Big Life Foundation

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.

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

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

• Wildlife conservation
• Anti-poaching operations
• Community conservation
• Habitat protection
• Ranger patrol services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ridgefield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Planned/Legacy Giving: Bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, beneficiary designations, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions. Managed through Tembo Circle legacy society.
4. Stock and Securities Donations: Outright gifts of appreciated securities or mutual funds, providing donors with capital gains tax elimination and charitable deductions.
5. Vehicle and Property Donations: Vehicle donations through partnership with Donate For Charity. Includes cars, trucks, RVs, boats, airplanes, and property.
6. 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.
7. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of Big Life branded merchandise including conservation gear, sustainable items, and locally crafted products through shop.biglife.org.
8. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on wildlife research including Martial Eagle tracking operations. WRTI scientist Vasco Nyaga leads research operations in collaboration with Big Life.
• Kenya Bird of Prey TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for raptor research and conservation, including Martial Eagle tagging and tracking operations in the Amboseli ecosystem.
• Kenya Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment wildlife management authority collaborating on wildlife rescue operations, veterinary treatment, and conservation programs.
• Sheldrick Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Kenya Wildlife Service vet unit for wildlife rescue operations including treatment of injured elephants.
• Wageningen University and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership through PhD student Vasco Nyaga for wildlife research including eagle tracking studies.
• Amboseli Trust for ElephantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term research partnership on elephant population monitoring, identification, and conservation. Big Life rangers assist with elephant photography and data collection.
• Donate For CharityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle donation partner enabling donors to contribute cars, trucks, RVs, boats, airplanes, or property to Big Life through their platform.
• Microsoft/Bing RewardsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPassive giving partnership through Give with Bing program where users can earn and donate Microsoft Rewards points to Big Life.
• PayPal Giving FundminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPassive giving partner covering all processing fees so 100% of donations go to Big Life.
• eBay for CharityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BigLifeFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/biglifefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-life-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/biglifeafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Life Foundation