Orangutan Foundation

What Orangutan Foundation does

Orangutan Foundation is a UK-registered conservation charity (Registered Charity No. 1095660, Company Limited by Guarantee No. 4624177), founded in 1991 and headquartered in London, that protects critically endangered orangutans and their tropical forest habitat in Indonesian Borneo and, more recently, Sumatra. Its field operations are concentrated in Central Kalimantan across Tanjung Puting National Park and the 158,000-acre Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, where it actively manages over 500,000 acres of protected rainforest through 12 guard posts, four seedling nurseries, and four release/monitoring camps (Camp JL, Camp Buluh, Camp Rasak, Camp Siswoyo, Camp Gemini) in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry under a formal MoU and operational partner BKSDA.

The organisation's core programmatic offering is a soft-release rehabilitation programme that cares for orphaned orangutans over multi-year timelines (described as up to eight years) before wild release, complemented by a forest restoration programme that has planted 332,300 saplings since 2015, SMART-pattern GPS patrol technology, drone monitoring, and camera trap analysis training delivered with local NGO partner Yayorin. Outcomes to date include 27 orphaned orangutans released, an estimated orangutan population of over 5,000 in the protected reserves, over 600 in Lamandau alone, and 90+ recorded wild births.

The business model is a diversified direct-to-consumer charity revenue stack: one-time and recurring donations; an Orangutan Adoption Programme (from £30/year, available as physical pack or e-adoption); an annual Membership programme; the "Sponsor an Acre" habitat protection initiative (from £2/acre); the premium "Guardian of Lamandau" tier; merchandise sales (artwork, badges, books, soft toys, calendars, candles); a legacy giving pipeline; and the "Give as You Live" affiliate cause-marketing programme. Supporter acquisition runs through the orangutan.org.uk website, an email newsletter ("Red Ape"), organic social on Facebook and Instagram, and content marketing via the orangutan stories blog, with operations led by Founder and Director/Trustee Ashley Leiman OBE.

Name

Orangutan Foundation

Legal name

Orangutan Foundation

Website

https://orangutan.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UK-registered orangutan conservation charity founded in 1991 that protects over 500,000 acres of Bornean rainforest, runs a soft-release rehabilitation programme for orphaned orangutans with BKSDA, and funds operations through donations, adoptions, memberships, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG), Sanctuaries & Long-Term Care (Farm, Equine, Exotic) (BPAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Orangutan conservation services
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Animal rescue rehabilitation
• Tropical forest restoration
• Conservation charity programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: Primary revenue stream from individual donors supporting orangutan conservation, habitat protection, and reforestation efforts. Donors can give one-time or recurring donations.
2. Orangutan Adoption Programme: Symbolic adoption of orphaned orangutans starting from £30-35 per year, providing care for orphans on their journey back to the wild. Includes adoption packs and biannual updates.
3. Membership: Annual membership programme offering exclusive benefits to supporters committed to the organization's mission.
4. Sponsor an Acre: Forest habitat sponsorship programme starting from £2 per acre, enabling donors to protect critical tropical forest habitat for orangutans.
5. Guardian of Lamandau: Premium sponsorship programme specifically for protecting the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.
6. Merchandise and Shop: Sale of merchandise including artwork, badges, keyrings, bags, books, calendars, cards, posters, clothes, soft toys, and soap/candles. Also includes e-adoptions as digital gifts.
7. Legacy Giving: Planned giving programme allowing supporters to leave charitable bequests to the organization.
8. Give as You Live: Cause-related marketing programme where supporters shop through affiliated retailers and a percentage of purchases is donated.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orangutan Foundation is a UK-registered conservation charity that protects orangutans and their tropical forest habitat in Indonesian Borneo. Its core offering combines a long-running soft-release rehabilitation programme for orphaned orangutans with active habitat protection through 12 guard posts, SMART/drone monitoring, and reforestation across over 500,000 acres of Tanjung Puting National Park and Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Revenue is generated through individual donations, symbolic orangutan adoptions, memberships, habitat sponsorship, legacy giving, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Orangutan Foundation operates a conservation charity focused on protecting orangutans and their tropical forest habitat in Borneo. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the Soft-Release Programme for rehabilitating orphaned orangutans, orangutan adoption programs (both physical and digital E-Adoption), the Sponsor an Acre forest protection initiative, Guardian of Lamandau membership, and an online Shop selling merchandise. The core offering centers on the soft-release rehabilitation program combined with habitat protection via guard posts, patrols, and reforestation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Orangutan Adoption Programme Symbolic adoption of orphaned orangutans from £30/year; provides adoption certificates, fact sheets, and biannual updates to individual supporters funding the care of orphans on their journey back to the wild.
• E-Adoption

