Land
and Fresh Water Conservation
Mission:
To protect biodiversity in global terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems
by strengthening grantmaking and providing a vehicle for information sharing,
dialogue, strategy development and collaboration among funders.
Goals and Objectives:
· Increase the level of funding available to NGO’s and
campaigns focused on protection of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.
· Ensure collaboration and coordination among foundations with programs
devoted to terrestrial and freshwater conservation, by providing opportunities
for information sharing, dialogue, and development of complementary grantmaking
strategies.
Programs:
· A series of monthly conference calls on terrestrial and
freshwater conservation issues, including protection of the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, defense of the federal Endangered Species Act, national forest
management, energy development, livestock grazing reform, national park and
wilderness protection, western water policy and management, sustainable forestry
and certification, regional conservation efforts (including the Southeast
U.S.), and community-based conservation;
· Ad hoc conference calls as necessary to respond to urgent priorities;
· Facilitate collaboration among funders supporting environmental advocates,
agencies, and community forestry groups as they address issues of fire, restoration,
and the protection of old-growth forests and roadless areas;
· Initial planning for a post-election briefing in Washington, DC in
December 2006 on public lands policy and management; and
· Other meetings of sub-groups of the entire Working Group or sub-groups
as necessary.
Marine
Conservation
Mission:
To save the global oceans and the biodiversity contained therein by strengthening
marine conservation grantmaking and providing a vehicle for information sharing,
dialogue, strategy development and collaboration among funders.
Goals:
· Promote collaboration and cooperation within the marine conservation
community;
· Increase collaboration among foundations devoted to addressing the
challenge of global marine conservation;
· Increase the level of investment in the field, especially foundation
funding;
· Reach out to other foundation networks as well as new funders; and
· Identify key entry points and leverage opportunities to advance strategies
to address marine conservation.
Objectives:
· Ensure funder coordination and collaboration on long-term
strategies to implement the recommendations of the Pew Oceans Commission and
the National Oceans Commission;
· Investigate strategies to improve the effectiveness of public advocacy
for the oceans;
· Educate funders on a wide range of international marine conservation
issues, looking for strategic linkages to US domestic issues;
· Monitor developments on a wide range of marine conservation issues,
including (but not limited to) fisheries management reform, establishment
of a worldwide network of marine protected areas, reducing the global environmental
impacts of mariculture, and promoting a worldwide consumer seafood movement;
and,
· Provide an annual update through a survey on the issues and organizations
being supported by Marine Working Group members.
Programs:
· Annual winter meeting (February/March) to educate funders
on a variety of marine conservation issues and to investigate opportunities
for collaboration; and
· Series of monthly conference calls on marine conservation issues,
with an initial emphasis on issues which arose in the funder-only roundtable
at the 2005 winter meeting in Monterey, California; and
· Other meetings of the Working Group (or sub-groups) to address strategic
collaboration opportunities in a timely manner.
Climate
and Energy Funders Group
Mission: The Mission of the Climate and Energy Funders Group
is to expand the field of climate
and energy philanthropy, and to promote collaborative, strategic grantmaking among its members.
Vision:
The Vision of the Climate and Energy Funders Group is one of U.S. leadership in the global transition to a clean energy future.
Conservation
Science
The Conservation Science Funders group engages CGBD members and other funders on a broad range of
conservation science issues of interest to each of the current CGBD working groups. These efforts
complement the programs of the current Working Groups and provide a cross-cutting perspective on
conservation science that informs the biodiversity grantmaking of all CGBD members.
Gulf of California
Mission:
To protect biodiversity in the Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortez) and the five surrounding Mexican states –Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit – an area of extremely high marine species diversity. The region has among the highest rates of endemic species in the Western Hemisphere, and highly productive fisheries. The Gulf’s islands, which are comparable to the Galapagos in rates of endemism, harbor some of the world’s largest colonies of seabirds. The region contains important terrestrial and coastal habitats such as coastal lagoons, mangroves, dune systems, oases, and desert scrubland. The Gulf itself also hosts important marine protected areas (MPAs) and sensitive marine ecosystems.
Goals and Objectives:
· Ensure coordination and collaboration among foundations with programs supporting conservation work in the Gulf of California, by providing opportunities for information sharing, dialogue, and development of complementary grantmaking strategies.
· Increase the level of conservation funding available for the region in protecting Gulf of California biodiversity and ecosystems (terrestrial, coastal and marine).
· Reach out to potential new donors interested in the GOC region, including international funders and government agencies.
· Educate funders on a wide range of international marine conservation issues, looking for strategic linkages to Gulf of California conservation.
· Provide an accessible interface to Mexican government leaders and civil potential organization.
Programs:
· Program-focused funder meetings to strategize on topics of shared interest;
· Facilitate the development of a multi-donor marine protected area (MPA) endowment for the Gulf of California.;
· Funder site visits to the Gulf of California region.;
· Series of monthly funder conference calls on Gulf of California conservation issues.; and
· Host delegation of Mexican government officials.
