The Austrian Koala Foundation is a non-profit, global organization that focuses on research, conservation and community education, in order to conserve the wild koala habitat. The organization is run by staff members and volunteers; they have become the world’s largest funding pool of koala research, without the aid of any government funding.
Their latest campaign called ‘Adopt a Koala,' is a social media-driven effort that encourages users to embed a +1 Koala button to their blogs or web pages, which is similar to the Google +1 button, in order to spread the word about its initiative. For as little as $25/month you would be contributing funds to aid the furthering of koala research, and at the same time you get to adopt one.
The Austrian Koala Foundation website has a list displayed with the koalas that you can adopt. There is the option to adopt Joeys, Adults, Wild or Mum and Joeys for $35/month. Upon adopting the koala of your choice, you receive an adoption kit that includes items such as a personalized photo of your koala, a welcome letter and stickers. And if you want to make a trip down to Brisbane, Australia, you can visit your koala.
Photo Credits: Picture 1
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Social Media Fundraising
- Non-profit organizations are using social media as a tool to drive fundraising efforts by allowing people to contribute funds and adopt animals online.
- Personalized Adoption Kits
- Organizations are offering personalized adoption kits for animal lovers who can adopt animals online as they help with research funding.
- Fauna Conservation
- More organizations are focusing on wildlife conservation efforts, aiming at maintaining the habitats of endangered species.
Where This Applies
- Non-profit
- Non-profit organizations can leverage social media platforms and personalized adoption kits to create awareness and drive fundraising initiatives.
- Tourism
- As more animal lovers adopt animals online, there is a disruptive innovation opportunity for the tourism industry to offer visiting options to the animals' habitats.
- Environmental Conservation
- Animal lovers who are concerned about the habitats of endangered species can create a disruption by getting actively involved in conservation efforts.
