Creator / originator

The Owl and Monkey Haven.

Summary / objectives

Original target: £33,000

Revised target: £23,000

During the campaign the Owl and Monkey Haven announced:

‘Thanks to the numerous donations of building materials and generous support within the zoo community, we have been able to re-evaluate the costs needed to conclude our appeal. Our new target is £23,000, an incredible £10,000 less than our original estimate! Sacre bleu!’

Background

The Martin and Lulu appeal was launched in October 2011 with the aim of uniting the two lonely monkeys, Martin and Lulu. When he lost his brother in 2010, Martin became the last white-throated capuchin left in the UK and, due to the territorial nature of capuchins, integrating him with a different species would have potentially disastrous consequences. His only hope for company lay with a female white-throated capuchin named Lulu, who was being kept in isolation at a zoo in France after members of her original group rejected her.

Results

Thanks to the overwhelming support from visitors and various donors around the globe, the Owl and Monkey Haven was able to import Lulu from France before the year was over. She entered their quarantine facility on the 28 December 2011 and was finally introduced to Martin the following October, exactly one year after the appeal was launched. We’re told the two have been inseparable ever since, spending their days playing, relaxing and grooming each other in their custom-built enclosure.

In May this year, this heart-warming story was made even better by the arrival of baby Malou, bringing the number of this kind of species in the UK to the grand total of three.

Merits

I was asked to speak at SOFII’s 2013 OUIWITOT event and present a fundraising story that moves people to take action and show how the story is delivered into the hands, hearts and minds of the donors.

I chose the Martin and Lulu appeal. It didn’t have much budget and hadn’t taken on a fundraising target of this magnitude before, although to some larger charities the target might seem relatively modest. The Owl and Monkey Haven doesn’t have a fundraising team, just a combination of very dedicated keepers, haven staff and passionate owner, Don.

The appeal was charmingly low-fi and it was honest, urgent and authentic, capturing the attention of supporters across the UK and beyond. It’s an example of fantastic storytelling and – most importantly – without forgetting the fundraising ask.

Supporters were kept updated regularly on Facebook and via email about the progress of the campaign – including photos of a lonely Martin, Lulu on arrival and in quarantine, as well as progress once construction on their enclosure started. Martin the capuchin also had his own Facebook page, which allowed the haven to have more playful, light-hearted updates throughout the campaign.

It’s the haven’s greatest success story – and, with the arrival of baby Malou, it just keeps getting better! 

Other relevant information

Follow their progress on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/owlandmonkeyhaven
Meet Martin: https://www.facebook.com/martinthecapuchin
Adopt Martin and Malou:http://www.owlandmonkeyhaven.co.uk/products/adoptions.aspx

SOFII’s Once Upon I Wish I’d Thought Of That 2013 – Teri Doubtfire presents Owl & Monkey Haven.