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Protecting Wildlife

WCN SUPPORTS CONSERVATIONISTS WHO ENSURE WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE COEXIST AND THRIVE

Partner Network | Wildlife Funds | Rising Wildlife Leaders

SUPPORTING A NETWORK OF CONSERVATIONISTS 

We find the best entrepreneurial organizations and invite them to receive in-depth, ongoing support by joining our Network of Conservation Partners. We provide our Partners with the financial resources, tools, and services they need to effectively protect wildlife while also offering critical, but less intensive support to a broader group of conservation organizations in our Extended Network. As all organizations in our Network go through a rigorous vetting process, donors can invest in them with confidence.

Conservationists in our Network work within local communities to find solutions that address the needs of both wildlife and people.

100% of designated donations to Conservation Partners in our Network go directly to the field with no overhead removed.

How We Select Our Partners

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African Elephants

Andean Cat

Bats

Bornean Elephants

Cheetah—Botswana

Cheetah—Namibia

Corals

Cotton-Top Tamarin

Dolphins and Dugongs

Ethiopian Wolf

Grevy's Zebra

Grey Crowned Cranes

Lion—Ewaso

Lion—Niassa

Macaws

Mountain Gorillas

Okapi

Orangutans

Painted Dog

Penguins

Saiga Antelope

Sharks and Rays

Small Wild Cats

Snow Leopard

Spectacled Bear

Spider Monkey

PROTECTING SPECIES ACROSS THEIR HABITATS

Our Wildlife Funds offer flexible grants to projects in order to protect threatened species across their habitats. The Wildlife Funds invest in effective projects from a wide range of organizations, kickstarting new approaches and bolstering tried and true conservation efforts. Each fund amplifies donor support by combining contributions, allowing for the biggest impact possible.

In addition to our Wildlife Funds, WCN’s Emergency Relief Fund supports conservationists, wildlife, and communities in times of crisis.

100% of donations to our Funds go directly to the field, with zero overhead removed.

WHAT MAKES THE FUNDS UNIQUE

California Wildlife Program

California Wildlife Program

Pumas are a cornerstone of a robust wild California. While they can live across a wide range of landscapes, their habitat is fragmented by urban sprawl and other human development. The pumas’ fragmented habitat must be restored and connected to maintain healthy wildlife populations.

WCN’s California Wildlife Program (CWP) aims to restore and connect fragmented habitat, benefiting pumas and other wildlife throughout California.

Support the CWP   Learn More

ELEPHANT CRISIS FUND

ELEPHANT CRISIS FUND

The Elephant Crisis Fund’s (ECF) goal is to end the ivory crisis and secure a future for elephants. The ECF funds the best ideas and most urgent actions to safeguard the future of elephants, working with a coalition of individuals, scientists, conservation organizations, and governments to:

  • End the ivory crisis
  • Promote human-elephant coexistence
  • Protect elephant landscapes

The ECF is a joint initiative of Save the Elephants and WCN.

Support the ECF       Visit the Website

Emergency Relief Fund

Emergency Relief Fund

When emergency crises generate devastating health, social, economic, and political challenges, they often also lead to increased pressure on wildlife and natural resources, disruptions in fundraising for conservationists, and destabilization of security for communities.

WCN’s Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) supports conservationists, wildlife, and communities to turn crisis into an opportunity to respond.

Support the ERF   LEARN MORE

LION RECOVERY FUND

LION RECOVERY FUND

Lion populations have declined by half in just a quarter century. But, lions can return. The Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) was created by WCN to give conservationists the support they need to address the biggest threats to lions.

The LRF invests in projects designed to:

  • Protect lions from poaching, incidental capture in snares, retaliatory and ritual killings, and other threats.
  • Protect habitats from destruction by unsustainable development practices such as farming, mining, logging, and charcoal production.
  • Protect prey from poaching for bushmeat, excessive competition with domestic livestock, destruction of migratory pathways, and other threats.

