We’re Excited to Share Some Great News!

We’re delighted to announce that The Civet Project has received new funding from the Matthew Good Foundation through their Grants for Good program. This support comes at a really meaningful moment for our work and will help us continue building practical, compassionate solutions to protect civets and support the people who live alongside them.

As a small but growing charity, funding like this goes far beyond financial support. It represents trust in our approach, belief in the importance of civet conservation, and recognition that education and community-led solutions are essential for lasting change.

 

What is the Matthew Good Foundation?

The Matthew Good Foundation is a UK-based charitable foundation that supports grassroots charities and social projects working to create positive change. Through initiatives such as Grants for Good, the Foundation provides funding to organisations tackling social, environmental, and conservation challenges, often supporting causes that are overlooked or underrepresented.

We’re incredibly grateful to the Matthew Good Foundation for recognizing the importance of civet conservation and for supporting education-led approaches that benefit both people and wildlife.

Common palm civet travels on the ground to reach the next area of forest. Civets are important for environmental health because they spread hundreds of species of plant seeds in their poop. Photo credit: LCTW.

A civet sleeps in a civet coffee farms next to piles of rotting faeces. The trade in civets for civet coffee production and tourism is one of the human-civet interfaces which risks the health of animals, workers, consumers/visitors and the wider environment. Photo credit: Jes Hooper, The Civet Project Foundation.

Why This Funding Matters

At The Civet Project, one focus we have is addressing the often hidden impacts of the global civet coffee trade. While frequently marketed as a novelty or luxury product, this industry can involve serious animal welfare concerns, including confinement, stress, and poor living conditions for civets. It can also pose risks to human health and livelihoods, particularly where farming and tourism are poorly regulated.

Our work brings together research, education, advocacy, and community engagement to challenge misconceptions and promote alternatives that are ethical, sustainable, and evidence-based. Education is central to everything we do, because lasting conservation can only happen when people have the knowledge and support they need to make informed choices.

This funding allows us to strengthen that education-focused approach and reach communities in ways that are accessible, respectful, and locally relevant.

Children taking part in educational activities designed by The Civet Project. Civet Forest School will build on past outreach efforts to integrate civet conservation into national-curriculum and traveling school programs.

What We’ll Be Working On

With support from the Matthew Good Foundation, we’ll be developing the first of its kind Civet Forest School as part of our wider Civet One Health program.

Civet Forest School is designed to provide engaging, practical education that connects civet welfare, conservation, and human health. Through this initiative, we will:

• Create engaging educational resources, including storybooks, posters, videos, and hands-on activity kits that can be used in schools and community settings.

• Train local educators and community members to deliver sessions on civet conservation, welfare, and One Health in ways that reflect local knowledge and experience.

• Share accessible and culturally appropriate information that helps communities explore sustainable alternatives and reduce reliance on civet farming.

By working closely with local partners and educators, we aim to ensure that Civet Forest School is not just informative, but empowering – supporting communities to take pride in protecting civets and their environments.

A Word from Our CEO

Dr Jes Hooper, CEO of The Civet Project Foundation, said:

“We are incredibly grateful and honoured to have been awarded support for Civet Forest School. It is exciting to see organisations like the Matthew Good Foundation recognising the value of our work which centralizes the interconnecting needs of civets, communities and the environment. Without support like this, we could not be doing what we are doing.”

University students taking part in an educational day about the importance of civets and the dangers of civet coffee, designed by The Civet Project Foundation.

Looking Ahead

This funding marks the beginning of an exciting new phase for our in-situ conservation work where we are striving not only to protect civets from trade but to also protect people and environments from the health risks involved in wildlife trade. Over the coming months, we’ll be developing Civet Forest School resources, seeking guidance and feedback from local educators, and sharing updates as the program progresses.

Our long-term hope is that Civet Forest School can serve as a model for community-led civet conservation elsewhere, helping to build understanding, compassion, and sustainable change far beyond this initial project.

Thank you for being part of our journey – your support makes this work possible, and we’re excited to share what comes next.

How you can help!

Make a donation to support Civet Forrest school today

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