A network of world class, community-based conservation organizations ensuring wildlife and people coexist and thrive.
If you feel you meet the criteria below and would benefit from the services offered by WCN, or have any questions, please reach out to partnership@wildnet.org
Benefits of Partnership
WCN intends to ease any barriers to impact for community-based conservation organizations by improving their access to fundraising, marketing, non-profit management, well-being, and other organizational capacity-building resources.
Fundraising Platform
Improving Organizational Skills
Promotion to Supporters
Strength in the Network
Fundraising Platform
WCN provides our Partners fiscal sponsorship in the USA for organizations that do not currently have 501(c)(3) status.
WCN hosts a dedicated online donation portal for each Partner, with 100% of allocated donations going directly to the Partner organization at no cost to them. WCN transfers these donations out to our Partners on a frequent recurring basis for them to apply towards their greatest needs.
Unless donors request anonymity, WCN provides transparency to our Partners about their donations, so that conservationists can communicate directly with their supporters and steward long-term support.
Improving Organizational Skills
WCN goes through an organizational assessment with our Partners to identify and understand what organizational needs we can help improve collaboratively, and then provides tailored training support to help our Partners reach their growth goals.
WCN provides tactical advice and training for our Partners on skills critical for any non-profit, including finance, accounting, leadership, strategic planning, donor engagement, grant-writing, communications, marketing, and more.
WCN shares extensive learning resources for our Partners through a monthly email digest and private website to access 24/7.
Promotion to Supporters
WCN promotes our Partners’ programs, achievements, and fundraising needs through our website, blog, social media platforms, quarterly newsletters, or annual reports.
WCN hosts events for wildlife conservationists and donors to connect throughout the year, including virtual and in-person Expos.
WCN maintains communication with a network of individual, foundation, and corporate donors to share the needs of our Partners with those who want to support them.
Strength in the Network
WCN hosts frequent check-ins and learning workshops with all our Partners to create a safe space to build camaraderie and share the network’s extensive knowledge of conservation solutions.
WCN provides our Partners with catalytic funding to stimulate their own growth or provide relief in times of crisis.
WCN’s Partner Network strives to practice trust-based philanthropy. WCN provides as much support to our Partners as possible, but trusts them and the communities they work with to make the right decisions on how to ensure wildlife and people can coexist and thrive in their local context.
Fundraising Platform
Improving Organizational Skills
Promotion to Supporters
Strength in the Network
Qualifying Criteria for Partnership
WCN Partners are vetted thoroughly to assess their impact, dedication to people and place, organizational integrity, and alignment with WCN’s values, to ensure a network representing diverse people, wildlife, and landscapes.
Positive Impact on Endangered Wildlife
WCN looks for organizations possessing some or all of the following characteristics:
- Organization frames conservation efforts around a particular wildlife species classified as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
- Organization works predominantly on applied conservation for wild animals in their habitats (i.e. in-situ conservation).
- Organization focuses predominantly on applied conservation solutions rather than strictly research or academic activities;
- Organization has demonstrated a track record of effectiveness, results, a unique contribution to conservation, and a commitment to scale up their impact.
Commitment to People and Place
WCN looks for organizations possessing some or all of the following characteristics:
- Organization demonstrates a commitment to community-based conservation, wherein initiatives involve significant involvement from, and benefit towards, local communities.
- Organization operates legally in the range country as the equivalent of a not-for-profit entity;
- Organization spends more than 80% of its budget in range state(s).
- Organization’s leadership is native to the region of operation. If not, then principal conservationist should spend more than 80% of their time in range state(s) with succession plans in place for local leadership to be secured in the near future.
- Organization is committed to hiring and empowering staff from local communities to ensure long-term ownership and sustainability of conservation programs.
Integrity, Transparency, and Efficiency
WCN looks for organizations possessing some or all of the following characteristics:
- Organization demonstrates financial integrity, transparency, and efficiency, with fiscal processes meeting the highest standards, and is able to provide the following documentation:
- Either (A) an income statement and balance sheet or (B) an audited financial statement from the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year.
- A forecasted budget for the organization’s current or upcoming fiscal year.
- A programmatic report of the organization’s activities, accomplishments, and challenges from its most recently completed fiscal year (i.e. Annual Report).
- A summary of the organization’s annual funding sources.
Compatibility with WCN's Network
WCN looks for organizations possessing some or all of the following characteristics:
- Organization demonstrates a strong collaborative ethos to participate in sharing ideas, knowledge, and camaraderie with peer organizations in WCN’s Network.
- Organization’s leaders demonstrate ability to fundraise with donors.
- Organization can respond in timely manner to communication with WCN staff and supporters.
- Organization would both significantly benefit from and contribute to WCN’s fundraising efforts and support services.
Steps to Partnership
After the organization is introduced to WCN’s team (via email, call, or in-person) the organization will begin to share financial and programmatic reports with WCN. If you have any questions, please reach out to partnership@wildnet.org.