Rapid Review of Conservation Trust Funds

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This Rapid Review of Conservation Trust Funds presents an overview of experience with
the creation, operation and evaluation of conservation trust funds (CTFs) and provides a
rationale for further investment in CTFs. The Review is not intended to replicate the
Global Environment Facility‘s (GEF‘s) 1999 comprehensive Evaluation of Experience
with Conservation Trust Funds, but rather to review the current status of CTFs
worldwide, focusing on those that have been in operation for at least five years. It
identifies best practice standards for effective governance and administration of CTFs,
and provides guidelines for monitoring and evaluating CTFs‘ operations and biodiversity
impact.

The Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA) Working Group on Environmental Funds
commissioned the Review, with support provided by the French Development Agency
(AFD), French Global Environment Facility (FFEM), German Development Bank
(KfW), Conservation International (CI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The Review was prepared by a consulting team consisting of Barry Spergel and Philippe
Taïeb based on extensive interviews, a CTF survey, review of CTF literature including
CTF evaluations, and consultations in Paris, Washington and San Salvador. The
consultants and the Working Group are grateful to the many individuals and
organizations who participated in the Review, with special thanks to the GEF that served
on the Steering Committee for the Review, and the Latin American and Caribbean
Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC).