Sundown Inc.

🚨 WHAT WE NEED & WHY — $40,000

Our current rescue vehicle — a 2004 Jeep — can no longer be trusted to transport wildlife and rehabbers safely, especially in the middle of the night.

We expect THOUSANDS of calls over the next year alone.

We are raising funds for a reliable, safe, DEDICATED wildlife rescue transport — a WHITE TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4×4 with full reflective rescue wrap.

WHY A TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4×4?

✅ High clearance + 4×4 — bayou, backroads, flooded ditches in Lafayette/Acadiana
✅ White + reflective — seen from 1 mile away day OR night — so when we arrive, families feel SAFE knowing it’s SUNDOWN, not a stranger
✅ Reliable — Toyota will run 300k miles — we can’t have a rescue truck in the shop
✅ Moving Billboard helps us to raise awareness of who we are and what we do.

💰 WHERE EVERY DOLLAR GOES — $40,000 GOAL

• $30,000 – $35,000 — WHITE Toyota 4Runner 4×4 (used, low mileage, reliable)
• $5,000 — Full reflective safety wrap + lettering + lights
• $2,500 — Crates, nets, safety gear, first aid, spill kit
• $1,500 — Registration, Title, First Year Insurance

100% of funds go to Sundown Inc. Rescue Truck Fund — Restricted Account.

🔍 TRANSPARENCY

For years, founder Tee Michaels has personally covered fuel, insurance, and maintenance for our current rescue vehicle. Your donation helps Sundown Inc. own and operate its first dedicated, insured, marked rescue truck, so operating costs can be paid by the nonprofit, not out of pocket.

Sundown Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
EIN: 13-4228753 — Your donation is tax-deductible
Licensed: USDA 72-C-0239 | LDWF Wildlife Rehabilitation Permits
Home Bank — Lafayette, LA — Business Account

We use GiveSendGo — Lower Fees than GoFundMe! GiveSendGo charges $0 platform fee (GoFundMe charges 5%+). Only standard card processing 2.9% + 30¢ applies.

NOTE: At checkout you may see “Contribution to GiveSendGo” — that’s an optional tip to keep their free platform running for nonprofits like us. It does NOT reduce your gift to Sundown — you can leave it or set to $0.

🏆 SPONSOR RECOGNITION

$250+ — Rescue Hero
Your name on our official Rescue Truck Thank You Wall on this page + personal thank you from our team

$500+ — Night Shift Sponsor
Above + dedicated social media thank you + signed Rescue Hero certificate mailed to you

$1500+ — Bayou Protector
Above + Name a rescue crate! (e.g., “The [Your Family] Rescue Crate”) — your name rides on every rescue + photo of first rescue in it

$5,000+ — Founding Truck Guardian
Above + Private meet & greet with our education ambassadors + framed photo of finished truck + your name permanently engraved on plaque INSIDE truck cab where volunteers see it every call

$10,000+ — Legacy Rescue Circle
Above + One wildlife release named in your honor + video of release dedicated to you + lifetime Founding Family in annual report

Businesses: We give YOU a “Proud Sponsor of Sundown Inc. Rescue Truck” window decal + digital badge for YOUR storefront/website — you show you support local wildlife!

🙏 WHAT IF WE DON’T REACH $40K? WHAT IF WE EXCEED IT?

If we don’t reach full goal — every dollar still buys the most reliable Toyota we can find + safety gear. If we exceed — extra goes to rescue truck maintenance fund + fuel for Year 1 so volunteers can respond FREE to Acadiana families.