Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs) are private, legally independent institutions established to catalyze resources and provide stable, sustainable, long-term sources of funding for the protection and sustainable management of natural resources in areas of high biodiversity. CTFs typically encompass one or more endowments and/or sinking funds. Coupled with other financing mechanisms, CTFs use income from investments to provide a reliable source of support for management of protected areas, long-term investment in conservation programs and projects, and financing for indigenous communities. Many of the CTFs grow to become significant resource mobilization and grant-making institutions, effectively managing and disbursing funds from a variety of sources to support conservation and sustainable livelihood projects. To maximize their available resources for conservation funding, effective and prudent management of invested assets is critical to the success of the CTFs.
Since 2006, the Conservation Trust Investment Survey (CTIS) has been tracking the financial performance and investment strategies of CTFs throughout Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Conservation Trust Funds described in this study manage endowment funds, sinking funds, revolving funds1 , or all three.
