Innovations in Conservation Funding

Too many environmental non-profits compete for funds amongst a limited pool of donors. One fundamental value of the Wildlife Conservation Network (“WCN”), a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is to approach fundraising with the lens of abundance rather than scarcity. There is a need to identify innovative approaches to effectively reach, engage, and enlist financial support from non-traditional sources of conservation funding. This Capstone explores opportunities for wildlife conservation funding from the for-profit sector, including corporate philanthropy, cause marketing partnerships, and corporate social responsibility. For WCN, this is a little-tapped resource with enormous growth potential, particularly suited for WCN's "high touch" donor engagement model. We examine several factors that influence and support corporate giving: fostering of empathy towards animals and wildlife (to leverage emotionally-driven philanthropy and behavior); strengths-based management (to harness skills across a lean team to support high-lift corporate engagements); and best practices in cause marketing engagements (underscoring the impact of bespoke and meaningful consumer and donor experiences). This Capstone is foundational to the growth of WCN's nascent corporate engagement program, identifies new opportunities, and supports the development of a leadership position to spearhead this effort.