How You Can Help : The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund is made up of unrestricted contributions to the Center for Conservation Biology. The many gifts small and large that we receive from private citizens, corporations, and other non-profit organizations truly make the difference to our organization. In many ways, these are the most important funds received by the Center. Conservation funds are used to support the many programs that we believe are mission critical but can not be entirely funded through other sources.

Over the years, conservation funds have been used to support educational programs, ground-breaking research, the purchase of new technologies, operating expenses, and other important program areas that we consider to be "investments" in the future. See below for just a few projects supported by The Conservation Fund.

Student Research/Education
Progress in conservation is short-lived without a strong foundation in education. Educational opportunities for students within the Center for Conservation Biology have always been centered around involvement with primary research. There is no substitute for working through the day to day decisions that must be made to solve conservation problems. Conservation funds have been used extensively to support students and their research.

Educational Publications
One educational objective of the Center is to elevate the public awareness about the natural history and conservation of sensitive coastal ecosystems. Occasionally, Center staff identify a strategically important educational need that may be filled with a targeted publication produced for the public. Over the years several such publications have been produced with conservation funds. These publications have proven to be a very successful educational tool.

Long-term Research Projects
Many questions that are fundamental to finding conservation solutions require an understanding of long-term processes. As funding cycles have become shorter and shorter, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain funding for long-term research. Conservation funds have been used extensively to maintain the integrity of a variety of long-term research projects. These funds have also been used to act as a "funding bridge" when other sources can not provide continuous support.