FINAL POST: PLEASE RESET LINK TO http://www.johnreganassociates.com/

There will be no further posts on this site, as the blog has migrated to our core site:  http://www.johnreganassociates.com/ 
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A Sense of Place conference

This event may be of interest to a wide number of organisations seeking funding.    Being able to articulate your site’s potential to contribute a positive and unique idea of place is often a prerequisite for external investment.
2nd – 5th September 2009 Eden Project, Cornwall   http://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/SoP2009/
How do we make places that help communities respond to changing [...]

Anna Westbury and Kiev

We have been helping Anna Westbury at Kiev Zoo in the Ukraine consder using the European Commission’s TAIEX grant making programme to attend Hamburg Zoo’s Elephant training workshop.
TAIEX can be used for funding to take up to 3 people for ’study trip’ to an EU Member State, to get experts from one of these states [...]

Consultation with World Pheasant Association

We recently held a short consultation with Dr Phillip McGowan, the Director of the World Pheasant Association.
This was to to provide some outline ideas as to how WPA could work towards transformational, ’step change’ funding.

Turner Foundation:International Funding Interests

The Foundation supports environmental projects:
“to protect the atmosphere and other natural resourses by promoting energy efficency, renewable energy and improved transportation policies and practices
to protect rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, oceans and other water systems from contamination, degradion and other abuses
to defend biodiversity by protecting natural habitats”.
The Foundation does not fund buildings, acquisition, endowments or start-up [...]

EC’s ENRTP up to 80% of a €3 million project

This funding programme’s opening date has slipped to end of June 09.
Projects in all countries in the developing world are eligible, and there are sub-themes for biodiversity, forests, forestry law, climate change and desertification.
Contact us to discuss whether your ambition might be eligible: John@johnreganassociates.com

Desmond Tutu to visit Marwell Wildlife, UK

UPDATE: This has now been confirmed for the 15th of September.
JRA Ltd is delighted to report success in securing the involvement of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in an event celebrating our client Marwell Wildlife.

The Arcbishop will visit in September in the context of Marwell Wildlife’s reaffirmation of its charitable purpose and a strengthened commitment to climate [...]

Nordens Ark summit in Sweden

Update on Nordens Ark, I have done an interview with Director Lena Linden on her success in external funding, and hope to publish this here soon.
 
Nordens Ark begin a 3 day international workshop on the threat to biological diversity from 5 to 7 May 2009.
In connection with the seminars, a completely new breeding facility for [...]

Update on successful Bonobo fundraising event at House of Lords for Twycross Zoo

FURTHER UPDATE:  funding received to date from this event is now approaching £110,000 with 2 more significant gifts pledged.
JRA Ltd recently proposed and helped organise a reception at the House of Lords, London to assist the East Midland Zoological Society at Twycross Zoo, UK to raise funds for the conservation of the bonobo.
This has proven very [...]

Elephant-size donation moves zoo to magic number

(From the Salt Lake Tribune courtesy of Peter Dixon)
When voters approved a $33 million infusion of public cash for the Hogle Zoo in January, they added one rather significant stipulation: Zoo leaders would have to raise $11 million on their own to unlock the cash.
Zoo fundraisers say they had collected the first $7.5 million before [...]

Interview 2: Dr Jeffrey Bonner, President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo

Background: Jeffrey P. Bonner trained as an anthropologist and was formerly President of the Indianapolis Zoo. The Saint Louis Zoo was founded in 1904, is a free site attracting some three million visitors and is celebrated not only for its work in science and conservation, but also in fundraising.
The Saint Louis Zoo is generally recognised [...]

EU and Europe’s Zoos

Download: the_eu_and_europes_zoos1
I thought it might be useful to bring this document back to the surface.
This is the first attempt to align all the aspirations and activities of the EU’s zoos and aquaria ( the logic would extend to botanical sites as well).
I should emphasize that the zoos referenced are not of course the only progressive [...]

Keep the NY Zoo Budget!

