Conservation International
Conservation International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 that uses science-based methods and community partnerships to protect biodiversity, oceans, and climate across 30+ countries, serving governments, Indigenous communities, corporate ESG partners, and multilateral donors including GEF, World Bank, and BNDES.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Conservation International does
Conservation International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that delivers science-based conservation programs across more than 30 countries with active projects in over 100 countries. The organization works with governments, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, multilateral donors, and corporate partners to protect biodiversity, oceans, and climate-critical ecosystems, reporting cumulative impact of 13 million square kilometers of land and sea protected and 100 million lives touched over its 39-year history. Its core capabilities span biodiversity surveys (camera trap and bioacoustic monitoring, including AI-assisted species identification in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains), marine conservation (400+ coral species documented in Timor-Leste), watershed protection, and sustainable supply chain programs (palm oil, soy, coffee, beef) with corporate ESG partners including P&G, KFC, Yum! Brands, Inditex, Kering, Starbucks, and Salesforce. The organization maintains wholly-owned country entities in Suriname, Timor-Leste, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, and the Philippines, and collaborates with academic partners such as Arizona State University.
Conservation International's revenue model is a nonprofit hybrid combining grants from multilateral institutions (GEF, World Bank, BNDES, Green Climate Fund), corporate sustainability partnerships, individual donations processed via Stripe and Paragon, and an emerging fee-based Impact Advisory practice serving large-scale conservation finance vehicles—most notably the $1.24 billion BTG Pactual Latin American Reforestation Strategy and the Trafigura-backed Miombo Restoration Alliance across four African nations. The go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven rather than commercial: CI secures multi-year programmatic grants, deploys field teams and country offices, and co-manages protected areas with governments and Indigenous communities. Recent capital inflows of $23.3 million from GEF (December 2025), up to $56 million from BNDES, and a $115 million Rob Walton Foundation gift to establish the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures with ASU indicate expansion of both programmatic scale and the conservation finance advisory franchise. The organization is governed by an independent board currently chaired by interim chair Lisa P. Jackson (former EPA Administrator) and led by CEO Dr. Sebastian Troeng following a February 2026 leadership transition.
Conservation International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Conservation International
- Legal name
- Conservation International Foundation
- Website
- https://conservation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Conservation International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 that uses science-based methods and community partnerships to protect biodiversity, oceans, and climate across 30+ countries, serving governments, Indigenous communities, corporate ESG partners, and multilateral donors including GEF, World Bank, and BNDES.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Conservation International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Forestry, Land Use & REDD+ Programs (BPADALAF), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Conservation International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Conservation International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Donations: Conservation International receives funding through grants from organizations like the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which approved $23.3 million in new funding in December 2025, as well as individual donations and corporate contributions.
- Impact Advisory Services: CI serves as Impact Adviser for large-scale reforestation funds like the $1.24 billion BTG Pactual Latin American Reforestation Strategy, providing scientific oversight and conservation expertise.
- Project Development Services: Non-profits International Conservation Caucus Foundation and Conservation International help develop carbon removal projects while Trafigura acts as main financial backer.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Conservation International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Conservation International delivers science-based field conservation programs across Climate, Oceans, and Biodiversity priorities in 30+ countries with projects in 100+ countries. Services include protected area management, species and ecosystem conservation, reforestation, marine protected area support, and impact advisory for conservation finance vehicles such as the $1.24B BTG Pactual Latin American Reforestation Strategy. Programs are funded through grants from institutions like the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund, individual donations, and corporate sustainability partnerships with brands such as KFC, P&G, Inditex, and Yum! Brands.
Product overview
Conservation International operates primarily as a conservation nonprofit organization rather than a traditional product company. Its primary digital offering is its website and online platform, which serves as an interface for the organization's conservation mission. The platform provides access to information about CI's three main priorities: Climate solutions, Oceans protection, and Biodiversity conservation. Over four decades, CI has helped protect 13 million square kilometers of land and sea. The organization works across 30 countries and 100-plus project countries, with field offices in Suriname, Timor-Leste, Peru, South Africa, Mexico, and other locations. The website enables donations, news access, project information, and includes specialized tools such as a carbon footprint calculator for public use.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kruselíndalo South Africa NPC: Registered name for Conservation South Africa operations
Products and services
- Conservation Field Programs (Climate, Oceans, Biodiversity)
Quantifiable outcome
- Protected 13 million square kilometers of land and sea
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Conservation International
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Conservation International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature2 records
Conservation International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)coreRSPO and Conservation International organized a field trip for North American buyers to the Ecuadorian Amazon, engaging with independent oil palm smallholders from ANCUPA and showcasing sustainable production practices at Grupo Danec's RSPO-certified mill.
