High Impact Philanthropy: Leif Cocks Of The Orangutan Project On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful & Effective Nonprofit Organization
An Interview with Karen Mangia
Always create situations in which supporters and partners are enriched from your work.
For someone who wants to set aside money to establish a Philanthropic Foundation or Fund, what does it take to make sure your resources are being impactful and truly effective? In this interview series, called “How To Create Philanthropy That Leaves a Lasting Legacy” we are visiting with founders and leaders of Philanthropic Foundations, Charitable Organizations, and Non-Profit Organizations, to talk about the steps they took to create sustainable success.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leif Cocks.
For over three decades world-renowned orangutan expert Leif Cocks has worked to secure the survival of critically endangered orangutans. He’s an outspoken campaigner on their behalf and a key player in developing plans for their protection, including leading the first-ever successful reintroduction of a zoo-born orangutan into the wild.
A small population biologist, Leif has a Master of Science studying orangutans. He’s been awarded Curtin University’s highest award for achievement, has published several academic papers and books on orangutans, and is the author of the Amazon Best Seller, Orangutans My Cousins, My Friends and Finding Our Humanity. In 2020 Leif was awarded the Order of Australia for his outstanding work in the field of wildlife conservation.
Leif is the founder of Wildlife Conservation International which incorporates The Orangutan Project, International Elephant Project, International Tiger Project and Forests for People.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about a ‘top of mind’ topic. You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? We would love to hear a few stories or examples.
The ability to bring together and work with people. As individuals we are not very effective. If we can effectively collectivize with others, we can achieve a lot. So my three character traits:
- Hire for values first, skills second.
- Work and support others.
- Put the mission before oneself or organization.
What’s the most interesting discovery you’ve made since you started leading your organization?
As charities are under constant pressure to raise funds, and staff’s financial security is inevitably linked to the charities’ own financial security, there is an invertible pull towards concentrating and defining the organization’s success and leadership through achievement of income, not effective meaningful change.
Without careful leadership ‘the tail will start to wag the dog’ and marketing will start to supersede substance. Perception becomes more important than reality, and the charity could lose its way.
Can you please tell our readers more about how you or your organization intends to make a significant social impact?
Over the next ten years, our goal is to provide permanent legal and on-the-ground protection to 8,000 orangutans, ensuring all orangutan genetic populations survive indefinitely, bringing all other biodiversity, megafauna such as tigers and elephants, under the conservation umbrella. This will involve securing up to eight ecosystems of the right shape, type and size to ensure environmental sustainability.
We will also work with local communities to develop agricultural systems under the rainforest canopy to leave the ecosystems economically sustainable.
We will secure rainforest land through:
1. Purchase
2. Leasing of Restoration Forest Concessions
3. Legally binding agreements with land owners
We will protect orangutans through:
1. Securing land that contains wild populations
2. Rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing ex-captive orangutans to form new viable populations in secure habitat.
What makes you feel passionate about this cause more than any other?
The holistic good that it achieves for critically endangered species, indigenous communities, the planet and future generations.
Without naming names, could you share a story about an individual who benefitted from your initiatives?
She had her home destroyed, with her mother killed and eaten in front of her. After entering the illegal pet trade, she was subject to much abuse and deprivation. Luckily our team rescued her. They tended to her physical and psychological repair and helped her become socially competent, learning the necessary forest skills for survival. Now after several years of rehabilitation, she lives free. Now safe, she has had her own baby that will never have to endure her experiences.
We all want to help and to live a life of purpose. What are three actions anyone could take to help address the root cause of the problem you’re trying to solve?
- As individuals we cannot achieve anything of significance. To make meaningful change we must combine our labor and/or capital.
- However, we must do this intelligently as most charity money is wasted on ineffective activities. We must collectivize in a way that affects meaningful and measurable change.
- We cannot reform the world unless we reform ourselves. If we poison our work through desires for name, fame, money and power, we will inevitably destroy what we are seeking to create.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful & Effective Nonprofit That Leaves A Lasting Legacy?” Please share a story or example for each.
- Have a clear vision.
- Our vision is that all orangutans will live in their natural habitat in secure and viable populations.
2. Have the ability to articulate and inspire support for the vision.
- Our strategic plan, which is available on our website, clearly articulates our vision and holistic strategy for achieving that vision. Our vision and strategy are reinforced through all our fundraising activities to inspire support from individuals around the world who want to make a difference for critically endangered orangutans.
3. Have clear, definable and measurable goals.
- Our end goal is to secure eight ecosystems that will each support a minimum population of 2,000 orangutans. Each year we measure our impact towards our conservation goals in our Impact Report which is available on our website.
4. Always create situations in which supporters and partners are enriched from your work.
- We provide opportunities for donors to engage with our conservation projects through attending eco-tours to our project sites in Indonesia and through speaking events where they can learn more about the organization and ask questions.
5. Work towards your organization becoming redundant. That is a charity’s greatest success is to solve the problem.
How has the pandemic changed your definition of success?
Post pandemic we have entered a recession and high inflation that is pressurizing the middle class, our main donor base. We have had to review and modify fundraising activities to take into account the new economic environment where fundraising return-on-dollar spend has gone down.
How do you get inspired after an inevitable setback?
If one is in pain, then one cannot help but spread pain. It is inevitable. Similarly, if one has found joy and love within one’s heart, this must be naturally expressed. Its expression is not determined by success or failure. It is a natural expression from an inexhaustible well. Rather than going through the never-ending roundabout of despair and hope, uninterrupted inspiration should be found internally vs. externally.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world who you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your non-profit? He, she, or they might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Peter Singer, father of the Animal Liberation movement.
You’re doing important work. How can our readers follow your progress online?
Follow us on social media and/or sign up for our newsletter.
Thank you for a meaningful conversation. We wish you continued success with your mission.
About The Interviewer: Karen Mangia is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the world, sharing her thought leadership with over 10,000 organizations during the course of her career. As Vice President of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce, she helps individuals and organizations define, design and deliver the future. Discover her proven strategies to access your own success in her fourth book Success from Anywhere and by connecting with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
High Impact Philanthropy: Leif Cocks Of The Orangutan Project On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.