Conservation Initiatives

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently adopted a new strategic plan under which will operate three types of initiatives: Keystone, Charter and Venture Initiatives.  Collectively, these initiatives will enable the Foundation to focus on achieving maximum sustainable conservation impact while being responsive to funders, attracting more money to conservation, investing in innovation and best practices, and managing its own financial health. 

Keystone Initiatives

Keystone initiatives represent a core portfolio of issue-specific initiatives with clear long-term goals, well articulated strategies and defined budgets to reach desired conservation outcomes.  The Foundation will take a proactive role to identify grantees, evaluate best practices and innovative solutions proposed by grantees, and work with grantees or groups of grantees to assure the collective results achieve the Foundation’s and its partners objectives in “moving the needle.”

Charter Initiatives

Charter initiatives are typically partner-driven, with a well-defined, narrow scope.  Charter initiatives provide an opportunity to engage in community or regional conservation issues and be responsive to a federal agency, corporate partner or other sponsor seeking the Foundation’s expertise and assistance in achieving specific conservation goals.

Venture Initiatives

Venture initiatives provide a structured approach in identifying new and less traditional approaches to investing in conservation.  Venture initiatives are treated similar to venture capital portfolios, i.e., numerous ideas are explored, proof of concept helps determine viability, and some ventures are approved to move forward while others are terminated based on clear go/no go criteria.