Open books · Community-powered work
What it costs to run Carnivore Project
We want residents and supporters to see exactly what it costs to keep Carnivore Project running today, what we need to keep going, and where every contribution goes.
100% volunteer-led · No one is paid
No one at Carnivore Project is paid. We are all unpaid volunteers who work every day to collect sightings and provide resources to the public.
Annual operating snapshot
What we spend each year to keep running
Our yearly cash costs are small because our volunteers donate their time, and much of our software is donated through nonprofit programs or paid for personally by our founder.
About $38.15 a year today, for our state charity registration and our website domain. Planned future costs are listed separately below.
Figures come from our 2026–27 budget and are rounded. We update this page as our costs change.
01 · Required filing
State Charity Registration
$26.15 / year
Our required yearly state charity registration renewal ($25), plus a small card processing fee.
02 · Online home
Website & Domain
$12 / year
Renewing carnivoreproject.org each year. Our website hosting is already prepaid through 2030.
03 · Everyday tools
Software & Tools
$360 / year planned
Future cost, not a current cost. We currently pay $0 for this category. Email, file storage, meetings and design tools are donated through nonprofit programs, and our founder personally covers other software today. As the work grows, we plan about $360 a year for the tools the organization will need to take on.
04 · Mail & print
Postage & Printing
$150 / year planned
Future cost, not a current cost. We currently pay $0 for this category. Volunteers cover postage and printing out of their own pockets today. We plan about $150 a year for light mailings and print materials once donations fund this line.
Future costs, not current costs: We show planned amounts for tools and mailings we will need as the work grows. We are not spending this yet; donations will fund these categories when we add them. The about $38 current cash total above does not include those planned lines.
Important: The annual cost above also does not include the equipment we need to keep going, listed below. It does not count volunteer time or the supplies, postage and mileage our volunteers pay for themselves, which are a real part of what this work costs.
What we need to keep going
Computers and cameras keep this work running
To keep our work running and growing, we need dependable computers and trail cameras. We only buy them once the funds are in hand.
- Computers · $4,000A refurbished laptop for our Secretary/Treasurer (up to $1,000) and a desktop for GIS mapping and data analysis (up to $3,000).
- Research camera network · $5,000Cameras, memory cards, batteries and field supplies for camera traps on permitted non-residential sites across the foothills.
- Resident camera lending library · $5,000Trail cameras, SD cards and batteries we lend to residents, so we can support them with region-specific resources and data about activity on their own property.
We are seeking funding for our camera trap project, a regional network of research cameras that adds local foothill data to the sightings residents report to us, and for ongoing updates to our public sightings map and reporting form, so residents’ reports stay visible and useful.
We’re seeking $14,000 in grants to fund our projects and operations in 2027. We have projects planned for 2027 and beyond, but our focus stays on what it costs to keep this work running today.
This year we bought our first two trail cameras with SD cards, plus lithium batteries, for $194.17 from funds on hand.
Ways to give
Three ways to directly support the work
Financial gifts, equipment purchases, and in-kind contributions keep our cameras in the field and let us support residents with region-specific resources and data.
Fund project needs
Donate through Zeffy
As little as $5/monthly helps support ongoing camera work.
Make a one-time or recurring contribution toward cameras, computers, map updates and the basic costs of running the organization.
Open donation campaignSend needed equipment
Shop the Amazon Wish List
$55 buys one trail camera. $100 buys a trail camera with SD cards. $160 buys a trail camera, SD cards and a solar panel.
Purchase requested field equipment and supplies that can be sent directly to Carnivore Project for immediate use.
View equipment wish listGive equipment or services
Make an in-kind donation
Contact us about donating trail cameras, batteries, SD cards, computers, mounting supplies, professional services, or other useful resources.
Contact Carnivore ProjectOur promise to the community
No one is paid. We are all volunteers.
Community-powered from the ground up.
No one at Carnivore Project is paid. Our founder, board members, researchers and everyone else who supports this work are unpaid volunteers. We work every day to collect sightings and provide resources to the public, and our volunteers often cover supplies, postage and mileage themselves so the work can continue.
We have received no grant funding to date, and we are now applying for grants.
Every financial or in-kind contribution goes back into Carnivore Project, for cameras, computers, map updates, public resources, and the basic costs of operating the organization.