Did you know?
EGYPTIAN MAU CATS are the oldest known descendents of the domestic cat, existing since Pharonic times, and they are the only naturally occurring small spotted cat in the world.

However, Maus are facing possible extinction. In their homeland, they are currently unrecognized, routinely poisoned, and often suffer from endemic feline disease. Outside of Egypt, many Maus are also endangered due to interbreeding and lack of new bloodlines.

The Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization (EMRO) is a registered non-profit charity in Egypt that is dedicated to rescuing these descendants of the sacred cat of Ancient Egypt. But EMRO is facing a crisis of its own, can you help this extraordinary organisation survive and continue its amazing work to save these beautiful animals.

Below is EMRO's April 2008 newsletter, which outlines how you can help or visit their website at www.emaurescue.org

Dear Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization (EMRO) Friend and Supporter,

EMRO continues into our third year of existence with many growing pains and breakthroughs. However lack of adequate income is a chronic issue and it forces a freeze on further intakes of Maus or mixes to the shelter (except emergencies) until the current ones are adopted or leave for overseas through pet escorts. We continue to try to downsize every way possible in order to reduce costs, including reducing number of Maus in the shelter.

We currently have 45 cats we are directly responsible for in a shelter designed for 30 or less. Two dozen cats await adoption; 10 are adopted and are waiting travel outside of Egypt; and there are 10 feral ones outside that we feed daily. We also unexpectedly acquired boarding cats that owners could not keep, plus a litter of semi feral Maus that may or may not be homable. So we have our challenges, including the ongoing hunt for a bilingual Office Manager, and advertising for our clinic to make it sustainable.

Despite regular adoptions and outreach, we continue to operate at a loss, due to high overhead of increasing food costs, vet bills, staffing and supplies. Only substantial donations will help keep our doors open into the future, and the dream alive for the native Egyptian Maus in Cairo, through EMRO.

One of our current fund raising initiatives is advertising through a fundraising site called GiveMeaning.com. We received overwhelming support from many friends who “voted” for us this January as a worthy charity to support. We thank you for your support! However, the next step is even harder: to actually receive/achieve the financial support to keep going. We have put our goal humbly at $5,000 USD although the true expenses are closer to $30,000 USD a year, despite monies raised through the adoptions and sponsorships. We desperately need funds for staffing, advertising and overhead, as well as subsidies for animals traveling out of Cairo. We could also use a vehicle to transport cats and supplies.

GiveMeaning is an opportunity to explore the global online fund-raising community, but it is not open ended. We only have until April 27, 2008 to show that we have the ability of raising even $5,000 to keep our charity listed with them for further outreach. Can we meet that goal?

Here is our link: http://egyptianmau.givemeaning.com/. We get 100% of any funds sent us through this link!

Here are at least 8 ways you can help:

1. Please consider a donation to EMRO to help keep us going a little longer. Even a modest donation at the Givemeaning site would show a vote of support and help.

2. Adopt or sponsor a Mau cat. See our website for more details: www.emaurescue.org.

3. Do you know any businesses that might be willing to support our cause?

Whether it's your employer or other business organizations within your community, many companies now recognize the benefits of letting their customers and vendors seeing them involved in socially responsible projects in their local communities or even overseas.

This could take the form of a Matching Fund up to a fixed amount, or a one-time contribution. In return, we could write about their generosity on our Recent News. Maybe they could write about EMRO in their corporate newsletters or website.

Don't have any established connections with potential business sponsors? Here's what you can do to get started:

i) Research businesses in your community to see if any of them have corporate giving programs.

ii) Find out how much they give, and to what sorts of causes.

iii) Find out who makes the giving decisions and how to apply for sponsorship for our charity.

When approaching a business about sponsorship or donations, it's important to always offer something in return and emphasize that contributing to EMRO will enhance its reputation and bring greater attention to its products or services. A tax-receipt can be issued to the corporate donor locally (or overseas if they accept out of country charity receipts) and we post business and corporate supporters' logos and ads on our website.

