World Wildlife Fund of the United States

By Danielle M. De Sawal

Graduate Student, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University

Definition

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is the U.S. affiliate of the international WWF network with "more than 1 million members in the U.S. alone" (World Wildlife Fund "About"). The mission statement of the WWF states that through

[U]sing the best available scientific knowledge and advancing that knowledge where we can, we work to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the health of ecological systems by protecting natural areas and wild populations of plants and animals, including endangered species; promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources; and promoting more efficient use of resources and energy and the maximum reduction of pollution. (World Wildlife Fund "About: Mission")

The World Wildlife Fund has been identified as a wise charity to select for donors interested in conservation and the greatest amount of their contributions to go to programming (rather than administrative costs). Smart Money selected the organization as one of the top 100 conservation charities to which to donate (Laise 2001). CharityChoices.com reports that only 17.3% of WWF's funds are spent on administration and fundraising, leaving more than 80% of the WWF's funds for programming (CharityChoices.com).

The international WWF network serves as a global conservation organization committed to creating an environment that balances the needs of nature with those of human society (World Wildlife Fund "About"). Nearly five million WWF supporters are "distributed throughout five continents" (Ibid.). The organization asserts it is "the leading privately supported international conservation organization in the world" and is recognized "worldwide by its panda logo" (Ibid.). WWF International is the "secretariat for WWF's global organization" (WWF-The Conservation). In existence for more than four decades, the WWF is formally organized as non-governmental agencies "in over 90 countries and can safely claim to have played a major role in the evolution of the international conservation movement" (Ibid.). Taken together, the numerous affiliate agencies across the world are referred to as a network. Agencies within the WWF International are categorized into two groups: (1) those that can raise funds and carry out work independently and (2) those that must work under the direction of one of the independent WWF offices.

Historic Roots

The World Wildlife Fund was established in September 1961 by a small group of men that represented the scientific, political, and business sectors of society (World Wildlife Fund "About"). The organization evolved out of limited funds made available by concerned donors interested in meeting conservation needs in the world.

In the beginning of the 1960s, only a few conservation organizations existed, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and The Conservation Foundation (Ibid.). Sir Julian Huxley, a British biologist, returned to London from a trip to East Africa in 1960 to warn "the British public that habitat was being destroyed and animals hunted at such a rate that much of the region's wildlife could disappear within the next 20 years" (WWF-The Conservation). The public responded with concern. This public reaction included that of "businessman Victor Stolan, who pointed out the urgent need for an international organization to raise funds for conservation" (Ibid.). In response, Huxley contacted the Director General of Britain's Nature Conservancy, Max Nicholson (Ibid.). In the spring of 1961, a small group of leaders were brought together to establish an international conservation organization (Ibid.). Huxley, Nicholson, and Peter Scott, the vice-president of IUCN were influential in establishing the foundation of the organization. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was legally formed as a charity on 11 September 1961 (Ibid.; World Wildlife Fund "About"). The British National Appeal of the WWF was the first network (affiliate) created. On 1 December 1961, "the second national organization to be formed was World Wildlife Fund, Inc, (WWF)-the U.S. appeal" (Ibid.).

World Wildlife Fund was widely known by its acronym, WWF, and its panda logo (Ibid.). Yet, throughout the years, the organization has undergone some challenges in defining its name. By the mid-1980s, the organization felt its scope of service was larger than the name reflected; the World Wildlife Fund was changed "to the 'World Wide Fund for Nature'" (WWF-The Conservation). Enormous confusion was caused by the name change, resulting in another change in 2001 (Ibid.). In 2001, the World Wildlife Fund Network adopted the acronym 'WWF' as its global name (Ibid.). Though, the original name was retained in the United States and Canada affiliates, remaining the World Wildlife Fund (Ibid.).

During the first three years of its existence, "WWF raised and donated almost US$1.9 million to conservation projects" (Ibid.). The President of WWF International in 1970, H. R. H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, worked to establish a trust fund to assist in covering the organization's administrative costs (Ibid.). The WWF called the plan "The 1001: A Nature Trust" in which 1,001 individuals contributed US$10,000 (Ibid.). As the organization entered the 1980s, WWF International found itself engaged in all aspects of conservation. As the organization continued to grow, the next decade marked the

Historic Roots (continued)

need for it to revisit its mission and strategy. The result was an "expanded mission. [toward] nature conservation, and [one that] classifies the organization's work into three

interdependent categories: the preservation of biological diversity, promoting the concept of sustainable use of resources, and reducing wasteful consumption and pollution" (Ibid.).

