This survey of Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs) was developed to provide information on investment strategies, to report on average returns to allow funds to compare their performance and experience to that of similar institutions, and to facilitate information sharing and collaboration amongst both newly formed and established trusts. After extensive investigation and interviews with funds throughout the world we now know of approximately forty Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs) that are currently operating and investing assets to finance conservation and biodiversity projects throughout Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
Thirty-four out of the 40 identified CTFs responded to this second annual survey, providing investment information and reporting performance data for the 2007 and 2008 financial years. This year’s study made a particular effort to verify the number of funds that are currently operating to determine which funds would be able to participate in this type of survey now and in the future. A good part of the effort this year was spent in contacting funds to ensure their participation in the survey and thereby developing a robust database with updated contact information for all of the known CTFs. In addition to the forty operating trusts, we have found that twelve new trusts have been created and are currently structuring endowments or initiating investments this year and will be reporting their data in the future. We continue to receive more information on new trusts being developed throughout the world and will reach out to those funds with a goal of including them in future versions of this report.