Lion recovery is within our grasp.

SUPPORT THE LRF        Visit the Website

painted dog

Painted Dog Fund

Painted Dog Fund

Painted dogs have experienced an almost 99% decline in their populations in the past century; they are now very endangered and face the real risk of extinction. The Painted Dog Fund (PDF) is a joint initiative of the Painted Wolf Foundation (PWF) and WCN to invest in the best initiatives to:

  • Protect Painted Dogs by investing in the conservation of existing painted dog rangelands and support proven measures to protect dogs in these areas.
  • Recover Territory by supporting the rehabilitation, protection, and conservation of appropriate former painted dog rangelands to allow their expansion into safe and well-managed areas.
  • Support Collaborations by investing in initiatives that disseminate ideas and learning to benefit painted dog conservation as a whole and support field-based collaborations between conservation organizations, communities, and land management initiatives.

Support Painted Dogs Learn More

painted dog
Ground Pangolin

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked wild mammals on Earth. They are hunted to supply a rampant and illegal global trade of their scales, meat, and body parts. Because of demand—mostly in Asia, but also growing across Africa—all eight species of pangolins are threatened with extinction.

The Pangolin Crisis Fund (PCF) was created by Save Pangolins and WCN to invest in the best initiatives to:

  • Protect pangolins and their habitats so that all eight species have a chance to recover.
  • Disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks through intelligence led investigations with local law enforcement and legislative reform.
  • Eliminate the demand for pangolin scales and bushmeat in Asia and Africa by working with communities and raising awareness.

SUPPORT THE PCF      Visit the Website

Ground Pangolin

Rhino Recovery Fund

Rhino Recovery Fund

Thousands of African rhinos have been killed for their horns, which are prized for false medicinal purposes and as status symbols, and Asian rhinos have dwindled to near extinction. Additionally, rhinos are losing their habitat to unsustainable development. But there is still hope for rhinos.

The Rhino Recovery Fund has two primary investment strategies:

  • Rhino Guardians – We invest in projects designed to stop rhino poaching and disrupt the trafficking and demand for rhino horn.
  • Rhino Landscapes – We invest in projects that restore functioning habitat and provide strong protected area management to support wild rhinos and make them relevant to society.

SUPPORT THE RRF      VISIT THE WEBSITE

 

Sea Otter Fund

Sea Otter Fund

Once abundant from Baja California across the north Pacific Rim to Japan, sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s for their fur. Today, they are absent from a substantial portion of their historical range along the U.S. Pacific Coast. As a keystone species, their story must turn from one of loss to one of hope, as restoring sea otter populations is vital to the health of ocean ecosystems along the Pacific Coast.

As WCN’s first marine Wildlife Fund, SOF is a groundbreaking venture. It prioritizes:

  • Collaboration – Convene conservation groups, scientists, Tribal nations, government agencies, and communities to develop solutions that advance sea otter restoration and are aligned with local community priorities.
  • Scientific Research and Planning – Advance critical scientific research and technical planning to lay the groundwork for successful sea otter reintroduction.
  • Transparency – 100% of your donation goes directly to conservation action, not overhead costs.

Support the SOF Learn More

California Wildlife Program

California Wildlife Program

Pumas are a cornerstone of a robust wild California. While they can live across a wide range of landscapes, their habitat is fragmented by urban sprawl and other human development....

Find out more

ELEPHANT CRISIS FUND

ELEPHANT CRISIS FUND

The Elephant Crisis Fund’s (ECF) goal is to end the ivory crisis and secure a future for elephants. The ECF funds the best ideas and most urgent actions to safeguard...

Find out more

Emergency Relief Fund

Emergency Relief Fund

When emergency crises generate devastating health, social, economic, and political challenges, they often also lead to increased pressure on wildlife and natural resources, disruptions in fundraising for conservationists, and destabilization...