Importance

Today, the WWF International is focused on six global issues, each critical to the health of our world and its inhabitants. The organization's Web site lists the focus and need for each of the six programs (Ibid.):

• Climate Change Programme : The regular beat of the world's climate drives the seasons and regulates weather patterns. Climate change and global warming are matters of life and death. Increasing levels of air pollution threaten the survival of nature and the well-being of people around the world.
• Endangered Seas Programme : Overfishing, inadequate management and habitat loss have pushed fish stocks to their lowest levels in history.
• Forests For Life Programme : The WWF spends in excess of US$40 million every year seeking solutions to the problems and threats facing the world's forests. This Programme uses more than 150 forest officers worldwide and more than 300 on-the-ground projects backed up by scientific analysis and policy-related advocacy work.
• Living Waters Programme : By the year 2025, two-thirds of the world's population could experience water shortages.
• Species Programme : Thousands of species of plants and animals are under increasing threat. Every day, added pressures such as loss of habitat, illegal trade, over-hunting, pollution, and the effects of climate change and economic development take their toll on the world's wildlife.
• Toxics Programme : Pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet. Every ocean and every continent, from the tropics to the once-pristine polar regions, are contaminated.

The ongoing importance of the WWF lies within its commitment to global conservation. Over the past four decades the organization has made a major impact on the world. WWF has provided support for "over 13,100 projects in 157 countries" since it was established (WWF-The Conservation). A few of these highlights include:

• Project Tiger: Launched in 1973, WWF set up a task force with India's leader Indira Gandhi to put aside land for nine tiger reserves in her country. India later added six more reserves, while Nepal followed suit with three, and Bangladesh with one. Today, there are twenty-three tiger reserves in India spread over an area of about 33,000 square kilometers (12,700 square miles). WWF is also working to protect Sumatran tigers in Indonesia, Indo-Chinese tigers in Malaysia, Bengal tigers in Nepal, and Siberian tigers in Russia.
• Tropical Rainforest Campaign: Launched in 1975, WWF raised money and arranged for several dozen representativ e tropical rainforest areas (in Central and West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America) to be managed as national parks or reserves. A second tropical forest campaign was launched in 1982 at the opening of the national parks congress in Bali (Indonesia), which mobilized roughly $2.5 million for projects in eleven countries. Forest conservation has been taken seriously as a major habitat issue ever since.
• The Seas Must Live: Launched in 1976, WWF set up marine sanctuaries for whales, dolphins, and seals, and to protect marine turtle nesting sites. Currently, WWF is working around the world to save our seas and marine life by building up political will to end chronic overfishing, to reduce the use of destructive fishing methods, to rebuild devastated fisheries, and to improve resource management.
• Save the Rhino: Launched in 1979, WWF raised over $1 million to combat rhino poaching. Thanks to the organization's efforts, the number of rhinoceroses in Kaziranga National Park, India, rose from 400 in 1966 to 1,300 in 1995; in Chitwan Park, Nepal, from sixty in the late 1960s to 600 today; and, in southern Africa, from twenty to nearly 8,000 today.
• In 1990, WWF helped bring about an international moratorium on the ivory trade.
• In 1992, WWF took part in pressuring governments to sign conventions on biodiversity and climate change at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.

(Parnes)

WWF continues to be influential in the preservation of our environment, with a number of significant achievements in 2002 alone:

• Helped establish 17.4 million ha (i.e., hectare acres; one hectare is equivalent to 10,000 sq. meters) of new forest protected areas;
• Helped establish certified sustainable forest management in 4 million hectare acres;
• Encouraged governments to set aside 18.4 million hectare acres of freshwater habitats for conservation-habitats which form the natural reservoirs for the world's water supply;
• Formed partnerships with a major bank for the conservation of freshwater, this helped create new protected areas in the marine environment;
• Campaigned successfully against harmful European Union subsidies that promote overfishing;
• Lobbied hard, and with some success, for implementation of the Kyoto climate treaty;
• Succeeded in persuading major international companies to reduce their CO2 emissions irrespective of the Kyoto accord;
• Lobbied governments to speed up ratification of the Stockholm Convention on toxic chemicals; and,
• Worked with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to phase out the use of toxic paints on ships.

