Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs), often called Environmental Funds in Latin America and Africa, are legally independent institutions that provide sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation. The core business of CTFs is to mobilize resources from diverse sources - including international donors, national governments, and the private sector - and to direct them, primarily through grants, to governmental bodies (such as national parks agencies), non-governmental organizations, and community based-organizations on the frontlines of the biodiversity crisis.
CTFs manage funding flows with a systematic approach to ensure appropriate levels of funding can be absorbed and meaningfully applied to reduce threats and enhance conservation and restoration efforts. By partnering with governments and civil society organizations to provide sustainable long-term financing solutions to respond to biodiversity, climate, sustainable development, and environmental challenges, CTFs expedite the implementation of global conventions. Their niche is to effectively link global and national funding with impactful local investments based on their long history of working with knowledgeable and committed government agencies, nonprofits, Indigenous organizations, and local communities. Today, the Global Environment Facility and CTFs - along with committed partners and allies - are poised to build on this experience to scale more locally successful solutions on an unprecedented timeline.