Big Life Foundation
Big Life Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that partners with local Maasai communities in East Africa's Greater Amboseli Ecosystem to protect wildlife, prevent poaching, mitigate human-wildlife conflict, and support community development, funded through individual donors, Ranger Club monthly giving, and planned/legacy gifts across the US, Canada, and UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersRidgefield, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Big Life Foundation does
Big Life Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Ridgefield, Washington, USA, with operational headquarters in Kimana, Kenya, and additional registered fundraising entities in Canada (Ontario) and the UK (Surrey). The organization partners with local Maasai communities in the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem — spanning the Kenya-Tanzania border region — to deliver integrated wildlife protection, anti-poaching, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, habitat protection, and community development programs. Core operational capabilities include ranger patrols, a dedicated tracker dog unit, drone-based aerial surveillance with certified pilots, a Radio Room communication infrastructure for ranger coordination, and GPS/satellite tracking collaborations with academic partners such as Wageningen University and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute.
The organization's programmatic scope covers wildlife protection (elephants, rhinos, lions), anti-poaching and wildlife crime/anti-trafficking, rhino protection, predator compensation and the Maasai Olympics (cultural substitution for lion killing), human-elephant conflict mitigation, habitat protection including a REDD+ carbon project and rangelands management, and community support in education and healthcare. Reported outcomes include over 5,000,000 km patrolled since 2011, 5,000+ suspects arrested, 6,000+ weapons confiscated, 5,000+ kg of ivory seized since 2015, zero elephants poached since 2019, and zero rhinos poached since 2016.
Big Life's business model is donation-based with diversified revenue streams: one-time individual donations, monthly recurring giving through the Ranger Club subscription program, planned/legacy giving (bequests, charitable gift annuities, IRA QCDs) via the Tembo Circle society, stock and securities donations, vehicle and property donations (Donate For Charity partnership), passive giving through Bing Rewards, iGive, PayPal Giving Fund, eBay for Charity, Humble Bundle, and Give as you Live, merchandise sales through shop.biglife.org, and workplace giving (CFC code 85179, California State Employees code 29146). The GTM motion is community-led and direct-to-donor, leveraging country-specific donation portals (give.biglife.org, giveuk.biglife.org, giveca.biglife.org) and digital marketing channels including email, social media, and content/blog distribution. Leadership comprises Co-Founder & Executive Chairman Richard Bonham, CEO Benson Leyian, COO Craig Millar, and Donor Relationship Manager Michelle Bergman.
Big Life Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Life Foundation
- Legal name
- Big Life Foundation USA
- Website
- https://biglife.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Big Life Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that partners with local Maasai communities in East Africa's Greater Amboseli Ecosystem to protect wildlife, prevent poaching, mitigate human-wildlife conflict, and support community development, funded through individual donors, Ranger Club monthly giving, and planned/legacy gifts across the US, Canada, and UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Life Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK)
Keywords
Where Big Life Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ridgefield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Big Life Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual Donations (One-time): Single cash donations made by individuals through the website donation portals or by mail. Donors can give to general fund or specific programs.
- Monthly Recurring Giving (Ranger Club): Monthly subscription donations through the Ranger Club program, providing steady operational funding for ranger patrols and wildlife protection. Members receive patches, impact reports, and merchandise discounts.
- Planned/Legacy Giving: Bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, beneficiary designations, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions. Managed through Tembo Circle legacy society.
- Stock and Securities Donations: Outright gifts of appreciated securities or mutual funds, providing donors with capital gains tax elimination and charitable deductions.
- Vehicle and Property Donations: Vehicle donations through partnership with Donate For Charity. Includes cars, trucks, RVs, boats, airplanes, and property.
- Passive Giving Programs: Revenue generated through everyday shopping programs including Bing Rewards, iGive, Tru Earth, eBay for Charity, PayPal Giving Fund, Humble Bundle, and Give as you Live (UK). No additional cost to donors.
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of Big Life branded merchandise including conservation gear, sustainable items, and locally crafted products through shop.biglife.org.
- Workplace Giving: Corporate workplace giving programs including Combined Federal Campaign (CFC code 85179), California State Employees Giving at Work (code 29146), and employer matching programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | $17 keeps an elephant safe for one day, supporting ranger patrols, aerial surveillance, and rapid response |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ranger Club monthly membership with escalating benefits based on tenure |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Big Life Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Life Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization that operates ranger patrols, anti-poaching units, wildlife crime prevention, and habitat protection programs in partnership with local Maasai communities in East Africa's Greater Amboseli Ecosystem. The organization offers a portfolio of donor-funded programs including monthly recurring giving (Ranger Club), legacy/planned giving (Tembo Circle), merchandise sales, and passive giving platforms. Field operations include drone surveillance, tracker dog units, predator compensation, and community education and healthcare support.