How many of us grew up visiting the zoo at least once a year? When you’re young, the zoo is a magical place through which you can experience wildlife that you would have otherwise not been able to witness in North America. The economy has impacted all of us around the country, and on [...]

A handful of funders for zoos: grants for conservation; funding for widlife; funds for biodiversity education; zoos and capital investment

We will constantly update this post with more potential sources of funding for zoos.  As potentially zoos and botanic gardens from all around the world may access ( and contribute to…?)this forum, we will try and reference funders with a relevance to different parts of the world. 
Obviously “zoo projects” can mean lots of different things [...]

UK Secretary of State, Andy Burnham to open Butterfly Journey at Chester Zoo

As a ‘tail end’ of our work for the UK zoo consortium, we worked with Professor Drummond Bone to secure the presence of Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at this event.

This is with a view to asking the UK Government to develop a deeper understanding of the many social [...]

Working with celebrities to raise the profile of your zoo or similar organisation

This piece was first published in International Zoo News. You can get a free sample copy of this magazine, if  you  email  editor Nick  Gould: Ngouldizn@aol.com
Why try to involve a famous person in your zoo event? 
Celebrity figures and zoos have a long association. Many prominent actors (and especially actresses) seem to have a strong affinity [...]

Mr Dillinger, why do you rob banks…?

This is an unedited and unproofed excerpt from a forthcoming book: Transformational External funding for Zoos, Botanic Gardens, Aquariums and similar site based organisations By John Regan and J.J.W Edwards to be published in 2010.

 
Shortly before he died under a hail of FBI bullets emerging from the Biograph Cinema, Chicago, the USA’s public enemy [...]

Free newsletter on funding opportunities

If you would like to receive a free regular newsletter on funding opportunites for zoos, botanic gardens, aquariums and similar organisations, please email John Edwards (Johnedwards@johnreganassociates.com) and let him know. 
There are two versions, UK zoo funding and Eurozoo funding.  All subscribers to the former will automatically get the latter as well.  So let John know [...]

Interview1: How Adelaide Zoo won its funding

Public capital investment for large audience nature venues
Interview 1: Professor Chris West, Royal Zoological Society of South Australia
Background: The RZSA or Zoos South Australia is a non profit operating two sites, Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Open Range Zoo, as well as the Conservation Ark programme.
In 2006 Professor Chris West, formerly of the Zoological Society of [...]

The State Aid blockage to public funding within the EU and how to address it

This is  an EU Directive designed to prevent one Member State giving an unfair advantage to a particular commercial organisation or sector. For instance if the UK Government were to give subsides to its steel industry, this would distort  competitivity across the EU.
I have noticed however that the State Aid principle is being quoted (sometime [...]

What makes a good external funding officer, development or fundraiser?

This is an unedited and unproofed excerpt from a forthcoming book: Transformational External funding for Zoos, Botanic Gardens, Aquariums and similar site based organisations By John Regan and J.J.W Edwards to be published in 2010.

 
The professionalization and professional acceptance of development as a career remains at unequal stages in different countries and different sectors.  [...]

Being rejected: what kind of ‘no’ is it?

You will need to handle a number of rejections before you succeed.  When you get a ‘no, respect this, but try to establish’ what kind of no’ it is:

No, not ever..?
No, not now..?
No, not this particular project…?
No, not at this price..?

On the basis of the response, you can begin to formulate a  new approach.
Elicit [...]

New green philanthropy list published in London Times

This should be useful to sites pursuing philanthropic funding.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/article5816774.ece
Of course, the lazy, unproductive way to address this: the inevitable that will just dull the philanthropic edge of these individuals’ generosity and goodwill would be to simply bombard them with begging letters.
There are many subtler ways of approaching such people!

Confusing a project description required by the external funding process with description required to actually deliver the project

It may sound confusing but… consider the sequence of aims required in securing external funding for a given project.  First you will be tightly focussed on just winning the funds. This will of course in turn involve developing, describing and articulating your concept to the given funder, but only  in those practical areas necessary and [...]

Why should zoos seek external funding at all?

