funding and advocacy in the service of conservation

Funding and Advocacy in the service of conservation

• Money from US Foundations

• Money in EU enlargement

• Advocacy: opportunity and duty

John ReganJohnRegan@freeuk.com

Opportunity 1: US Foundations

The largest philanthropic market on Earth

Some stats…

• Over 60,000 grant makers

• Over $3.1 billion went outside the USA in 2002

• Environment and Animals a priority at 9.8%

UK is the largest single external recipient because…

• No language barrier?

• Traditional links with former empire?

• Solid audit trail?

• Prestige of institution?

• Because we actually ask?

Some trends

• September the 11th

• Stock market

• Dot commers

• Eastern Europe

The process

• Long list – search by grant

• Short list – grant making guidelines

• Crunch time – set up 501(c) 3

• Apply

• Follow up

Some sources of information

• The Foundation Centre

• The Chronicle of Philanthopy

• The Grantsmanship Centre

“… would suit ‘Treasure Hunter’ type…”

Opportunity 2. European enlargement

“The great European adventure”

Today’s subject is

• Not the structural funds (‘vertical’)

• Not trans-national funds (‘horizontal’)

• Not Europeaid (the rest of the world)

• Funds for the accession and candidate states

The instruments

• PHARE

• ISPA

• SAPARD

“The Aquis”

CEC Government

UK Zoo

CEC's pre-allocated funds UK Zoo’s

projectCEC’s wildlife

UK Zoo

TAIEX

Where is the real battle to be won..?

Traditional avenues..

• Ex situ breeding

• In situ conservation projects

• Education and attitude changing

By the time she grows up…

…. A ‘rewired’ mind

Another kind of education

Another kind of audience

.. To stave off “bad stuff”

.. To be aware of, and involved in “good stuff” (major opportunity

and agenda..)

A medium within which we thrive. Or decline

“Influence soup”

Where is our leverage to allow a powerful advocacy

programme?To protect ourselves against threat

To know about and capitalise on opportunity

To promote wildlife conservation amongst the audience in a position to make a difference

USP : 15 million visitors = consumers = voters

We can put these two

..together

• need to do so to protect themselves against threats

• need to do so to know about and capitalise upon opportunities

• duty to do so in terms of conservation delivery• opportunity to do so because of our massive

audience

Zoos should prioritise talking to the most senior political and business decision makers, both

collectively and individually because: 

Archimedes said give me a big enough lever..

..

.. And I will move the world.

John ReganJohnRegan@freeuk.com

• Money from US Foundations

• Money in EU enlargement

• Advocacy: opportunity and duty