How We Work

Partnership Driven

The Conservation Fund specializes in partnering with communities, corporations and governments to develop innovative solutions for the nation’s complex conservation challenges. The Fund's pioneering approach to conservation blends environmental and economic needs and objectives. The Freshwater Institute provides variety of services to clients and partners including government agencies, nonprofit organizations, education and research institutions, communities, businesses, and individuals.

Efficient

As one of the nation's most efficient environmental nonprofits, the Conservation Fund's fees and overhead rates are often the lowest of any national conservation organization. Working through the Freshwater Institute program provides clients and partners access to state-of-the-art technology, objective information, professional staff support and assures that client fees and project funding always support direct action and outcomes.

The Conservation Fund, with its 1 percent fundraising costs and 96 percent program allocation, is recognized as the nation's top environmental nonprofit by two prominent charity watchdog organizations. Charity Navigator, in its Guide to Intelligent Giving, awarded The Conservation Fund its exceptional "four star" rating for exceeding industry standards. For the fifth year in a row, the American Institute of Philanthropy gave the Fund its highest "A+" grade for unsurpassed effectiveness and efficiency.

Results Oriented

Since 1985 the Fund and its partners have protected more than 5.5 million acres of irreplaceable wildlife habitat, watersheds and waterways, working landscapes, historic sites and recreation areas. This conservation legacy ranges from national parks and wildlife refuges to state forests and wildlife management areas to community protected open space.

A program of the Fund, the Freshwater Institute was created in 1987.  Over the ensuing two decades Institute staff have consistently received recognition for academic productivity, professional leadership and consulting creativity.