Heritage Conservation Fund

TIBCS celebrated its TWENTIETH year of publishing The Bengal Bulletin with a special tribute to our breed’s ALC foundation by establishing a new charitable endeavor. Our Heritage Conservation Fund will collect donations each year to award a annual grant to a group working to preserve ALC habitat in the wild. While the Asian Leopard Cat is widely distributed and uses various environments, populations are under increasing threats from habitat destruction, hunting, and trapping.

TIBCS would like to thank those that have donated generously to this fund.
Please see our list of Donors.
Donations to TIBCS are tax-deductible.

Structure & Policy

Objectives: TIBCS Heritage Conservation Fund will collect monies specifically donated for the conservation of wild Asian Leopard Cats and/or the environments where these wild cats naturally exist. Also the Heritage Conservation Fund will seek to provide knowledge and understanding of the ALC as a wild animal through its annual article describing the recipient’s activities.

Committee: TIBCS Heritage Conservation Fund Committee shall administer TIBCS Heritage Conservation Fund (HCF). The Committee shall consist of at least two members appointed by the President of TIBCS and confirmed by the Executive Board. The volunteer committee members shall consist of TIBCS members with strong vocational or avocational experience in the zoo and conservation fields, with familiarity with conservation agencies and plans that may be of interest to TIBCS and its membership.

The HCF Committee’s objectives will include:

1. Advertising the Fund and its fundraising efforts.
   
2. Identifying and submitting in writing to TIBCS Executive Board each November, the names and description of three charities, organizations or qualifying studies for selection to receive TIBCS grant funds.
   
3. Reporting biannually in June & December to the Executive Board and the membership the amount of funds collected by the HCF fundraising efforts, as provided by TIBCS Treasurer(s).
   
4. Producing an article for inclusion in the fourth quarter Bulletin and on TIBCS website, reporting on the activities of the group which received the grant the previous year.

Funding Cycle: Each November, the HCF Committee shall submit its recommendation to TIBCS Executive Board of three groups directly involved in the conservation of wild Asian Leopard Cats in their habitats.

Each December, TIBCS Executive Board shall select the recipient. TIBCS shall grant the funds which were collected that year to the selected recipient before the end of the calendar year.

Charities and Qualifying Studies: Potential recipients qualifying for the HCF grants may be:

1. US federally designated 501(c)3 charities involved in the conservation of wild leopard cats and/or the environments where wild Asian Leopard Cats and other species of wild cats are known to inhabit.
   
2. Studies to be undertaken or currently underway, conducted by either accredited academic institutions (any nationality) or US federally designated 501(c)3 charities.
   
3. Conservation based entities in other countries whose efforts include the conservation of Asian Leopard Cats in their habitats. (for example; a national wilderness preservation park)