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Rhino Resource Center: Rhino Forums > Rhino Conservation Organisations > SOS Rhino > Rhinowear.nl

Posted by: Willem Jul 16 2007, 12:11 AM

Recently I came across this Dutch site: http://www.rhinowear.nl/ It's basically a website that's lets you order a T-shirt with a rhino print and then donates 5,- EURO to SOS Rhino. I was wandering if anyone from SOS Rhino knows about this and weather it's generating some extra income. I haven't ordered any yet, but think it's a great initiative. Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Posted by: rhishja Nov 16 2007, 06:11 AM

Hi Willem - I am actually in the process of setting up a similar online shop. I'll keep you posted. Rhishja

Posted by: Willem Nov 16 2007, 12:29 PM

Oh, sounds good! Are you also donating the money to an organization/specific species? Who are you affiliated with?

Posted by: rhishja Nov 17 2007, 01:02 AM

Hi Willem - I am in the early stage of forming my nonprofit. I just now set up the online t-shirt shop under the umbrella of my existing business. I want to help the Javan Rhino efforts to start. I am hoping to start with specific projects so there is a dollar amount to hit, and I can market each project separately, for outreach purposes. Once I receive my IRS Letter, I can go for those bigger corporate contributions; that is expected to take about 60 days. At that time, I will add other fundraising activities to our services, such as events. I would like to sell reprints of rhino photographs as an additional fundrasing stream. I work with a studio here that can prints on a lovely tight-weave canvas for framing, as long as we start with high-resolution photographs. And, I'd love some additional photos for my website, if anyone wants to contribute. Especially of the Javan and Sumatran. Of course I will include photographer's credit. I just put my website up a couple of days ago: http://www.savingrhinos.org so feel free to take a peek Feedback, articles, photos are welcome! I am looking forward to being part of the rhino community. Rhishja

Posted by: Willem Nov 17 2007, 03:55 PM

rhisja, Great initative! Sounds like a solid plan. Are you primarily going to make it an online-venture as I read you're an SEO expert? Anyway hope all goes well and you'll manage to raise a lot of money. I added your link to increase your backlinks! (I know a little bit about SEO aswell. ) Please keep us posted about the progress and let us know if we can help to find projects to support. We can bring you in contact with most big rhino conservation organisations. Kind regards, Willem

Posted by: cydneyp Nov 18 2007, 10:21 PM

So how are we supposed to order if we can't translate the website?

Posted by: Willem Nov 19 2007, 09:41 AM

I'm sorry about that! The page is only available in Dutch. If you really want to order I could help you out, by translating!

Posted by: rhishja Nov 20 2007, 04:39 AM

Hi Willem - Thanks for the positive words and the link! I'm in the studio working up 8 new designs so I will have 10 by year's end, featuring a special "Javan Rhino Collection" Rhishja

Posted by: Willem Dec 20 2007, 04:02 PM

Rhishja, hows it going. Have you sold any t-shirts yet? Please keep us updated on your progress!

Posted by: rhishja Dec 21 2007, 02:35 AM

Hi Willem - We have sold a few t-shirts already!! And even a coffee mug! The Sumatran Rhino shirt is the next design; it's the same format as the Javan Rhino shirt (rhino on the front, map on the back). It will be available in a couple of days, and the others will follow so they are ready in January. Once the shirts are up, we'll be marketing online and offline. I've also got a presentation scheduled at an elementary school in March. In the meantime ... I have put in a request to the San Francisco Zoo (the closest rhino to where I live) to be photographed behind-the-scenes with their Indian Rhino (!) for my promotional materials - they contacted me to say they would be in touch soon to discuss. I hope it works out - I am just excited about the possibility of being close to a rhino!! By the way, we've been getting good traffic on our site via RRC!! Rhishja

Posted by: Willem Jan 24 2008, 06:50 PM

Rhishja, how's business? I saw you are selling Rhino prints. Great initiative! Are they all your photo's (even the Javan)?

