The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is comprised of several formidable forces that act together as an independent grant-making effort to protect the world’s fragile ecosystems in ways that benefit people and their environment.
It's an impressive collaboration among Conservation International, the French Development Agency, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank.
Whether supporting winemakers in South Africa, rural communities in China, or rangers in Belize, CEPF backs fascinating and effective projects. CEPF grantees are undoubtedly a diverse group, but they also share a passion for protecting the most biologically unique yet threatened places on Earth.
CEPF gives grants and technical assistance to non-governmental organizations and other private sector partners in the world’s biodiversity hotspots. By focusing on the most important areas within these broader regions in the developing world, CEPF support has helped grantees give people jobs, regenerate natural resources, and safeguard habitats for plants and animals. The fund ensures that each dollar it invests stretches as far as it possibly can.
Everywhere CEPF works, it's a team effort to protect critical ecosystems, promote healthy lifestyles, and bolster economic stability. The groups supported collaborate with many others, multiplying the impact to conserve the places they call home.
With a Secretariat based at our own home in CI's Arlington headquarters, CEPF has grown fast. Since awarding its first grants in 2001, the program has committed more than $94 million to support more than 1,250 groups in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Partners supported by the fund have helped protect more than 9 million hectares of rich land and influenced policies to benefit both people and nature in dozens of countries.
For more information, visit CEPF's website.
Learn about our other conservation funds.