This is an unedited and unproofed excerpt from a forthcoming book: Transformational External funding for Zoos, Botanic Gardens, Aquariums and similar site based organisations By John Regan and J.J.W Edwards to be published in 2010.
Why seek external funding at all?
The majority of people who have opened this book represent institutions which either charge for [...]

Finding and keeping fundraisers for site based organisations: new study

dissertation-on-fundraising-professionals The attached new US study investigates elements around retention and sucess rates for development professionals and fundraisers

When too much planning for your site’s future can damage opportunities for future external funding

A contrarian’s view I know, but often when we are asked to help find major transformational funding for zoos, botanic sites, museums and similar sites, we find that an existing master plan that is too prescriptive and inflexible can be a major hindrance.
Of course planning is essential; not least for the purposes for external funding itself. However [...]

Zoos, botanics and the new age of philanthropy

We are – despite the recession – living through a new age of personal giving at a very senior level.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are now the biggest donors the world has ever seen, and they are followed by a host of others all around the world.
But these new “philanthopcapitalists” are subtly different from their [...]

Sites engaged in asking the public for funds should not mention the recession

Some interesting recent research shows that donor prospects will give less to a charity if it references the current down turn.
A leading UK charity took the view that mentioning the recession and its effect on the charity would make individuals actually give more.  However a controlled experiment seems to show that this only made them more [...]

Most successful words to use in funding approaches

Research over many decades shows that certain key words can increase success in funding approaches. These include:

Free
New
You
Yes
Discover
Benefit
Money
Guarantee
Now
Secret
Proven

So, yes, that is the secret.  Now discover the power of this proven and free technique guaranteed to bring new benefits and new money
 

Opportunities for nature venues to prosper in the recession

 

 
Many leading experts in different fields point to pickings to be found for the exotic worlds of zoos, botanic gardens and conservation in an economic downturn, and, in certain respects, this is the time to invest, rather than cutback:
High calibre staff are leaving the financial sector and other (previously!) well remunerated areas of business, deciding [...]

UK Government land tax Proposals

I hope all UK zoos, botanic gardens, aquariums etc. are tracking the Government’s “Community Infrastucture”. As I understand it, this threatens to seriously increase the capital costs of new building by UK charities – which of course will especially effect zoo and similar projects

Fundable themes for zoos, botanic gardens, etc.

In working across Europe to help sites achieve ‘transformational’ funding from one or other level of government, the same ideas often emerge. In which ways can you finesse your project in such a way that it ‘adds value’ to your society. These are some of the agenda that will help you get the attention of public [...]

Here is link for jobs in zoos

http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

£5 million target for Marwell Zoological Park: 2 invitations to bid

Our work with Marwell Zoological Park has made satisfyingly rapid progress over the last 12 months, and has now coalesced around an exciting £5 million project build (notional budget only).
With our assistance Marwell Zoological Park has now been actively invited to bid for two separate grants (one public and one private funder) each separately amounting [...]

Further £100,000 grant achieved for Twycross Zoo

Working closely with the Zoo Director’s office, JRA Ltd has recently achieved £100,000 grant from East Midlands Tourism. 
The grant comes on the back of  the £3 million grant secured from emda in 2007
This funding is to be used for work around planning  the overall development of the zoo site.
JRA advised on and coordinated as to [...]

New document available on links between EU policy and the deliver of zoos and aquaria

eu-and-europes-zoos
On behalf of a grouping of 19 leading zoos and aquaria throughout the EU, we recently completed this study which draws out the close alignment between the EU’s principles and policues and what good zoos and allied sites are all about.
It comes complete with an introduction from the former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, [...]

Save The Rhino International’s application to the EU’s ENTRP programme

Renaud Fulconis.
 

 

 
We recently assisted Save The Rhino International to complete an initial Concept Note to the European Union’s  “enviromental and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy” This is for the protection of the Great One Horned Rhino in Nepal’s Terai grasslands.  The overall project looks to cost  2.5 million €, and we hope to [...]