Posted by: rhishja Jan 24 2008, 07:53 PM

Hi Willem - Oh, how I wish they were my photos - especially the Javan!! I am selling the prints as an affiliate for "allposters.com". I would love to work with photographers to sell rhino photos/prints directly instead - but this is the next best thing for now. I haven't been able to find a photo to use with permission for my Javan Rhino page, so at least by looking at the posters, people can see how wonderful they are. The *big news* is I've set a $1,000,000USD goal for the shirts! The fundraiser is called "The 2008 Million Dollar Rhino Challenge." Let me know if you want me to snail mail any fundraising posters to you or would like the code snippet to the fundraiser landing page. Or if you want a pdf of the poster. Stay tuned for the promotional video series - we just started filming last week! I'll post them online as well. I am now wearing rhino shirts every day:D Rhishja

Posted by: Willem Jan 24 2008, 10:19 PM

Sounds good and yes, send them over. I registered for your newsletter so you'll find my email there. 1 million sounds a lot, but would be great if you reach that number before the end of 2008. What conservation organisation will be recieving the money? Oh and were did you find those rhinos for the species-specific http://www.cafepress.com/savingrhinos. Are they from the old IRF website. If so, my dad made them! Cool to see them printed on t-shirts. Are you selling a lot of them?

Posted by: rhishja Jan 24 2008, 11:22 PM

Hi Willem - I know a million dollars sounds like alot - but I have been telling everyone the only thing standing between rhinos and a million dollars is 200,000 shirts. I know I want to contribute something significant to help the Javan Rhinos. I am definitely open to some direction from more experienced people like yourself, because I am new to the rhino community and can't possibly know everything that is going on. In case you are curious, the contribution funds go into an escrow account of their own, separate from the rest of the business. The rhino species are indeed from the old IRF site! I printed them out and then drew the silhouettes by hand so I could make them any size and move them around. Whew, it took awhile for me to draw those guys. I love it that your dad made the originals! They are the best representation I found. I had initially been drawing from photographs - but ... the feet and (hocks or ankles?) were a problem. Then I remember I had seen these with the feet, and they worked great. The t-shirt designs that have sold so far are: Javan, Sumatran, Black, and the Grateful Dead-themed shirt. The sizes sold have been 1) women; 2) kids; 3) men. At this very moment, I am actually toggling between drawing a new design, and email. Rhishja

Posted by: Willem Jan 24 2008, 11:33 PM

Ah, you should have asked about those rhino images. We have them in vector format ready for print! Have you sent an email to the Inernational Rhino Keeper Association? They might want to help spread the word...

Posted by: rhishja Jan 31 2008, 11:09 PM

That's a great idea - I followed your suggestion and contacted IRKA - I'm hoping for a reply soon. I've contacted a few other groups as well, and have compiled a big list to call and email. And, I have 1,000 posters to distribute ... I'm asking businesses to put them up in their windows. Unfortunately, my photo session with the rhino at the San Francisco Zoo appears to be on hold, but I'm not giving up ... Rhishja

Posted by: rhishja May 11 2010, 08:18 PM

Hi Willem - Just wanted to update you on Saving Rhinos ... Over the past two years, Saving Rhinos has grown into a public awareness program focused on publishing content about the illegal rhino horn trade and rhino conservation. We are doing this by creating posters, videos and educational content for classroom use, and for people to share via social media. Our rallying cry is the simple - but urgent - truth: "Rhino horn is NOT medicine." We are still selling t-shirts online (the largest selection of rhino designs anywhere!) and are now contributing the proceeds to our partner project in Nepal. "Partnership for Rhino Conservation Nepal" is a grassroots conservation group focused on public awareness in the Chitwan NP area. We continue to receive website traffic from RRC - thank you! Warm regards, Rhishja (P.S. - I was quite thrilled to see the inclusion of two of my Javan rhino articles in the RRC database!)

Posted by: Willem May 17 2010, 02:36 PM

Rhishja, Good to hear! I'm always glad these rather individual enterprises are of success. In the end it's all about individuals making a difference. Have your SEO skills also helped to get the website buzzing? And, if you have more articles fit for inclusion, please don't hesitate to email them. regards, Willem