What Prince Bernhard Nature Fund (PBNF) does

The Prince Bernhard Nature Fund (PBNF) is a Dutch private endowment fund established in 1994 by the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who was the founding president of WWF (1961-1976) and instrumental in creating CITES in 1975. Headquartered at Kraanspoor 24, Amsterdam, PBNF provides small grants to grassroots conservation organizations worldwide that focus on endangered species (flora and fauna) and the wise use of natural resources. The fund operates with 1-10 employees, supports 20-25 projects per year from a pool of over 500 proposals, and holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status from the Dutch Tax Authorities.

PBNF's capital base is the endowment left by Prince Bernhard, which is invested in green and sustainable publicly listed equities — including renewable energy companies — and only the investment income is used to fund grants and operations. The fund has no donors or investors; board members are unremunerated and staff salaries follow general non-profit standards. Beyond grantmaking, PBNF organizes biennial Private Seminars bringing together leaders from the private, governmental, and non-governmental sectors to exchange ideas on conservation challenges.

Its principal technology asset is Conservation Connect, a web platform co-founded with the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ) that serves as a central reference for donors and conservation projects worldwide. The platform gives grassroots organizations profile visibility, credibility, and access to funding, and is increasingly the sole channel through which PBNF sources grant proposals (transitioned fully to this model in 2025). Multiple additional conservation funders have joined Conservation Connect as partners, extending PBNF's operational reach beyond its own balance sheet.

Name

Prince Bernhard Nature Fund (PBNF)

Legal name

The Prince Bernhard Nature Fund

Website

https://pbnf.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PBNF is a Dutch endowment fund founded in 1994 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands that provides small grants to grassroots conservation organizations worldwide for endangered species and natural resource protection. It co-founded the Conservation Connect platform with MBZ.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Grant Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Conservation grant funding
• Wildlife conservation grants
• Endowment fund management
• Biodiversity conservation support
• Natural resource protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: PBNF is an endowment fund established in 1994 by the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The endowment is invested in the stock market, specifically in green and sustainable companies such as those in the renewable energy sector. The interest generated from these investments is used to support conservation projects worldwide. PBNF has no donors or investors - it operates solely from endowment returns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PBNF provides small grants to small, preferably local conservation organizations worldwide that work on conserving endangered species (flora and fauna) and promoting the wise use of nature and natural resources. It also co-founded Conservation Connect, a web platform connecting donors with grassroots conservation projects, and organizes biennial Private Seminars for cross-sector knowledge exchange on conservation challenges.

Product overview

The Prince Bernhard Nature Fund (PBNF) operates as a Dutch endowment fund providing small grants to grassroots conservation organizations worldwide. The organization offers a unified grant program supporting endangered species conservation and sustainable natural resource use. It co-founded Conservation Connect, a third-party platform connecting donors with conservation projects. Additionally, PBNF organizes biennial Private Seminars for sector knowledge exchange and provides a project evaluation and reporting system for grant recipients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Conservation Connect: A central reference platform for donors and conservation projects worldwide, co-founded by PBNF and Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ). The platform focuses on local, boots-on-the-ground organizations, giving them a chance to enhance visibility, credibility, network, and access to funding.

Products and services

• PBNF Grant Program Small grants awarded to small, preferably local conservation NGOs and grassroots organizations worldwide for initiatives that conserve endangered species (flora and fauna) or promote the wise use of nature and natural resources. Recipients are required to submit a project report within two months of project completion using mandatory reporting forms and cost-reporting sheets.
• Conservation Connect Platform A co-developed web platform serving as a central reference for donors and conservation projects worldwide. Provides local, boots-on-the-ground organizations with profiles that enhance visibility, credibility, network access, and access to funding. In 2025, it became the exclusive channel through which PBNF sources grant proposals.
• Private Seminar Biennial (every two years) private seminar organized by PBNF for selected leaders from the private sector, governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations to exchange ideas on new conservation challenges and opportunities. Designed to stimulate innovation and cooperation within the nature conservation sector.
• Project Evaluation and Reporting Mandatory project reporting workflow for grant recipients, using standardized project reporting forms and cost reporting sheets, with optional picture submissions for documentation. Grant recipients must report back within two months after project completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports 20-25 conservation projects annually from over 500 proposals received

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) and 15 other conservation organizationsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 October 2021PBNF co-signed a joint open letter to world leaders at COP26, alongside Conservation Leadership Programme, The Rufford Foundation, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Whitley Fund for Nature, People's Trust for Endangered Species, and others, calling for greater commitments to locally-led nature conservation solutions.
• Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBNF and MBZ co-founded Conservation Connect, a central reference platform for donors and conservation projects worldwide. The platform focuses on local, boots-on-the-ground organizations, giving them visibility, credibility, network access, and access to funding. Both organizations source proposals through this shared platform.
• Conservation Connect PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple conservation donors have partnered with Conservation Connect to centralize their projects. These partners include organizations that fund grassroots conservation and share a common goal of increasing visibility and access to funding for local conservation initiatives worldwide.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP): Joint program of WCS, BirdLife, and Fauna & Flora International providing small seed grants and capacity building for early-career conservationists; directly comparable in target audience and grant size to PBNF.
• Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ): UAE-based endowment fund making small grants for species conservation worldwide; co-founded Conservation Connect with PBNF and shares an identical grassroots-grantmaking model. Most directly comparable peer.
• Whitley Fund for Nature:
• People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES): UK charity funding small conservation grants for native British species and broader endangered-species work; similar small-grant orientation and joint signatory with PBNF on the COP26 open letter.
• The Rufford Foundation: UK-registered charity providing small nature-conservation grants to early-career and grassroots conservationists globally; overlaps directly with PBNF's target grantees and small-grant, non-bureaucratic approach.

Broad incumbents

• WWF-Netherlands: Large national chapter of WWF, the organization founded by Prince Bernhard himself; much larger scale and broader mandate, but overlapping conservation mission and historical linkage through the founder.
• Fauna & Flora International (FFI): Long-established international conservation NGO co-managing CLP; comparable species-conservation mission but operates at much larger scale and through direct programs rather than small-grant intermediation.
• Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF): Global fund administered by Conservation International that channels small grants to civil society in biodiversity hotspots; operates at a larger scale with a similar small-grant-to-grassroots model.

Regional players

• Stiftung Naturlandschaften (Foundation for Natural Landscapes): German foundation acquiring and managing land for conservation; thematic overlap with PBNF's mission but operates regionally and via land ownership rather than small-grant distribution.

Emerging players

• The Christensen Fund: US-based private foundation supporting indigenous and community-led conservation and biodiversity; similar ethos of backing locally-led initiatives but with different geographic and thematic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prince-bernhard-nature-fund

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prince Bernhard Nature Fund (PBNF)