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orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril
Go Wild this Ape-ril
Grow a Beard: Release the Ape in You!
The SOS guide to sponsored
beard-growth
Bill Bailey
comedian
The SOS guide to sponsored
beard-growth
A big hairy thank you for supporting the Sumatran
Orangutan Society
By taking part in Ape-ril, you will be helping SOS create a brighter future for orangutans and their
jungle home.
Look up “Great Apes” and you’ll find it’s a family…our family! We share 96.4% of our DNA with
orangutans, but we have pushed them to the edge of extinction. By supporting SOS, you can help
save them.
Deforestation is the greatest threat facing orangutans. Tearing down jungle for farmlands and
roads destroys all manner of natural balances and is one of the biggest drivers of climate change.
Orangutans need the forests to survive – and so do we!
About Ape-ril
Show your solidarity with our Great Ape cousins by doing something all male apes can do –
grow a beard!
To take part, simply ask your friends, family, and colleagues to sponsor you to grow a beard
throughout the month of April (Ape-ril).
By raising awareness, and vital funds, we can make a real and lasting impact on the survival of
orangutans and the conservation of their rainforest home. And that’s got to be worth a bit of an
itchy chin.
Register and create an online fundraising page at orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril and ask everyone
you know to sponsor you to change your face for the whole of Ape-ril.
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ABOUT SOS
SOS has an incredible record of designing, funding and delivering
frontline conservation projects in Sumatra which really work,
including community conservation and training, orangutan rescue
and forest restoration. The funds raised during Ape-ril will help
us continue and grow our projects and campaigns to improve
orangutans’ and their forests’ chances of survival.
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Where do I start?
REASONS TO TAKE PART
• Discover what you really look like as a human
ape! Who knows, you might like your new look…
• No shaving for a whole month – think of the time
you’ll save!
• You can be part of the solution to
orangutan survival.
• Receive a brilliant t-shirt if you raise over £150!
WHAT IF I ALREADY HAVE A BEARD?
Take a look at our handy Beard Guide for some
inspiration, stop trimming (you’ve got a good
head start!) or perhaps your friends and colleagues
would be interested in what you look like without it –
start from scratch!
NEVER BEEN BEARDED BEFORE?
Why not round up a team of Beardy Buddies to
offer each other support if things get a bit itchy,
and swap grooming tips.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN TOO
If you can’t or don’t want to grow your own beard,
don’t worry, you can still take part in Ape-ril. You can
spend a day, a week, or even the whole month wearing
a false beard!
HAIRY HALL OF FAME
Take a look at our gallery via
www.flickr.com/photos/orangutans-sos/
and send us pictures of your magnificent bearded
self to info@orangutans-sos.org - we’ll post them
online for you.
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WIN PRIZES!
If you raise more than £150, we will send you a rather brilliant Ape-ril t-shirt.
Our limited edition Ape-ril t-shirts are designed by Mr Bingo and Dave Brown, and are printed on 100%
organic cotton by Howies. Available from shop.orangutans-sos.org
We’ll also give a t-shirt to each member of the Biggest Wild Population – that’s the largest team of Beardy
Buddies, with each team member raising at least £100. Register your team by setting up your fundraising
page at orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril by 1st April.
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Some Inspiration for your Beard!
We’ve created this nifty style guide to inspire you:
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The Full Orangutan
The Sun Bear
The Hornbill
The Tiger
The Rhino
The Elephant
Collecting sponsorship
There are a couple of easy ways to collect sponsorship:
1. Create an online fundraising page orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril – this will do the hard work for you, as your sponsors donate online and the funds are sent straight to SOS, along with all the details we need to claim Gift Aid on donations - that’s an extra 25% at no extra cost to you or your supporters!
OR
2. Print out a sponsorship form (at the end of this guide) and ask your donors to fill in their details
Fundraising online
As well as being a quick and easy way to raise sponsorship, sponsors tend to give more generously
online - up to 30% more than off-line donations.
To get started, just visit orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril to register and set up your own online sponsorship page
in a few easy steps.
How to make the most of your sponsorship page:
TELL PEOPLE WHY YOU’RE FUNDRAISING
People will be much more likely to donate if you tell a story - what you are doing, why you are doing it,
why you’re supporting SOS, and how much you aim to raise - both on your fundraising page and in any
emails you send out.
ASK YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DONATE FIRST
Having a couple of donations on your page will encourage others to sponsor you too.
TREAT YOUR SPONSORSHIP PAGE LIKE A BLOG
Keep it updated with progress reports and photos. Be creative!
YOU CAN LET PEOPLE KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE UPDATED YOUR PAGE
If they have already sponsored you, they’ll enjoy seeing how you’re getting on, and it’s a
reminder for those who haven’t sponsored you yet to make a donation.
IF YOUR SPONSORS ARE IN THE UK, ASK THEM TO TICK THE GIFT AID BOX
WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR DONATION.
This increases the value of their gift by 25% - at no extra cost to them! This can make a really
big difference to the amount of funds we raise.