Quantifiable outcome

• 27 orphaned orangutans cared for and released back into the wild
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Scorpion FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Indonesian conservation partner working with Ministry of Forestry to protect Tapanuli orangutans in Northern Sumatra. Orangutan Foundation sent emergency funding to support flood recovery efforts and rebuild monitoring facilities, clinics, and staff residences following devastating Sumatra floods.
• BKSDA (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam / Natural Resources Conservancy Agency of Central Kalimantan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment conservation agency partnership for orangutan rescue, translocation, and habitat protection. BKSDA works with Orangutan Foundation on soft-release programme management, guard post operations, and wildlife monitoring in Tanjung Puting National Park and Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.
• YayorincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO partner in Central Kalimantan hosting plant identification and camera trap analysis training for local stakeholders. Works with Orangutan Foundation on community-based conservation initiatives.
• Indonesian Ministry of ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal MoU holder for Orangutan Foundation conservation programmes. Government body providing regulatory framework and support for orangutan protection, habitat management, and reintroduction programmes.
• Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine (OCCQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacility run by Orangutan Foundation International providing initial care and quarantine for rescued orangutans before transfer to Lamandau Wildlife Reserve soft-release programme.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fauna & Flora International: UK-registered international conservation charity with active Indonesian rainforest programmes. Similar UK-headquartered, individual-supporter-driven model but with significantly broader species and habitat mandate.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation giant with active orangutan and Borneo forest programmes. Overlaps substantially on species and habitat but operates across thousands of species and geographies rather than specializing.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Major international NGO running field conservation projects across Indonesia. Comparable habitat-protection and anti-poaching field operations in Borneo, but with a much broader species and geography mandate.

Emerging players

• Orangutan Veterinary Aid (OVAID): UK-registered charity funding veterinary care for orangutans in rehabilitation centres. Smaller and more specialized, focused on the medical care layer that supports orangutan rescue programmes like Orangutan Foundation's soft-release work.

Regional players

• Yayasan Borneo Orangutan Survival (Yayasan BOS): Indonesian-registered partner entity of the global BOS network, operating Nyaru Menteng and Samboja Lestari rehabilitation centres. Directly comparable rehabilitation methodology and field geography but Indonesian-governance focus.

Direct peers

• Orangutan Outreach: US-based orangutan-focused NGO supporting rescue and forest protection in Borneo. Comparable fundraising model (adoptions, memberships), direct-to-consumer supporter base, and species-specific mission.
• International Animal Rescue: Operates orangutan rescue and rehabilitation programmes in Borneo (including Ketapang). Similar UK-registered charity structure, individual donor base, and direct-to-consumer fundraising approach.
• The Orangutan Project: Australian charity funding orangutan conservation projects across Borneo and Sumatra. Highly comparable fundraising architecture (adoptions, memberships, guardian programmes) targeting individual supporters in a developed market.
• Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP): Specializes in Sumatran orangutan rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction. Closely comparable programme design (quarantine, soft-release) and conservation model, but focused on the Sumatran rather than Bornean subspecies.
• Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation: The largest orangutan conservation NGO operating in Borneo with rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction programmes. Directly comparable mission, geography, and beneficiary species, but operates at significantly larger scale with multiple sanctuaries.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orangutan-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orangutan Foundation