Find out more

LION RECOVERY FUND

LION RECOVERY FUND

Lion populations have declined by half in just a quarter century. But, lions can return. The Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) was created by WCN to give conservationists the support they...

Find out more
painted dog

Painted Dog Fund

Painted Dog Fund

Painted dogs have experienced an almost 99% decline in their populations in the past century; they are now very endangered and face the real risk of extinction. The Painted Dog...

Find out more
Ground Pangolin

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked wild mammals on Earth. They are hunted to supply a rampant and illegal global trade of their scales, meat, and body parts. Because of...

Find out more

Rhino Recovery Fund

Rhino Recovery Fund

Thousands of African rhinos have been killed for their horns, which are prized for false medicinal purposes and as status symbols, and Asian rhinos have dwindled to near extinction. Additionally,...

Find out more

Sea Otter Fund

Sea Otter Fund

Once abundant from Baja California across the north Pacific Rim to Japan, sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s for their fur. Today, they are...

Find out more

California Wildlife Program

Pumas are a cornerstone of a robust wild California. While they can live across a wide range of landscapes, their habitat is fragmented by urban sprawl and other human development. The pumas’ fragmented habitat must be restored and connected to maintain healthy wildlife populations.

WCN’s California Wildlife Program (CWP) aims to restore and connect fragmented habitat, benefiting pumas and other wildlife throughout California.

Support the CWP   Learn More

ELEPHANT CRISIS FUND

The Elephant Crisis Fund’s (ECF) goal is to end the ivory crisis and secure a future for elephants. The ECF funds the best ideas and most urgent actions to safeguard the future of elephants, working with a coalition of individuals, scientists, conservation organizations, and governments to:

  • End the ivory crisis
  • Promote human-elephant coexistence
  • Protect elephant landscapes

The ECF is a joint initiative of Save the Elephants and WCN.

Support the ECF       Visit the Website

Emergency Relief Fund

When emergency crises generate devastating health, social, economic, and political challenges, they often also lead to increased pressure on wildlife and natural resources, disruptions in fundraising for conservationists, and destabilization of security for communities.

WCN’s Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) supports conservationists, wildlife, and communities to turn crisis into an opportunity to respond.

Support the ERF   LEARN MORE

LION RECOVERY FUND

Lion populations have declined by half in just a quarter century. But, lions can return. The Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) was created by WCN to give conservationists the support they need to address the biggest threats to lions.

The LRF invests in projects designed to:

  • Protect lions from poaching, incidental capture in snares, retaliatory and ritual killings, and other threats.
  • Protect habitats from destruction by unsustainable development practices such as farming, mining, logging, and charcoal production.
  • Protect prey from poaching for bushmeat, excessive competition with domestic livestock, destruction of migratory pathways, and other threats.

Lion recovery is within our grasp.

SUPPORT THE LRF        Visit the Website

Painted Dog Fund

Painted dogs have experienced an almost 99% decline in their populations in the past century; they are now very endangered and face the real risk of extinction. The Painted Dog Fund (PDF) is a joint initiative of the Painted Wolf Foundation (PWF) and WCN to invest in the best initiatives to:

  • Protect Painted Dogs by investing in the conservation of existing painted dog rangelands and support proven measures to protect dogs in these areas.
  • Recover Territory by supporting the rehabilitation, protection, and conservation of appropriate former painted dog rangelands to allow their expansion into safe and well-managed areas.
  • Support Collaborations by investing in initiatives that disseminate ideas and learning to benefit painted dog conservation as a whole and support field-based collaborations between conservation organizations, communities, and land management initiatives.

Support Painted Dogs Learn More

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked wild mammals on Earth. They are hunted to supply a rampant and illegal global trade of their scales, meat, and body parts. Because of demand—mostly in Asia, but also growing across Africa—all eight species of pangolins are threatened with extinction.

