Funding for marine conservation from philanthropic foundations has more than doubled over the past decade. As the first global empirical study of ocean philanthropy, the Ocean Philanthropy Research Initiative has engaged staff from nearly 40 ocean foundations and 70 conservation practitioners in a participatory knowledge co-production project designed to inform practice during a time of rapid growth and change in the philanthropic field. Pairing a global analysis with in-depth case studies in Fiji and Palau, we are co-producing new insights about the roles, impacts, exits, legitimacy, and justice of ocean philanthropy. In the process, we are also advancing scholarly understanding of private agents of environmental governance. Our work is helping to mobilize a broader field of research on environmental philanthropy that can help the philanthropic community leverage their potential for positive change.
Select publications:
Blackwatters, J.E., Betsill, M., Enrici, A., Le Cornu, E., Basurto, X., Gruby, R.L. (2022) More than funders: the role of philanthropic foundations in marine conservation governance. Conservation Science and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12829
Gruby, R. L., A. Enrici, M. Betsill, E. LeCornu, X. Basurto, and Research Co-designers. (2021) Opening the Black Box of Conservation Philanthropy: A co-produced research agenda on private foundations in marine conservation. Marine Policy: 132, 104645
Betsill, A. Enrici, E. Le Cornu, R.L. Gruby, Philanthropic Foundations as Agents of Environmental Governance: A Research Agenda. (2021) Environmental Politics: 1-22.