Product overview
Big Life Foundation is a conservation nonprofit offering a portfolio of giving programs centered on wildlife protection in East Africa's Greater Amboseli Ecosystem. The core offerings include the Ranger Club monthly giving program, the Tembo Circle legacy society, an e-commerce merchandise shop, planned giving tools (charitable gift annuities, endowments, bequests), and passive giving through shopping and search programs. These programs fund ranger patrols, anti-poaching operations, rhino protection, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, habitat conservation, and community programs including education and healthcare.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ranger Club
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero elephants poached since 2019 (over 5 years)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Life Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Big Life Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Big Life Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI)coreCollaboration on wildlife research including Martial Eagle tracking operations. WRTI scientist Vasco Nyaga leads research operations in collaboration with Big Life.
- Kenya Bird of Prey TrustcorePartnership for raptor research and conservation, including Martial Eagle tagging and tracking operations in the Amboseli ecosystem.
- Kenya Wildlife ServicecoreGovernment wildlife management authority collaborating on wildlife rescue operations, veterinary treatment, and conservation programs.
- Sheldrick Wildlife TrustcorePartnership supporting Kenya Wildlife Service vet unit for wildlife rescue operations including treatment of injured elephants.
- Wageningen University and ResearchcoreAcademic partnership through PhD student Vasco Nyaga for wildlife research including eagle tracking studies.
- Amboseli Trust for ElephantscoreLong-term research partnership on elephant population monitoring, identification, and conservation. Big Life rangers assist with elephant photography and data collection.
- Donate For CharityminorVehicle donation partner enabling donors to contribute cars, trucks, RVs, boats, airplanes, or property to Big Life through their platform.
- Microsoft/Bing RewardsminorPassive giving partnership through Give with Bing program where users can earn and donate Microsoft Rewards points to Big Life.
- PayPal Giving FundminorPassive giving partner covering all processing fees so 100% of donations go to Big Life.
- eBay for CharityminorPartnership enabling buyers to add donations to purchases and sellers to donate portions of sales to Big Life.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Big Life Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Note: Same entity as Sheldrick Wildlife Trust above; listed separately as the brand is often referenced in this form. Kenya-focused elephant and rhino conservation with strong UK donor base.
- Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Kenya-based wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and anti-poaching NGO operating in East Africa. Direct operational partner with Big Life on veterinary/rescue work and a strong competing brand for wildlife-focused donors.
- Save the Elephants: Kenya-headquartered elephant research and protection organization with anti-poaching and human-wildlife conflict programs. Direct programmatic overlap and shared donor persona focused on iconic species protection.
- African Wildlife Foundation: Pan-African conservation NGO with a community-led conservation model across multiple East African ecosystems. Operates at significantly larger scale but addresses the same donor persona and conservation outcomes.
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants: Long-term elephant research and conservation organization operating in the same Amboseli ecosystem with overlapping research objectives. They are an active Big Life partner but also a donor-facing NGO competing for the same conservation philanthropic dollar.
- Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust: Community-led conservation trust working with Maasai communities in Kenya on land conservation, education, and cultural preservation. Highly comparable mission and geographic overlap with Big Life's Amboseli operations.
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy: Kenya-based rhino and wildlife conservancy with active anti-poaching operations and community programs. Operates in a different ecosystem but functions as a near-substitute for donor funding focused on East African wildlife protection.
Broad incumbents
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Largest global conservation organization with active Kenya programs and anti-poaching work. Competes for the same individual donor mindshare but at vastly greater scale and with a much broader portfolio of issues.
- Wildlife Conservation Society: Major international conservation organization with East African field operations including anti-poaching and community programs. Direct donor-competition overlap despite broader geographic mandate.
- Conservation International: Global conservation NGO with East Africa programs and strong brand recognition in donor markets. Competes for environmentally-conscious donors and corporate partnerships but at greater portfolio breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big Life Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceBig Life Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Life Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Big Life Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Big Life Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Life Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Life Foundation
What does Big Life Foundation do?
Big Life Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization that operates ranger patrols, anti-poaching units, wildlife crime prevention, and habitat protection programs in partnership with local Maasai communities in East Africa's Greater Amboseli Ecosystem. The organization offers a portfolio of donor-funded programs including monthly recurring giving (Ranger Club), legacy/planned giving (Tembo Circle), merchandise sales, and passive giving platforms. Field operations include drone surveillance, tracker dog units, predator compensation, and community education and healthcare support.
Is Big Life Foundation a public or private company?
Big Life Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Big Life Foundation founded?
Big Life Foundation was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Big Life Foundation based?
Big Life Foundation is headquartered in Ridgefield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Life Foundation make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations (One-time) is the primary driver. The others are monthly Recurring Giving (Ranger Club), planned/Legacy Giving, stock and Securities Donations, vehicle and Property Donations, passive Giving Programs, merchandise Sales and workplace Giving.
Who are Big Life Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Save the Elephants, African Wildlife Foundation, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust and Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Broad incumbents are World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society and Conservation International.
Does Big Life Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Life Foundation.
What industry is Big Life Foundation in?
Big Life Foundation's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAI, Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation, with a secondary code of BPAGAIAC, Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 800.