The Pangolin Crisis Fund (PCF) was created by Save Pangolins and WCN to invest in the best initiatives to:

  • Protect pangolins and their habitats so that all eight species have a chance to recover.
  • Disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks through intelligence led investigations with local law enforcement and legislative reform.
  • Eliminate the demand for pangolin scales and bushmeat in Asia and Africa by working with communities and raising awareness.

SUPPORT THE PCF      Visit the Website

Rhino Recovery Fund

Thousands of African rhinos have been killed for their horns, which are prized for false medicinal purposes and as status symbols, and Asian rhinos have dwindled to near extinction. Additionally, rhinos are losing their habitat to unsustainable development. But there is still hope for rhinos.

The Rhino Recovery Fund has two primary investment strategies:

  • Rhino Guardians – We invest in projects designed to stop rhino poaching and disrupt the trafficking and demand for rhino horn.
  • Rhino Landscapes – We invest in projects that restore functioning habitat and provide strong protected area management to support wild rhinos and make them relevant to society.

SUPPORT THE RRF      VISIT THE WEBSITE

 

Sea Otter Fund

Once abundant from Baja California across the north Pacific Rim to Japan, sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s for their fur. Today, they are absent from a substantial portion of their historical range along the U.S. Pacific Coast. As a keystone species, their story must turn from one of loss to one of hope, as restoring sea otter populations is vital to the health of ocean ecosystems along the Pacific Coast.

As WCN’s first marine Wildlife Fund, SOF is a groundbreaking venture. It prioritizes:

  • Collaboration – Convene conservation groups, scientists, Tribal nations, government agencies, and communities to develop solutions that advance sea otter restoration and are aligned with local community priorities.
  • Scientific Research and Planning – Advance critical scientific research and technical planning to lay the groundwork for successful sea otter reintroduction.
  • Transparency – 100% of your donation goes directly to conservation action, not overhead costs.

Support the SOF Learn More

Empowering Local Leaders

Creating a healthy future for wildlife relies on the leadership of local people who are shaping conservation in their home countries. Through Rising Wildlife Leaders, WCN empowers local conservationists by providing them with financial support, educational resources and professional training, hands-on experiences, invaluable mentorship opportunities, and access to peer support networks. By helping these leaders either start or sustain their conservation careers, we will have a greater and more lasting impact for wildlife around the world.

100% of donations to Rising Wildlife Leaders are used for Rising Wildlife Leaders programs.

Amazonia Program Career Program Internship Program Scholarship Program Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL)

Amazonia Program

The Amazon basin is critical to our planet’s health and is home to unique biodiversity found nowhere else on earth. To invest in the future of this unparalleled landscape, WCN’s Amazonia Program is supporting a new generation of highly skilled conservation leaders working together to protect the Amazon and its incredible wildlife.

This two-year training program builds local conservationists’ leadership skills and fosters collaboration amongst conservationists in the region. Tailored to their individual needs and goals, emerging leaders in the program will gain the skills, networking opportunities, and confidence to fuel their long-term conservation careers.

LEARN MORE Support this Program

Canva - Big Jaguar in the Wild

Career Program

WCN’s Career Program enables conservationists who are saving wildlife in their home countries to thrive in their careers. Focused primarily on those who are early or mid-career, we offer multi-year financial support, tailored access to training opportunities, facilitated peer learning, and mentorship to give talented conservationists the tools to succeed.

SUPPORT CAREERS   Learn More

Aristide Takoukam Kamla from Career Program

Internships

The path to a career in conservation is often obstructed by a towering barrier—the scarcity of hands-on learning opportunities. These invaluable opportunities allow burgeoning conservationists to gain real-life experience, mentorship during their formative years, and a chance to build professional networks. 

As part of our work to support Rising Wildlife Leaders, WCN fosters internships designed to be more than mere stepping stones; they are immersive gateways into the applied learning and professional development that early-career conservationists need to secure employment, while simultaneously fueling vital conservation work.