KEEP FUNDRAISING AFTER APE-RIL IS OVER
Why not send round a photo so people can see how different you look with your new beard
– a good chance for a final appeal for donations!
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Spread the word!
• Don’t be shy - send an email with a link to your page to everyone in your address book, and to your social networks through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. The more people you tell, the more money you’re likely to raise.
• Tell your story! People will want to know what you’re doing, and why. See below for some sample
emails, tweets and facebook updates.
• The end of the month is a particularly good time to do this, as it is usually pay day!
• Add a link to your fundraising page to your email signature. Then every time you send an email,
you’ll be raising awareness about your fundraising and about Ape-ril.
• Ask again – remind your friends to donate if they don’t get round to it after the first request.
• Use photos on your fundraising page and social networks to keep everyone updated with your
evolution throughout the month.
• Some companies offer a “matched giving” scheme where they match any amounts you raise for
charity – ask your employer.
• Send an email at the end of Ape-ril to thank your sponsors and tell them how much you raised – and whether you’re planning to keep your beard!
Sample emails, tweets and facebook updates
TWEETS:
I’m getting in touch with my wild side in Ape-ril. Show orangutans & my beard some love: sponsor
me at <link to your sponsorship page>
What has my chin got to do with orangutan conservation? Find out at <link to your sponsorship
page> #Ape-ril
I’m getting in touch with my wild side to save orangutans this #Ape-ril! Join in at
orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril
All apes can grow beards. I’m showing solidarity with orangutans this #Ape-ril
<link to your sponsorship page>
We share 96.4% of our DNA with orangutans. What’s an itchy chin between cousins?
Please sponsor my beard for #Ape-ril <link to your sponsorship page>
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FACEBOOK UPDATES:
When you’ve registered and set up your sponsorship page:
I’m getting in touch with my wild side and releasing my inner ape… Show orangutans and my beard
some love this Ape-ril: please sponsor me at <link to your sponsorship page>
WEEK 1
We share 96.4% of our DNA with orangutans. What’s an itchy chin between cousins? Please sponsor
my beard for Ape-ril <link to your sponsorship page>
WEEK 2
Week 2 of Ape-ril, and I’m starting to look like a Man of the Forest! Please sponsor me and help
orangutans at <link to your sponsorship page>
WEEK 3
Week 3 of Ape-ril, and I’ve raised <amount>! Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me already,
please help me reach <target> and help save orangutans. <link to your sponsorship page>
WEEK 4
All apes can grow beards. I’m showing solidarity with orangutans this #Ape-ril
<link to your sponsorship page>
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS:
I’m starting to rather like my beard – I think I might keep it! Please help me reach my Ape-ril
fundraising target and help orangutans at <link to your sponsorship page>
OR
Only a few more days till I can shave – there’s still time to sponsor my beard for Ape-ril and help
orangutans <link to your sponsorship page>
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Email – remember to personalise!
FIRST EMAIL:
Did you know that we share 96.4% of our DNA with orangutans? Sumatran orangutans are one of
our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, but they are in big trouble due to the massive rate of
deforestation - there are just 6,600 left in the wild.
I want to do something to help, so I’ve signed up to grow a beard for Ape-ril, in solidarity with our
red-headed ape relatives! Growing a beard is something that all apes can do, and what’s a bit of an
itchy chin between cousins?
It would be great if you would consider sponsoring me and sharing my page: <link to your
sponsorship page>.
Just £22 could buy veterinary supplies to safely evacuate an orangutan in danger.
If you’d like to join in, you can register at orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril. Women and children can take
part too by wearing a fake beard for a day, a week, or even the whole month of Ape-ril!
All the funds raised will go to the Sumatran Orangutan Society, who are working to protect
orangutans, their forests and their future.
Thank you.
FOLLOW-UP EMAIL (TO THOSE WHO FORGOT TO DONATE FIRST TIME ROUND!)
As you know, I’m taking part in Ape-ril for the Sumatran Orangutan Society – growing a beard to
show my support for orangutans and raising funds to help the charity’s conservation projects and
campaigns.
The beard is coming along very nicely, and I feel like a real Man of the Forest already! Check out the
photos attached! (Don’t forget to attach a photo of your hairy-self )
There’s still time to show the orangutans, and my beard, some love. Please help me reach my target
of <target> : <link to your sponsorship page>
Thank you!
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THANK YOU EMAIL TO YOUR FABULOUS SUPPORTERS
A massive thanks for supporting my beard growth and orangutans’ of Sumatra through your
donation. This really will make a difference to the work SOS can do to improve orangutans’ and their
forests’ chances of survival.
You’ve also helped me to resist the urge to pick up the razor..!
Check out my latest photo and check in again at the end of the month for the full beard.
Thanks again, I really appreciate it!
How your fundraising will help
It’s always helpful to explain why you are supporting SOS, so your sponsors will realise
just what a difference their donation could make.
There are less than
6600
orangutans left
in the wild in
Sumatra
Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered, and
could be the first Great Ape to go extinct unless we act
now to save their rainforest home.
They share the forests with Sumatran tigers, elephants
and rhinos – all of which are also critically endangered.
Almost half of Sumatra’s forests disappeared in just
22 years.
