WWF collection

The WWF collection is a series of Collectifriends that were released in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). New friends were added to this collection in or around August every year between 2000 and 2013 (except 2010). The species featured represent the types of endangered and threatened animals that the WWF works to protect. There are 15 full-sized furry friends and 4 mini furry friends in this collection, representing 12 species.

The furry friends in this collection were purposely designed with realism in mind, in order to "reinforce the lesson of [the WWF's] beary important efforts."^[1] In the US and Canada, each full-sized bear came with a collector's medallion around their neck featuring the WWF's giant panda logo (right), and certificates of authenticity were available by mail. In other countries, only the WWF Giant Panda (international version) and the WWF Leopard (international version) were released with WWF branding, which could be found on cardboard neck and ear tags as well as their tush tag.

The purchase price of all WWF-branded friends included a donation to the World Wildlife Fund. Full-sized furry friends included a $1 donation, Smallfrys included a 50 cent donation, and the WWF Mini Gray Wolf included a 25 cent donation.^[2]^[3]^[4] Build-A-Bear guaranteed a minimum donation for each furry friend, for example $25,000 (USD) in the first year after the release of the WWF Red Panda.^[5] Over the years this collection was available, Build-A-Bear donated over $1.8 million (USD) to the WWF.^[6]