Ties to the Philanthropic Sector

The network of WWF organizations throughout the world are classified as non-governmental organizations (i.e., nonprofit organizations). WWF International reports that "contributions from individuals remain the organization's most important source of funds, making up 53 per cent of its annual income" (WWF-The Conservation).

The WWF in the U.S. is a 501(c)(3) charitable, education organization. As a powerful leader in worldwide conservation efforts, it is a powerful voice in education, community service, lobbying efforts, and advocacy. Depending on individual contributions, membership fees, and corporate support for its survival, the organization "ended fiscal year 2002 with operating revenues of $117.8 million" (Ibid.). More than $99 million was spent to support conservation programs. The organization is financially strong, with its reserves totaling $110 million at the end of 2002 (Ibid.). It spent only $19.4 million for finance, administration, and fund-raising costs (Ibid.). WWF has been highlighted for a number of years by Worth and Smart Money as one of the best organizations to which to make donations.

Serving as a strong leader in the protection of our wild lands, wildlife, and ecosystems, the WWF has established an integrated network of affiliates throughout the world. They strive to raise funds and educate the public, while working on the six global issues of

Ties to the Philanthropic Sector (continued)

primary concern. The successful ventures of the organization are numerous and it is almost impossible to identify its most influential accomplishment. As an organization, the WWF has grown and expanded to meet the needs of the world.

In addition to its fundraising efforts and focus on global issues, the WWF has a strong commitment to community outreach. Partnering with schools and organizations, it is able to blend fundraising efforts with education. WWF is "also working with a variety of partners on national initiatives, like ' Pennies for the Planet ' and Windows on the Wild to help educate people of all ages about biodiversity and explore how individuals and communities can get more involved in local and global issues" (World Wildlife Fund "About"). These programs are more than fundraising initiatives; they contain educational material for teachers to use in the classroom to educate students about biodiversity, and interactive games to engage people of all ages in learning about how to save our planet. The organization provides an enormous amount of free educational resources online to educators and other interested visitors.

Key Related Ideas

• Biodiversity: Term coined by scientist Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy in 1980 to describe the biological diversity of life that exists around humans.
• Conservation: The deliberate action of individuals to protect the earth's resources.
• Ecosystems: The relationship between organisms and their environment.
• Morges Manifesto: Signed in May 1961, the manifesto stated the belief of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN): that the expertise to protect the world environment existed, but the financial support to achieve the protection did not; this condition supported the development of a nongovernmental organization to work to protect the world's environment. The manifesto was signed by sixteen of the world's leading conservationists.
• Species: A class of individuals or organisms that have common attributes and a common name.

Important People Related to the Topic

• H. R. H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands: The first president of World Wildlife Fund International, beginning in 1961. Under Bernhard the organization's headquarters were established in Morges, Switzerland.
• Chi-Chi: A black and white panda brought to the London Zoo in the 1960s that served as inspiration for the WWF logo.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower: The thirty-fourth President of the United States of America was named the President of Honor for the second nationwide WWF organization - the U. S. World Wildlife Fund, established in December 1961 in the District of Columbia.
• Ira N. Gabrielson: Served as the first president of the U.S. World Wildlife Fund beginning in 1961.
• Edward Graham: Distinguished ecologist, former head of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and one of the sixteen signers of the Morges Manifesto in 1961. The manifesto was the first call made to leading conservationists for broad support of the WWF as a conservation organization.
• Sir Julian Huxley: Founder of the World Wildlife Fund, biologist and supporter of preserving African wildlife.
• Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy: Hired by the WWF in 1973 as its first scientist; Lovejoy coined the term biodiversity in 1980.
• E. M. (Max) Nicholson: Founder of the World Wildlife Fund and past director-general of the British Nature Conservancy. Nicholson organized the meeting that established the WWF.
• H. R. H. Prince Philip: The Duke of Edinburgh who became the first president of the British National Appeal - the first national organization in the World Wildlife Fund affiliate family (the U.S. WWF was the second).
• Sir Peter Scott: Founder of the World Wildlife Fund and past vice-president of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Scott was quoted as saying, "We shan't save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried" (WWF Global Network).
• Russell E. Train: In 1961 became the first vice-president of the U.S. World Wildlife Fund affiliate.

