Outcomes are Key

The focus of Resources Legacy Fund is the successful, lasting conservation of natural resources. We also work to build supportive policies and enhance the capacity of groups and leaders in the field.

Donors come to us because we are results-driven, pragmatic, and strategic. We don’t hold rigidly to any one approach or style. Within the context of our planning process, we develop metrics for success, and gauge progress along the way to ensure the accomplishment of donors’ goals.

We offer a wide range of services provided by highly skilled groups and individuals who share the conservation goals and support the projects of our donors. Donors benefit from our strong relationships with government, philanthropic, and nonprofit entities, and a network of science, legal, and policy experts.

We keep our core staff small, a practice that allows us to remain flexible, maximize effectiveness, minimize overhead, and ensure that the best tools and talent are applied to each project.

Strategic Alliances. Conservation is a nonpartisan issue. It provides many opportunities to unify disparate groups and communities. We build unexpected partnerships and bring new constituencies into the conservation arena. Often, when a variety of groups is working on the same or similar projects, we bring them together to facilitate learning and cooperation. We also convene government decision makers, conservation advocates, academics, and technical experts to advance common goals, build momentum out of collaboration, and achieve more durable solutions than would be possible working in isolation.

Leverage. We know that a modest philanthropic investment can catalyze change. It can also leverage significant public and private funding. We also serve as a location for pooling philanthropic funding to achieve common goals, thus achieving outcomes no single donor could achieve alone.

Program Management. We solicit proposals, screen them against program-specific criteria, and help shape projects to be effective, successful, and measurable. We track commitments and outcomes, sending periodic updates and progress reports to the donors, providing an avenue for ongoing engagement in the fulfillment of their conservation legacy.

Responsive to Opportunities. We develop specific strategies, priorities, and criteria for achieving the objectives for each program we administer. We also know that opportunities may arise unexpectedly, and we strive to quickly identify, assess, and pursue unique openings to achieve the program's objectives.

Revolving Loan Funds. We help donors provide bridge financing, primarily for land acquisition. These funds can ensure that lands are purchased when the price is right —even if public funding is not readily available. Once the public funding is available, these short-term loans are repaid, making the funds available for additional conservation projects.

Technical Assistance. Many effective conservation groups lack access to key experts and technologies. We work to identify their needs and provide them access to photographers, cartographers, communications experts, pollsters, strategists, and others. Gaining access to this expertise provides organizations with tools and experiences that enhance their effectiveness long after program funding has been spent.

Photograph by Tupper Ansel Blake