Advertising at fundraising events and on printed materials, a blog entry, and including their company logo in fundraising-related email communication are all things you can do in return for their contribution to our cause. Our EMRO logo can be made available upon inquiry, and don’t forget to cc us on any outreach on our behalf. We are happy to give credit where it is due!

If you find companies who are interested in sponsoring our GiveMeaning Project and they'd like to appear in the ad banner area on our Project web page at GiveMeaning, send their contact information to projects@givemeaning.com and GiveMeaning will take care of the details and add it as extra advertising for the company, on line, or let us know and we'll forward the info on to them.

The company can’t support us in a big way? Then how about a change jar on their reception desk that goes to EMRO? Download our brochure and logo and decorate a few jars and ask to leave them at stores or businesses with some information about the Maus. Don’t forget to follow up to collect the change! This can be then pledged to GiveMeaning on our behalf! Try a blitz for a few weeks and see how it goes!

4. Get the word out through local media

Contact your local newspaper, television or radio station and let them know about our Project. Local media organizations are always looking for 'feel-good' stories and they may be willing to feature you and our GiveMeaning Fundraising Page in an article or interview.

5. Start a school fundraiser

Do you know a teacher or a student in your local school or college? Propose a school or classroom project that raises both awareness and funds for the cause. It could be a simple as bringing in spare change, an art sale, a bottle or newspaper drive, or a request in the school newsletter that asks people to visit our Fundraising Page and to donate. Newspaper clubs and yearbook staff often look for ideas to write about, why not our charity and efforts to advertise EMRO's GiveMeaning Project?

6. Approach local community organizations

Other organizations such as churches and community service organizations (e.g. Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Lions if these are available in your area) may be interested in supporting our Project. Find out which organizations in your area support outside causes and contact them to let them know about what you're doing to support EMRO and about the Fundraising Page in GiveMeaning..

7. Throw a party or organize an event

Have you thought about throwing a party or organizing a sports tournament on behalf of EMRO? While they can be a lot of work offline fundraising events can be a great way to draw attention to our GiveMeaning Project.In addition to raising funds, you will also be raising awareness. New people will be introduced to the Project, and some of these may volunteer to help raise further funds while others spread the word about our cause to their own friends and family.

Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:

- Organize a benefit concert with your favorite local bands.
- Host a drinks night, dinner party, or theme night for friends, family or co-workers.
- Challenge yourself in return for sponsorship: get a group to cycle from one city to the next, shave your head, climb the stairs of the tallest building you can find, or drink an entire jar of pickle juice!
- Hold a silent auction featuring local artwork or products and services donated from local businesses.
- Get your sports-loving friends together for a charity tournament with team or individual fees going to your Project.

If an Internet connection is available at your event, make sure to bring a laptop or two so people can check out our Fundraising Page and donate on the spot! You can also collect email addresses from everyone at the event and send them the link to the EMRO GiveMeaning Fundraising Page in a post-event thank-you letter. This is a great way to build additional online support for our Project. Donations by check from these events can also be processed through GiveMeaning. Email projects@givemeaning.com prior to the event to find out how.

Short on time? Ask an enthusiastic friend to plan an event on your behalf, or just keep things small and simple. There are lots of ways to get your friends together and raise money for EMRO at the same time. Be bold. Be creative. Be fun!

8. Pass this email on to other animal loving contacts

Thank you for each and every effort made on behalf of the struggling, ancient Egyptian Maus in Cairo, and in collectively helping to keep EMRO’s doors open a little longer. Please help us make the April 27, 2008 deadline and keep an eye on the piggybank at the GiveMeaning.com EMRO site! Updates will be posted on our website as well....the countdown is on...

Do something for a native Egyptian Mau TODAY, and MAKE history.

Sincerely,
Gloria

Gloria Lauris
Treasurer and Co-Founder
The Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization (EMRO)
www.emaurescue.org
info@emaurescue.org