As well as providing crucial habitat for wildlife,
Sumatra’s tropical rainforests are also critical in the
global fight against climate change, and provide a
livelihood for millions of people.
Palm oil is an ingredient found in up to half of products
on supermarket shelves, including chocolate, bread,
biscuits and shampoo. The destruction of forests to
make way for oil palm plantations is one of the biggest
threats to orangutans.
SOS works for a brighter future for orangutans. We do this by:
Supporting frontline conservation projects which empower local people to
become guardians of the rainforests.
Restoring damaged orangutan habitat through tree planting.
Campaigning on issues threatening the survival of orangutans in the wild.
Raising awareness about the importance of protecting orangutans and their
rainforest home.
By taking part in Ape-ril, you will be helping us protect orangutans,
their forests and their future.
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What to do with your sponsorship
You can send us your funds in one of the following ways:
ONLINE via your fundraising page. Your sponsorship will be sent to us automatically –
you don’t need to do anything other than thank your donors!
BY POST:
If you have collected your sponsorship offline, then you should pay all the money you’ve raised into
one bank account, and then write a cheque for the total amount, payable to Sumatran Orangutan
Society. Send your cheque, together with a completed paying-in form (at the end of this guide), and
all sponsorship forms to: Sumatran Orangutan Society, The Old Music Hall, 106 -108 Cowley Road,
Oxford OX4 1JE, UK
Gift aid it!
If your sponsors are UK tax payers, remember to encourage them to tick the Gift Aid box on your
sponsorship form, and you’ll earn SOS an extra 25p for every £1 they donate, at no extra cost to
them (we claim this back from the government). Make sure they have read the Gift Aid declaration,
and complete the sponsorship form in full, including their postcode.
Contact us:
Sumatran Orangutan Society
The Old Music Hall
106 – 108 Cowley Road
Oxford OX4 1JE
United Kingdom
Tel: 01865 403 341
www.orangutans-sos.org
info@orangutans-sos.org
SOS is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1085600
orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril
Photography: Bill Bailey and Tony Law - Andy Hollingworth Archive
Orangutans - Suzi Eszterhas, Kabir Bakiezh
Design: domecreative.com
Name
Email:
Contact:
Name:
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Sponsor Form
SOS is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1085600
Home Address - NOT YOUR WORK ADDRESS (this is essential for Gift Aid)
Sumatran Orangutan Society
The Old Music Hall
106 – 108 Cowley Road
Oxford OX4 1JE , UK
Tel: 01865 403 341
www.orangutans-sos.org
info@orangutans-sos.org
Postcode
Amount
Paid
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
Gift Aid Please tick the box so we can Gift Aid your donation.
Make your donation worth even more. For every £1 you
donate, we can claim back 25p from HMRC. Make sure we
can read your full name, home address and postcode. This
supports our tax claim and will not be used to contact you.
Please note that to qualify for Gift Aid, the amount you pay
in income tax or capital gains tax must at least equal the
amount we will claim in the tax year.
Name
Home Address - NOT YOUR WORK ADDRESS (this is essential for Gift Aid)
SOS is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1085600
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Postcode
TOTAL
Amount
Gift Aid Paid
Paying in form
Thank you for helping us to protect orangutans, their forests and their future.
Send this form, with your cheque payable to ‘Sumatran Orangutan Society’, to:
Sumatran Orangutan Society, The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JE, UK
(Please do not send cash through the post)
Title _________ First name _____________________________ Surname ____________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ Postcode___________________________
Phone number_____________________________________________________________________________
Please tick this box and fill in your email address below if you would like to receive email updates from
SOS including e-newsletters on how your support is helping.
Email address:_____________________________________________________________________________
Amount paying in: __________________________
Signed ____________________________________ Date__________________________________________
Alternatively you can pay in via the website: orangutans-sos.org/ape-ril
Convert every £1 you give into £1.25 – at no extra cost to you.
Just fill in your details above, and tick the Gift Aid box if you’re a UK tax-payer.
Please tick here if you would like SOS to reclaim the tax you have paid on any donations
you have made in the previous four years (and all donations since 1st April 2008) and any future donations you make.
The tax reclaimed will be used to help fund the whole of SOS’s work. In order for SOS to reclaim the tax you have paid
on your donations, you must have paid income or capital gains tax (in the UK) equal to the tax that will be claimed.
Please notify us if you are no longer eligible to gift aid your donations.
This is my own money
This is money I have raised
Thank you! Please get in touch if you have any queries:
Telephone 01865 403341 or email info@orangutans-sos.org
SOS is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1085600
Sumatran Orangutan Society
The Old Music Hall / 106 – 108 Cowley Road / Oxford OX4 1JE , UK
Tel: 01865 403 341 / www.orangutans-sos.org / info@orangutans-sos.org
Materials needed:
Scissors
Card or paper
String
1.
Cut out the beard.
2.
Punch holes where indicated by circles on the sides.
3.
Insert string through the holes and tie around your head.
4.
Take a photo and send it to us at info@orangutans-sos.org
and we’ll post it on our Hairy Hall of Fame.