The main objective is to establish the rules of the game by defining what the seal is, what is expected of those who use it, and how its integrity is guaranteed. In this first stage, the legal, scientific, and operational basis of the seal is established to ensure the transparency and legitimacy of the process. 

This involves informing interested parties of the regulatory documents, such as the regulations for use of the seal, the checklist, the brand manual, and the application form, which have been developed by Fundación MarViva. Their function is to guide the application, verification, and renewal process step by step.

The crowdfunding campaign raised resources to provide cash transfers to taxi boat and small fishing boat drivers, who were identified as one of the most vulnerable groups due to the COVID-19 pandemic (for more information, please refer to building block 1). To achieve this, a cash-for-work program was established, in which temporary cash transfers are conditional on the provision of labor for the corresponding period. The boat drivers were hired for three months to clean beaches, collect marine debris, recycle the waste collected, and mobilize the local community for biodiversity conservation.  

In this way, the campaign not only contributed to the livelihoods of boat drivers during the pandemic, but also increased their awareness of, and engagement with, biodiversity loss caused by unsustainable practices. These engagements strengthened a sense of ownership among locals towards the campaign and their own island, serving as an additional motivation for conservation and restoration, fostering behavior change after the cash-for-work program ended.  

Krungthai Bank (KTB), a key partner in the "Koh Tao Better Together" crowdfunding campaign, developed an easy-to-use electronic donation platform integrated with the Thai tax system. The bank's innovation lab offered to create the e-donation platform. Through a QR code, Thai citizens were able to make donations in a quick, transparent, and verifiable way. The platform allows Thai donors to automatically send their donation information to the Revenue Department for tax deduction. UNDP also designed another e-donation platform for international donors. 

KTB acted as the initial donor of the campaign, contributing 30% of the fundraising target. Furthermore, the bank committed to covering the remaining donations if the target was not met, which was unnecessary thanks to the success of the campaign.  

Additionally, KTB provided trainings on digital financial services to boat drivers.  

UNDP Thailand conducted a socio-economic impact assessment of COVID-19 on Koh Tao's tourism sector. Using pre-pandemic data and information from locals, the study concluded that small tourist boat drivers are amongst the most affected and most vulnerable segment of the population due to the complete dependence on tourism. The study estimated the minimum living cost of USD 500 (THB 15,000) for individual households in Koh Tao and found that 90% of them received almost no income since the beginning of the pandemic. The study served as the foundation for the campaign, enabling the estimation of a baseline, making sure that the solution addresses the most vulnerable groups and provides an income that can, at least, alleviate sustenance needs. The campaign was also designed with the support from UNDP's Crowdfunding Academy, with expertise in this area. 

UNDP Thailand conducted a socio-economic impact assessment of COVID-19 on Koh Tao's tourism sector. Using pre-pandemic data and information from locals, the study concluded that small tourist boat drivers are amongst the most affected and most vulnerable segment of the population due to the complete dependence on tourism. The study estimated the minimum living cost of USD 500 (THB 15,000) for individual households in Koh Tao and found that 90% of them received almost no income since the beginning of the pandemic. The study served as the foundation for the campaign, enabling the estimation of a baseline, making sure that the solution addresses the most vulnerable groups and provides an income that can, at least, alleviate sustenance needs. The campaign was also designed with the support from UNDP's Crowdfunding Academy, with expertise in this area. 

While Sparśa in Nepal serves as a pilot enterprise, NIDISI’s ambition reaches far beyond one country. Years of networking with practitioners, academics, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs showed us that many projects across the Global South are working with natural fibres — banana, sisal, water hyacinth, bamboo — yet most face similar challenges: how to process fibres efficiently, ensure product quality, secure market access, and build financially sustainable social businesses. To address this, we launched the Sparśa Blueprint Project, which creates a global community of knowledge sharing for compostable pad manufacturing.

The Blueprint is where Sparśa’s technical expertise, R&D, and social business lessons are opened up for replication. It documents machinery CAD files, sourcing strategies, financial planning models, and outreach approaches, but also creates space for dialogue and co-creation. Connecting projects across the globe enables local innovators to learn from each other and adapt the model to their own contexts and fibre plants.

First building block of Journey of Community Building: Creating a Globally Adaptable Blueprint Model for Fibre Pad Manufacturing — will be published on the PANORAMA platform in September 2025, and a full solution page will follow in November 2025. There, we will share the accumulated experience of years of building networks across continents, including insights from collaborations with grassroots entrepreneurs, academic partners such as Stanford University’s Prakash Lab and LGP2 from the Grenoble INP-Pagora, NGOs, and local governments. This scaling of our project will serve as the gateway for replication, helping others create their own fibre-based pad enterprises.

Krungthai Bank (KTB), a key partner in the "Koh Tao Better Together" crowdfunding campaign, developed an easy-to-use electronic donation platform integrated with the Thai tax system. The bank's innovation lab offered to create the e-donation platform. Through a QR code, Thai citizens were able to donate to the account "Raks Thai Foundation, UNDP and Krungthai Love Koh Tao" in a quick, transparent, and verifiable way. The platform allows Thai donors to automatically send their donation information to the Revenue Department for tax deduction. Moreover, UNDP designed another e-donation platform for international donors. 

KTB acted as the initial donor of the campaign, contributing 30% of the fundraising target. Furthermore, the bank committed to covering the remaining donations if the target was not met, which proved unnecessary thanks to the success of the e-donation platform.  

Additionally, KTB trained boat drivers on how to access the bank's existing digital financial services. These include Krungthai NEXT — an e-banking app with multiple functionalities for directly managing personal finances —, and Krungthai Connext — a free notification system via the LINE messaging app that provides real-time updates on financial transactions.  

UNDP Thailand conducted a socio-economic impact assessment of Covid-19 on Koh Tao's tourism sector. Using pre-pandemic data and information from locals, the study concluded that small tourist boat drivers are amongst the most affected and most vulnerable segment of the population due to the complete dependence on tourism. The study also found an estimated minimum living cost of USD 500 (THB 15,000) for individual households on Koh Tao and that 90% of them received almost no income since the beginning of the pandemic. The study served as the foundation for the campaign and enabled the estimation of a baseline, making sure that the solution addresses the most vulnerable groups and provides an income that can, at least, alleviate sustenance needs. The campaign was also designed with support from UNDP's Crowdfunding Academy, with expertise in this area.  

The main objective of the crowdfunding campaign was to cover six months of salaries for the 33 furloughed frontliners. In addition, funds were allocated to provide food packs for all 59 frontliners during their 22-day shifts and essential patrolling gear and equipment were procured, generating a long-term benefit beyond the campaign period.

The crowdfunding campaign maintained a strong presence on traditional and social media. Daily posts were tailored to strengthen the business case for donations, highlighting key events such as the Tamaraw Month,  the death of the last captive-bred tamaraw, Kalibasib, and a tamaraw killed by poachers. By leveraging a mix of media platforms, the campaign reached both national and international audiences and engaged diverse age groups. 

Social media posts were reposted and shared by BIOFIN Global and Philippines, UNDP Philippines, and various accounts of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Moreover, a national Tamaraw Ambassadors program was launched on social media, engaging public figures to promote the campaign. These communication strategies effectively reached the general public within and beyond the Philippines.

Traditional media also supported the campaign, with coverage from reputable news networks like Stand for Truth and GMA Digital Specials. 

Lastly, a promotion email was sent to over 2,000 individuals through the BIOFIN global mailing list, targeting a specialized audience of professionals and partners in the biodiversity sector.