EU LIFE+ Information and Communication funds undersubcribed!

This source of funds, introduced for the first time ever in September 07, seems to have been badly undersubscribed. In the UK only 3 applications were made.
Whilst this financing cannot support major infrastructure, it can fund signage, information points and possibly walkways. Restricted to EU environmental issues, it seems especially well suited to collaborative projects [...]

Partnerships to access EU funding.

Currently membership for the EU Interreg zoo and botanic garden funding partnership lead by Bristol Zoo Gardens is closed. 
We are likely to bid together for a sum in the region of  5 million €.  The ‘in principle’ membership for this project is: Emmen Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Munster Zoo and the Eden Project, [...]

Question from Martin Rule re funding for Varna Zoo, Bulgaria

Thanks for your website.
I have just visited a Zoo in Bulgaria, Varna. This Zoo suffers from stereotypical underfunding and is in dire need of all the support, advice and change that the EU accession treaty intended.
I am working with a young activist who is currently designing the Zoo’s website. He has recently appeared in negotiations [...]

Updated LIFE+: LIFE+ when to start thinking about your project

The EU’s LIFE+ application process finally opened on the 28 September 2007. A total amount of €187 million  was available for this first call for proposals, and it will be slightly more this year., 2008  The ‘closing date’ ( by when proposals have to be submitted to the national authorities) for 2008 is likely to be [...]

ENRTP Funding from EU for conservation throughout the developing world

We have just completed and submitted two ‘concept notes’ for this EU funding programme ( “environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy” ENRTP:
One on behalf of EAZA and Bird Life International for a project in Madagascar, and another on behalf of Save the Rhino and ZSL for work in Nepal.
This opportunity is now [...]

Core funding for associations of conservation NGOs in the EU

This budget line will provide in theory up to 70%  ( in reality more like 50%) of the operating budget of a network of conservation organisations operating in at least 3 different EU States.
To qualify a network organisation would need to show that constitutionally its members are primarily active in the environmental field. It also [...]

Funding for sustainability: presentation at EAZA Conference, Warsaw September 2007

This attachment is the presentation given at 2007 EAZA Conference.  Elements are similar to that put together for BIAZA in May, but there is more information on LIFE+, AIDCO, etc.  I shall also put more on this site gradually as to these individual funding opportunties.
EAZA Presentation

Capital funding for your site: the EU’s LIFE+ Environmental

I attach here with his kind permission an interview with Karl Hansen, Director of the Living Rainforest, Berkshire.

Under the former LIFE programme Karl drew down some €2 million to support development of a new form of tropical glass house exhibit.See: life-environment-eu-interest-group-interview-with-karl-hansen-final-jan07-2.doc
The new LIFE+ programme will open in September and close again by the end of [...]

Australia, USA, Canada and NZ zoo partnerships with EU zoos

There is funding available for programmes to allow an exchange of skills ( zookeeping, zoo conservationists or scientists, or any discipline within the zoo field)
This would come from DG Education and Culture who are keen to fund less ‘academic’ and more ‘vocational’  partnerships than in the past. 80% is available to create a course, move [...]

How can zoo interests in Europe, North Africaand Western Asia benefit from the New Neighbourhood fund?

The EU has recently launched a new fund open to nearly all the states bordering the existing EU ( Central Asia and North Africa)
Physical development of a zoo site in these countries and potentially all kinds of in situ projects might well be eligible.  Organisations in country however often need the expertise of established zoos [...]

Science in Society: 100% funding from EU

This budget line lies with DG Research and is intended to help bring young people ( and those of all ages) to a greater interest in science and science careers. It also looks to enhance cooperation across the EU and look at issues of European interest
An exhibition or other similar activity coordinated on by 3 [...]

Intervening at strategy level – before the rules are made

All those funding programmes, and none of them quite fit your project, dammit!
Well, perhaps you can shoehorn whatever it is you want to do into somebody else’s funding instrument
Or perhaps you can go along and talk before the rules are made?  How much more effective and subtle to intervene at strategy level, rather than wait until [...]