- Yum! BrandscoreKFC is collaborating with CI in Brazil and Ecuador to promote sustainable palm oil and soy production aimed at reducing deforestation and supporting local farmers. Taco Bell is expanding its partnership with NFWF through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program.
- Trafigura/Miombo Restoration AlliancecoreA coalition backed by Trafigura investing $1 billion-plus over 40 years in four African carbon projects spanning Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi. CI and International Conservation Caucus Foundation help develop projects while Trafigura acts as main financial backer.
- Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)minorSEI, TNC, and Conservation International co-developed a FAO report on forests and agriculture, with CI participating in COP30 events in Belém, Brazil.
- Procter & Gamble (P&G)coreP&G partnered with CI on a project in Palawan, Philippines to protect upland forests and mangroves as part of their commitment to protect, restore or improve over 1.5 million acres of land.
- Arizona State UniversitycoreASU and CI partnered with Arizona State University and Colombia's national parks service to apply integrated land-use planning frameworks in Colombia for identifying future conservation sites.
- Grupo DanecminorRSPO and CI visited Grupo Danec's RSPO-certified mill featuring Ecuador's largest boiler and its 500-hectare ecological reserve ACUS La Pantera during sustainable palm oil field trip.
- ANCUPAminorAssociation of independent oil palm smallholders in Ecuador engaged through RSPO-CI organized field trip for sustainable palm oil supply chain engagement.
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)coreTaco Bell is expanding its partnership with NFWF through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program supporting sustainable cattle grazing across more than 300,000 acres.
- SalesforceminorSalesforce is investing in watershed restoration projects across Latin America including conservation work in Brazil's Jaguari River Basin and three initiatives in Mexico.
- StarbuckscoreStarbucks International CEO shared industry predictions focusing on climate change and supporting coffee-growing communities. CI has worked with Starbucks on coffee sustainability initiatives.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Conservation International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): WWF is a direct peer operating a global conservation NGO with comparable structure — corporate partnerships, species and habitat programs, GEF/UN-aligned funding, and similar breadth across forests, oceans, and wildlife. Operates in many of the same geographies as CI.
- Wildlife Conservation Society: WCS runs field-based conservation science programs globally (similar to CI's Rapid Assessment Program), manages large protected areas, and works on biodiversity and ecosystem services with comparable funding sources including GEF grants and corporate partnerships.
- Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance focuses on sustainable commodity supply chains and certification — overlapping with CI's corporate palm oil, soy, and beef sustainability partnerships with KFC, P&G, and others. Competes for similar corporate sustainability budgets.
- Fauna & Flora International: FFI is a global conservation NGO with a similar species-and-habitat focus, science-driven methodology, and partnerships with corporate and institutional funders. Operates in many of the same tropical geographies as CI.
- The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is the world's largest conservation NGO with comparable global footprint, science-based conservation methodology, corporate partnership programs, and major donor base. Directly competes with CI for institutional grants, corporate sustainability engagements, and talent.
Emerging players
- Rare: Rare runs behavior-change campaigns for conservation and partners with communities and corporations; overlaps with CI's community-based conservation model and corporate sustainability partnership strategy, though smaller in scope.
Broad incumbents
- Environmental Defense Fund: EDF is a broader environmental nonprofit with significant overlap on corporate sustainability partnerships, science-driven climate and nature work, and major donor base. Less focused on direct field conservation than CI but competes for similar donor and corporate attention.
Others
- Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO): RSPO is a multi-stakeholder certification body for sustainable palm oil, with which CI actively partners on field engagements (Ecuador smallholder programs). Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem participant in the same supply-chain sustainability space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Conservation International social profiles
Digital presenceConservation International compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Conservation International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Conservation International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Conservation International subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Conservation International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Conservation International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Conservation International
What does Conservation International do?
Conservation International delivers science-based field conservation programs across Climate, Oceans, and Biodiversity priorities in 30+ countries with projects in 100+ countries. Services include protected area management, species and ecosystem conservation, reforestation, marine protected area support, and impact advisory for conservation finance vehicles such as the $1.24B BTG Pactual Latin American Reforestation Strategy. Programs are funded through grants from institutions like the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund, individual donations, and corporate sustainability partnerships with brands such as KFC, P&G, Inditex, and Yum! Brands.
Is Conservation International a public or private company?
Conservation International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Conservation International founded?
Conservation International was founded in 1987. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Conservation International based?
Conservation International is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Conservation International make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are impact Advisory Services and project Development Services.
Who are Conservation International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society, Rainforest Alliance, Fauna & Flora International and The Nature Conservancy. Rare is listed as an emerging player. Environmental Defense Fund is listed as a broad incumbent. Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is listed as an others.
Does Conservation International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Conservation International.
What industry is Conservation International in?
Conservation International's product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAB, Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8731.