The Conservation Finance Program provides critical funding for protecting and managing biodiversity and natural resources. Explore how our Endowment Fund fuels sustainable conservation efforts.
CBF and the NCTFs are increasingly strengthened as mature organizations, with institutional financial sustainability, strong reputation and complete organizational structure.
Continuously increasing funding delivered to relevant projects and programs with enhanced management and conservation capacity at the national level.
Conserve, restore and maintain important ecosystems to achieve enhanced ecological integrity while contributing to sustainable livelihoods.
Under the Conservation Finance Program, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) manages an Endowment Fund that invests funding for long-term conservation and to provide support and financial resources to eligible National Conservation Trust Funds (NCTFs).
Initial donor contributions included USD 8 million from The Nature Conservancy, USD 7.6 million from GEF/World Bank and USD 750,000 from the GEF/UNDP. Most recently, the Endowment Fund received investments of USD 11.3 million from the French Development Agency (AFD in 2022 and USD 3 million from World Bank in 2023. Both of these latest additional investments benefitting Haiti.
Created in 2012, the CBF Endowment Fund now has a market value of around USD 98 million (as of December 2023) and currently benefits 12 countries. Beneficiary countries gain access to the CBF Endowment Fund through a partnership agreement signed with a national conservation trust fund, under which the NCTF is eligible to request a portion of the interest generated by the CBF Endowment Fund. Subsequently, the NCTF is responsible for administering grant-making programs at both the sub-regional and national levels with this CBF funding.
NCTFs are required to cultivate new, sustainable revenue streams that match CBF resources on a 1:1 basis under their partnership agreement. This incentivizes NCTFs to establish financial mechanisms capable of channeling private and public resources towards nature conservation and sustainable development.
Explore the numbers to see the tangible impact of our National Conservation Trust Fund network through funded projects that are making a real difference across the Caribbean.
| Impact Area | Value | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Projects Funded |
0
+
|
Supporting innovative solutions across the Caribbean | Active |
| Million Disbursed |
$
0
M
|
Directly impacting communities and ecosystems | Distributed |
| Beneficiary Countries |
0
|
Building resilience together | Regional |
The diverse activities funded by NCTFs address a wide range of conservation priorities across the Caribbean, supporting ecosystems, communities and long-term resilience.
NCTFs support the effective management and creation of protected areas, safeguarding critical habitats for future generations.
Funding goes towards building sustainable infrastructure within and around protected areas, supporting access and conservation efforts.
NCTFs invest in educational programs that empower communities and foster a deeper appreciation for the environment.
Active community participation is crucial. NCTFs support initiatives that engage local stakeholders in conservation efforts.
NCTFs support the development and implementation of effective environmental policies that address climate change and ecosystem resilience.
Sustainable tourism practices are encouraged, generating economic benefits while protecting natural resources.
Degraded lands are restored through conservation projects funded by NCTFs across the region.
NCTFs support scientific research that provides crucial data for informed conservation decision-making.
As the Architecture matures, it aims to address critical financial and institutional challenges while strengthening collaboration, biodiversity financing and marine conservation implementation across the region.
Establishing a central hub of attraction and reference for financial and technical partners, providing favorable financial terms, diversification and investment security to build confidence among donors and strategic partners.
Enhancing the capacity of Conservation Trust Funds across the Caribbean biodiversity sector to efficiently utilize financial resources and generate measurable conservation impact.
Consensus was reached on establishing a regional Marine Protected Areas Financing Facility and a Blue Economy Hub to strengthen sustainable marine management.
The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund hosted the Marine Conservation Forum in Grenada from May 7–9, 2025. The three-day event gathered representatives of nine National Conservation Trust Funds, government agencies, NGOs and development partners from across the Caribbean.
The Forum served as a strategic platform to strengthen regional collaboration, build institutional capacity and accelerate marine conservation financing and implementation in support of the Global Biodiversity Framework 30×30 targets.
Participants emphasized that long-term success requires inclusive governance, alignment with national priorities and stronger integration of equity and community participation within conservation strategies.
Below are selected highlights of our annual networking forums and collaborative learning events that support the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF)-led Caribbean Sustainable Finance Architecture (CSFA) strategic agenda.
Additional resources from our 2024 and earlier events will be added here as they become available.
For a comprehensive understanding of this program, explore the following resources, partnerships, relief initiatives and capacity-building activities.
Through its CBF Endowment Fund and the Caribbean Regional Architecture for Biodiversity Project funded by the Government of France, CBF is providing USD 950,000 in hurricane recovery grants to partner National Conservation Trust Funds in Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Read More: Rising from the StormIn an innovative collaboration, CBF has partnered with the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme to amplify its impact and reach across 12 shared countries.
Read More: Preserving ParadiseCBF partners with UNDP Cuba to channel funding through the GEF SGP Cuba, supporting conservation financing and local implementation pathways.
View ResourceStrengthening NGO capacities through targeted partnership support, sustainable finance mechanisms and practical conservation implementation.
View ResourceOne of CBF’s priorities is to support the growth of partner Conservation Trust Funds through capacity-building initiatives.
Read More: Talking Nature Makes CentsThis workshop brought together 11 Conservation Trust Funds to strengthen grantmaking processes and position them as leaders in sustainable conservation opportunities. Hosted before the RedLAC Congress 2024, it maximized networking and knowledge mobilization.
This initiative equipped NCTFs with tools and insights to enhance outreach and effectiveness in national conservation efforts. Through interactive workshops, CBF broadened its regional network, helping Conservation Trust Funds evolve into well-established organizations with strong financial health and complete organizational structures.
