GCF Long-term Financing Toolkit

Kaieteur National Park, Guyana
© CI/Photo by John Martin
What Is the Toolkit?

View toolkit documents | Acknowledgements

The GCF Toolkit is intended to serve as a resource for GCF partners and serve as a database for strong examples of documents drawn from long-term funding projects administered through Conservation International (CI) and its Global Conservation Fund (GCF).

Organizations that are interested in obtaining GCF long-term financing can access the Toolkit to view templates and examples of the various required and suggested documents that are vital to the long-term funding process. Many of these documents are templates of basic forms that every organization must supply to CI in its grant application process. However, other documents have been selected from past and current successful GCF projects to guide organizations currently developing their own sustainable financing mechanisms. All important and confidential information has been removed from the documents where necessary.

Each long-term financing mechanism will vary greatly in many ways; GCF does not expect that all projects will follow these documents exactly. We encourage partners to think creatively and to find particular structures to suit the individual needs of the sites, regions and context in which they work. However, by providing successful examples from past projects, GCF hopes to streamline the application and grant approval process and allow grantees to more fully understand what is required for success.

Documents in the Toolkit include legal documentation such as by-laws, articles of association, and operations manuals, as well as examples of investment policies and investment contracts. We have also included examples of GCF grant agreements as well as a copy of the Rapid Review of Conservation Trust Funds published by the Conservation Finance Alliance in May 2008. We expect that the tool kit will continue to grow as additional partners develop new and unique long-term financing mechanisms.

Read a full description of all documents. (PDF - 34 KB)

 

TOOLKIT DOCUMENTS

GCF LTF Assessment Criteria

    A. LTF Checklist (PDF - 28 KB)
    The summary sheet of project information and checklist of legal documentation that GCF uses to assess progress on financing mechanisms.

    B. Criteria for LTF Disbursement 
    Before any long-term funding grant is disbursed, GCF must establish proof of elements presented on the Disbursement Scoresheet.

    C. Grant Agreement (PDF - 201 KB)
    Sample Grant Agreement Template

    D. GCF Monitoring Report: A & B Level Indicators
    The indicators GCF uses for monitoring management effectiveness of sites as well as financial and governance effectiveness of financing mechanisms.

Essential Documents

    A. Operations Manual

    B. Investment Policy

    C. Management Plan

    D. Business Plan

      - Conservation Finance Alliance
      A guide from the Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA) to developing a business plan for protected areas (PAs). The guide starts with a discussion of management plans and a detailed look at business planning for PAs, including revenue sources and long-term financial planning (with expense and income worksheets). It also covers writing a business plan, with a thorough description of each suggested section.

      - GCF Business Plan Guidelines (PDF - 37 KB)
      GCF’s recommendations for creating an effective protected area business plan, including an in-depth description of the two key components—a long-term financial plan, and a business plan narrative. This document also presents a short overview of the role of a long-term financing mechanism to further assist the process of creating a business plan.

      - GCF Presentation – Business Planning (PDF - 370 KB)
      A presentation given by GCF at the Business Planning for Protected Areas workshop in Pullman, WA, in July, 2008. The presentation illustrates the role that business planning plays in a successful long-term financing strategy, and covers the goals of long-term financing, items a business plan should consider, as well as challenges to take into account.

Consulting Information

Options for Financing Protected Areas

    A. Financing Protected Areas – Guidelines for Protected Area Managers (PDF - 351 KB)
    - World Commission on Protected Areas
    A guide for managers on financing protected areas (PA) divided into three main components. Firstly, developing a financial strategy—including an overview of PAs, a look at approaching PAs through business, and steps to develop a business. Next, the information on financing section explores funding sources, as well as national and site-level mechanisms. Finally, several case studies demonstrate different avenues for successful protected area financing.

    B. Raising Revenues for Protected Areas – A Menu of Options (PDF - 740 KB)
    -World Wildlife Fund
    A paper detailing the wealth of options for financing protected areas. They fall under three categories: government budget allocations; grants and donations; user fees, taxes, and other charges.

    C. A Review of Innovative International Financial Mechanisms for Biodiveristy Conservation (PDF - 360 KB)
    -World Wildlife Fund
    A report on innovative international financing mechanisms for biodiversity conservation, with a special focus on issues specific to developing countries. The document describes existing financing mechanisms, both traditional and innovative, as well as steps to start using innovative mechanisms.

Introduction to Conservation Trust Funds

    A. Rapid Review of Conservation Trust Funds 
    - Conservation Finance Alliance
    An overview of experience with the creation, operation and evaluation of conservation trust funds. Provides a rationale for further investment in CTFs. Includes executive summaries in English, Spanish and French.

    B. CTF Investment Survey
    - Conservation Finance Alliance
    A detailed summary of financial returns and management data for a variety of conservation trust funds (CTFs), obtained through investment surveys. This financial information is shared among CTFs in the hopes of offering insights into successful investment strategies and of fostering best practices.

 

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the following organizations that have allowed GCF to include their documents in the Long-term Funding Toolkit:

- The Gulf of California Marine Endowment
- Fondo para la Acción Ambiental y la Niñez
- ProAves UK
- The Conservation Finance Alliance Working Group on Environmental Funds
- The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Friends of Nature (Little Water Caye)

We appreciate their continued support of conservation and thank them for allowing us to share these successful materials and experiences with other GCF partners.

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