Related Nonprofit Organizations

Many organizations exist to support the conservation of our Earth's land, animals, and ecosystems. A number of nongovernmental (nonprofit) organizations focused on environmental conservation work worldwide and in the U.S. In their book Environmental

Science , McKinney and Schoch provide a list of select organizations focused on the environment. This resource is also available online. The following are a few of the organizations involved in conservation efforts.

• The Conservation Fund is a nonprofit organization that focuses on land conservation, sustainable programs, and leadership training. It spends 95% of its budget on program allocation and is not an advocacy or a membership-driven nonprofit (The Conservation Fund).
• Conservation International is an international organization based in the U.S. and classified as a 501(c)(3). It uses advances in science, economics, and policy, as well as community participation to protect the environment. Its focus is on plants, animals, and marine ecosystems (CI).
• National Parks Conservation Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1919 to preserve America's national parks (NPCA).
• The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit international organization committed to "saving the last great places on earth" (The Nature Conservancy). Established in 1951, the organization has successfully protected 116 million acres around the world. Their mission is to protect the earth's natural resources.
• The Student Conservation Association is a nonprofit association established in the U.S. to educate students about conservation service opportunities, outdoor skills, and leadership (SCA).
• Wildlife Conservation Society works to preserve wild lands and save wildlife. It has been located in the Bronx Zoo in New York City since 1985 (WCS).

Related Web Sites

• The National Geographic Channel portion of the National Geographic Web site provides information about current television programs and specials, subscription to a free newsletter, and multimedia interaction for past programs, at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ .
• National Resources Conservation Service Web site, at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ , provides access to databases, publications, maps, and information on educational programs related to conservation (NRCS).
• World Wildlife Fund Global Network Web site , at http://www.wwf.org/ , provides a link to all WWF sites around the world; international membership in WWF is available through this location.
• World Wildlife Fund-US Web site , at http://www.worldwildlife.org/ , serves affiliates as an online information source about the organization's history, news updates, environmental facts, educational resources, and membership. This affiliate in the United States has kept the organization's original name.
• WWF-The Conservation Organization Web site , at http://www.panda.org/ , contains information about WWF International, including a historical evolution of the organization, current world news, programs supported by WWF around the world, updates on environmental statistics, and donation information. This international organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund.

Bibliography and Internet Sources

Capital Research Center (CRC). "World Wildlife Fund." Capital Research Center. http://www.capitalresearch.org/search/orgdisplay.asp?org=WWF100#analysis .

ChariityChoices.com. "World Wildlife Fund." Charitable Choices. http://www.charitablechoices.org/charities/WWF/default.asp .

The Conservation Fund. "About Our Organization." The Conservation Fund. http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=1001 .

Conservation International (CI). "CI's Mission." Conservation International http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/about/ .

Laise, Eleanor. "Get the Most Out of a Charity," SmartMoney Magazine (13 November 2001). SmartMoney.com. http://www.smartmoney.com/mag/index.cfm?story=dec01-charities

McKinney, Michael L. and Robert M. Schoch. Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions , Third ed. "Environmental Organizations." Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Also available online at http://environment.jbpub.com/mckinney/
environmental_organizations.cfm?openid=173#173 .

National Parks Conservation Association. "About NCPA: Frequently Asked Questions." http://www.npca.org/about_npca/.

National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "Homepage." U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ .

The Nature Conservancy. "About Us." The Nature Conservancy. http://www.nature.org/aboutus/.

Parnes, Robin Brett. "How the World Wildlife Fund Works." How Stuff Works. http://people.howstuffworks.com/world-wildlife-fund.htm .

The Student Conservation Association (SCA). "About Us." The Student Conservation Association. http://www.thesca.org/about_us.cfm .

Wildlife Conservation Society. "About WCS." Wildlife Conservation Society. http://www.wcs.org/home/about.

World Wildlife Fund. "About WWF." World Wildlife Fund-US.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/about/index.cfm.

World Wildlife Fund. "About WWF: Mission Statement." World Wildlife Fund-US. http://www.worldwildlife.org/defaultsection.cfm?sectionid=15
&newspaperid=15&contentid=1027 .

Bibliography and Internet Sources

WWF-The Conservation Organization. "A History of WWF: The Sixties." WWF. http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/who_we_are/history/index.cfm .

WWF Global Network. "Join WWF Today." WWF. http://www.wwf.org/ .