CONSERVATION PARTNERS
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of natural resources -- fish, wildlife and plants. Among its goals are species habitat protection, environmental education, public policy development, natural resource management, habitat and ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration, and leadership training for conservation professionals. It meets these goals by forging partnerships between the public and private sectors and by supporting conservation activities that pinpoint and solve the root causes of environmental problems.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NFWF was established by Congress in 1984. The Foundation invests in the best possible solutions to those problems by awarding challenge grants using its federally appropriated funds to match private sector funds. These combined resources fuel effective conservation projects; however, federal appropriations may not be used for NFWF's operating expenses. The Foundation has awarded 997 grants that has leveraged more than $123 million for conservation projects. NFWF's work is local, regional, national and international in scope. To date, project locations include the 50 states, Puerto Rico and 17 countries.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation works by:

• Forging innovative partnerships between the public and private sector.
• Supporting projects that examine and provide solutions for root causes of environmental problems.
• Awarding grants for conservation -- 997 grants totaling over $123 million have been distributed.
• Leveraging -- for every $1 in federal matching funds, NFWF and its conservation partners provide more than $2 in direct non-federal contributions for a total of $3 on-the-ground.
• Maintaining minimal fundraising and administrative overhead -- less than 5 percent of total budget.
• Widely distributing grants -- 399 grantees including federal, state and provincial agencies, colleges, universities, private corporations and both domestic and international conservation organizations.
• Working in a national and international scope -- project locations include 50 states, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Greenland, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russia, Tanzania and the United Kingdom.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has six priority program areas:

• Wetland Conservation through the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and the North American Wetlands Partnership, cooperative undertakings between the United States, Canada and Mexico to protect and restore wetland habitat both in public and private ownership. 232 projects totaling $49.8 million have been undertaken; $31.8 million was raised by NFWF and its partners to match $18 million in federal funds.
• Conservation Education programs for the public and Leadership Training for natural resource professionals, corporate leaders, key policy and political projects totaling $15.4 million have been undertaken; $10.9 million was raised by NFWF and its partners to match $4.5 million in federal funds.
• A national Fisheries Initiative addresses marine, estuarine and inland fish resource and habitat depletion issues by funding projects that address high priority conservation challenges and improve federal and state policy, funding and management practices. 153 projects totaling $21.1 million have been undertaken; $12.7 million was raised by NFWF and its partners to match $8.4 million in federal funds.
• The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Program brings public and private partners together in efforts to conserve migratory songbirds. 184 projects totaling $14.5 million have been undertaken; $8.9 million was raised by NFWF and its partners to match $5.7 million in federal funds.
• The Fisheries and Wildlife Assessment study is the policy arm of NFWF. The Assessment is published annually for Congressional representatives and staff, the Executive branch and conservation organizations. It provides the only non-government, comprehensive, line-by-line budget analysis of the major federal agencies that have significant natural resource management and stewardship responsibilities. Over the years this study has become an influential guide for Congressional appropriations to these agencies.
• NFWF also has a Wildlife and Habitat initiative that encompasses NFWF's broad interests in fish, wildlife and plant conservation, including bio-diveristy preservation, threatened and endangered species recovery and big game management. 227 projects totaling $21.4 million have been undertaken; $15.6 million was raised by NFWF and its partners to match $5.8 million in federal funds.

Operational Funding:
Contributions for general operating support are raised from individuals, corporations and foundations. The 1994 operating budget is $2.8 million. Fund raising and administration costs average 4 percent of the Foundation's total program costs. Private support for operations is used to identify conservation priorities, develop project and management solutions, administer grants, forge partnerships, conduct project evaluations, publish and distribute the annual Fish and Wildlife Assessment documents, and fund the day-to-day operations of this organization.

Federal Matching Funds:
Congressional appropriations are used exclusively for project support. These appropriations must be matched on at least a one-to-one basis by private non-federal contributions raised by NFWF and its project partners. The Foundation has successfully met or exceeded the statutory 1:1 match for eight successive years and has achieved an average of better than $2 for every federal dollar appropriated.