Learn More
Support Internships

1 Surveying Machu Pichu

Scholarship Program

WCN’s Scholarship Program is empowering a new generation of local conservationists to take charge of wildlife protection in their home countries. Offering both conservation and veterinary scholarships, WCN is safeguarding a more diverse range of wildlife while supporting those who are shaping conservation’s future.

SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS  LEARN MORE

Dr. Asma Hersi - 2021 WCN Scholar

Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL)

To ensure Rising Wildlife Leaders can jump-start their careers in conservation, WCN has supported the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) training program since its inception. Via a two-year program, EWCL offers skills training, networking opportunities, mentoring, and an opportunity for conservation professionals who are early in their careers to collaboratively design and implement a global wildlife conservation initiative. EWCL takes participants from all around the world, many participants and alumni are current, past, or future WCN Conservation Partners.

Learn More  Support EWCL

EWCL Class 5 Houston

Amazonia Program

The Amazon basin is critical to our planet’s health and is home to unique biodiversity found nowhere else on earth. To invest in the future of this unparalleled landscape, WCN’s Amazonia Program is supporting a new generation of highly skilled conservation leaders working together to protect the Amazon and its incredible wildlife.

This two-year training program builds local conservationists’ leadership skills and fosters collaboration amongst conservationists in the region. Tailored to their individual needs and goals, emerging leaders in the program will gain the skills, networking opportunities, and confidence to fuel their long-term conservation careers.

LEARN MORE Support this Program

Career Program

WCN’s Career Program enables conservationists who are saving wildlife in their home countries to thrive in their careers. Focused primarily on those who are early or mid-career, we offer multi-year financial support, tailored access to training opportunities, facilitated peer learning, and mentorship to give talented conservationists the tools to succeed.

SUPPORT CAREERS   Learn More

Internships

The path to a career in conservation is often obstructed by a towering barrier—the scarcity of hands-on learning opportunities. These invaluable opportunities allow burgeoning conservationists to gain real-life experience, mentorship during their formative years, and a chance to build professional networks. 

As part of our work to support Rising Wildlife Leaders, WCN fosters internships designed to be more than mere stepping stones; they are immersive gateways into the applied learning and professional development that early-career conservationists need to secure employment, while simultaneously fueling vital conservation work.

Learn More
Support Internships

Scholarship Program

WCN’s Scholarship Program is empowering a new generation of local conservationists to take charge of wildlife protection in their home countries. Offering both conservation and veterinary scholarships, WCN is safeguarding a more diverse range of wildlife while supporting those who are shaping conservation’s future.

SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS  LEARN MORE

Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL)

To ensure Rising Wildlife Leaders can jump-start their careers in conservation, WCN has supported the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) training program since its inception. Via a two-year program, EWCL offers skills training, networking opportunities, mentoring, and an opportunity for conservation professionals who are early in their careers to collaboratively design and implement a global wildlife conservation initiative. EWCL takes participants from all around the world, many participants and alumni are current, past, or future WCN Conservation Partners.

Learn More  Support EWCL

Supporting Conservation Where It's Needed Most

If you want to support endangered wildlife and empower conservationists to succeed, WCN can ensure your donation goes where it is most needed. We are constantly evaluating where there are gaps in funding and where there are the highest needs for WCN, our Conservation Partners, and our Wildlife Funds.

Support Where Needed Most

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Photo Credits: Rachel Graham, Marcus-Westberg, Frank at Petersens, Peter Lindsey, Asma Hersi, Spectacled Bear Conservation, Eric Ash, Ken and Michelle Dyball, Julian Fennessy, Martin Harvey, Jillian Knox, Steve Mandel, Susan McConnell, Frank af Petersens, Juan Reppucci, Navinder Singh, Jack Swenson, Predrag Vuckovic, Jane W Wynyard, Unique Safari Eye, Sebastian Kennerknecht, Frans Lanting, Francois dElbee, Conservation Through Public Health, Corey Raffel, Vishal Subramanyan, Anna Artamonova
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When you designate your donation to a specific species, 100% of your donation will go directly to the field to support this species.

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