Results are Key

Resources Legacy Fund works to advance the 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. As we plan programs, we develop metrics for success that enable us to gauge progress along the way and ensure the attainment of donors’ goals.

Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) and Resources Law Group (RLG) partner in an innovative approach to conservation philanthropy, with each contributing unique strengths to RLF’s donors. Leanly staffed, with a strong bench of consulting expertise, RLF has the ability to accept tax-deductible grants, pool funds from a variety of sources, fund lobbying efforts, build the capacity and effectiveness of grantees, and measure conservation results. As RLF’s primary consultant, RLG contributes deep expertise on conservation-related issues; knowledge of laws, regulation, and policy; coalition building experience; and nonpartisan political expertise.

Multidisciplinary Expertise. 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.

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 coordination. We also convene government decision makers, conservation advocates, academics, and technical experts to advance common goals, build momentum through collaboration, and achieve more durable solutions than would be possible with the same entities working in isolation.

Leverage. We know that a modest philanthropic investment can catalyze change. It can also leverage significant public and private funding. We can pool funds from multiple funders to achieve common goals that 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 donors, providing them ongoing engagement in the fulfillment of their conservation legacies.

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 otherwise 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. Access to this expertise provides organizations with tools and experience that continues to enhance their effectiveness long after program funding has been spent.

Photograph by Tupper Ansel Blake