How circles, places, and supporters work
A circle is a group of stewards who share one animal's care, and each steward holds one place. The caretaker sets the monthly care cost and the number of places, and each place pays an equal share.
Supporters can also give any amount without using a place.
This works the same way for sponsors and caretakers. For the basics, see What is animal sponsorship?
How places are priced
The price of a place is the monthly care cost split evenly between the places, rounded up to the next dollar. A place is never less than $5 a month, and a circle can have up to 50 places.
For example, Petunia's care costs $400 a month and 8 people share it, so each place is $50 a month. Rounding up can bring in a little more than the care cost. Anything above it helps the caretaker's other animals.
A sponsorship with one place has a single steward who covers all the care. It isn't called a circle. Its panel invites you to be the animal's steward, and once the place is taken it says the animal has a steward.
If the caretaker changes the care cost or the number of places later, new sponsors pay the new price. Current stewards keep paying the price they joined at. A caretaker can't choose fewer places than are already taken.
When a place counts as taken
A place is taken by:
- A current steward.
- Someone who is paying for it right now. We hold the place for about 30 minutes.
- A paid sponsorship waiting for the sponsor to confirm their email, when they sponsored without an account.
- A gift waiting for the person to claim it.
If someone leaves checkout without paying, the place opens again when the hold runs out. When a steward stops or leaves, their place opens for someone else.
When the circle is full
When every place is taken, the panel says the circle is full and shows Tell me when a place opens. Select it to join the waiting list. The button then reads You're on the list.
When a place opens, everyone on the list gets an email and a notification. The place goes to whoever finishes paying first.
If the caretaker takes supporters, you can still give any amount while you wait. The profile button reads Support Oakley then. When the caretaker doesn't take supporters, it reads Join the waitlist.
How sponsors appear on the profile
Current stewards are listed on the animal's Team card with the label Steward. Each steward chooses how they show when they sponsor: their name and profile, a display name such as The Fitzgerald family, or kept private. A private steward shows as "Anonymous steward".
Supporters don't get a line of their own. The card shows them only as a count, such as "1 supporter".
Once anyone has stopped sponsoring, the card adds a line such as "Sponsored by 5 people since 2025". Past stewards who chose to be named stay listed as Past steward. Private ones aren't listed.
Caretakers can see every sponsor by name in their dashboard. See Managing a sponsorship: sponsors, price, sharing, pausing, and ending.
Related information
- What is animal sponsorship?
- Sponsoring an animal
- Setting up a sponsorship for an animal in your care
- Managing a sponsorship: sponsors, price, sharing, pausing, and ending
Updated on: 29/10/2026
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