As the climate crisis is becoming increasingly urgent, conservation organizations must be poised to lead the way forward. At the same time, changing social, political, and cultural contexts are forcing these organizations to re-envision their structure and role within society. A report titled “Exploring Possible Futures for Conservation NGOs,” prepared by the Luc Hoffmann Institute and released this past March of 2022, outlines some of the major challenges threatening conservation NGOs and provides potential pathways forward that meet the demands of the 21st century. 

Read the Executive Summary of the report here: 

The roles played by nature conservation NGOs and the organisational forms that have underpinned those roles until today need to change radically. As the climate crisis intensifies and biodiversity loss accelerates with the sixth mass extinction, the work of nature conservation organisations is becoming increasingly urgent. However, the context in which they operate is changing rapidly. A range of external trends, from the growing role of the private sector and the spread of nationalism to urbanisation, social shifts and increases in transnational crime linked to natural resources, are affecting the mission and work of conservation NGOs. There are also internal factors putting pressure on the sector, related to power structures, accountability, generational differences and the constant struggle for funding.

To ensure their continued relevance, effectiveness and legitimacy, conservation NGOs must seek new roles and organisational forms, as well as transition structures and pathways to reach those futures. This report aims to help kickstart a journey of reimagining, designing and testing (new) models that are better equipped for the 21st century. It is based on the first phase of the Luc Hoffmann Institute’s “The Future of Conservation NGOs” initiative, which seeks to explore possible futures for conservation NGOs as well as innovative pathways to those futures.

Potential Futures 

After describing the external and internal trends that are affecting their work today, the report presents 15 potential future roles for nature conservation NGOs, each one based on a possible future state of the world. In each case, potential pathways towards the role are described, along with the mindset and culture required and the organisational forms best adapted to that role. Examples of organisations that already embody aspects of each role are also given.

The potential future roles described include NGOs becoming primarily trusted sources of evidence and research; being the formal arm of citizen-based movements; focusing on campaign delivery in their own home country; or being primarily request-led support providers for networks of actors based in the global South. Propositions that move even further from the status quo include shifting towards conservation based on more spiritually centred approaches; reorienting finance and investment towards conservation aims; more effectively embracing digital technology and data-driven methods; and a focus on influencing newly ascendant geopolitical powers and/or the international security agenda.

Neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive, the proposed future roles are intended as just one starting point for new thinking and discussion. They have in common the need to change mindsets within conservation NGOs, to collaborate with new actors, to rebalance relationships with partners, and to evolve into or create entities with a narrower focus. The most prominent stakeholders must also change, with a greater role for indigenous peoples’ communities, citizen activists, faith-based groups, private sector actors and the intelligence and defence sectors.

If you’d like to learn more about the findings of this report, check out this virtual panel. 

**The Luc Hoffmann Institute along with IUCN CEESP and the Impact Hub have launched a “Futures of Conservation NGOs” Innovation Challenge seeking submissions that address some of the deep-rooted issues with conservation organizations. Proposal for this challenge opened on April 21, 2022 and close on May 22, 2022. 

Explore more about this opportunity by reading the webpage and/or attending the webinar on May 4 at 4:30 CEST (register here) to get questions answered and learn more about the innovation challenge.