finally settled on what I thought was a useful gift, and one that offered personal value: adopting a penguin.
Not an actual penguin, of course, but one of those in-name-only adoptions, where you donate a specific amount of money to an organization that works with wildlife, and then said friend receives an adoption package, normally featuring a photo of the animal, a fact sheet and a small note about how the donation helps protect the adopted creature.
In doing research, I tried to figure out which organization would best suit my gifting needs, as well as do the best work for the animal. Here is a rundown of the ones I considered:
World Wildlife Fund
Brief History: WWF’s mission is the conservation of nature. Using the best available scientific knowledge and advancing that knowledge where possible, WWF works to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the health of ecological systems.
Animals Up for Adoption: Over 100 species, the top 10 are Polar Bears, Tigers, Pandas, Snow Leopards, Amur Leopards, Sea Turtles, Emperor Penguins, Gray Wolves, Blue-footed Boobies and Arctic Hares.
Cost: $25-250
What You Get: For $25, you receive a photo, Adoption Certificate and Species Info Card. For $50, you also receive an 8″ plush of the animal, as well as a gift bag. Options top out at $250, where you choose between a family plush (mom and kid) or a giant 30″ plush.
Where the Money Goes: 82 cents of every donated dollar goes toward conservation. WWF has been recognized by Charity Navigator as a Four Star Charity, and is a Better Business Bureau Accredited charity.
World Animal Foundation
Brief History: The World Animal Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of the planet and the animals that inhabit it. WAF works with other not-for-profit organizations dedicated to planet preservation and animal issues. WAF works through public education, research, investigations, animal rescue, legislation, special events, and direct action.
Animals Up for Adoption: 44 species, ranging from exotic creatures to farm animals.
Cost: $35 plus $6.50 shipping and handling
What You Get: Glossy Photo of Your Adopted Animal & Fact Sheet, Animal Adoption Certificate In Deluxe Cover, Fact Sheet About Your Adopted Animal Species, Animal Action Cards Packed with information on how you can help animals.
Where the Money Goes: According to the site, a “portion” of proceeds benefit the World Animal Foundation, but I wasn’t able to determine exactly how much.
Your Local Zoo
**Almost all zoos offer an animal adoption program. I’m using the San Diego Zoo for my example, but be sure to check with your local zoo for information.
Brief History: The San Diego Zoo is one of the largest (107 acres) and most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species. It is also one of the few zoos in the world that houses the giant panda.
Animals Up for Adoption: 20 different species, including Giraffes, African Lions and the always popular Zoo Babies.
Cost: $35-1,000
What You Get: For $35, you receive an Animal Fact sheet, digital photo and personalized adoption certificate. For $250, you also receive a $50 ShopZoo.com. For the top price of $1,000, you receive everything from the $250 level plus two tickets to the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park and a Zoo Keeper talk for two.
Where the Money Goes: Over 92 percent of funds donated goes directly towards purchases for the animals, including balls for polar bears, chew toys for tigers and ice cakes for pandas.
Based on the info I found, I decided to adopt through the World Wildlife Fund. I’ve given money to them as an organization before, and like the packages they offered. The next time you are searching for a gift for that friend for whom it is impossible to shop, I recommend checking out these options.
