Can Philanthropy Enable Collective Action to Conserve Rivers? Insights from a Decade of Collaboration in the Colorado River Basin

Abstract

Philanthropy plays an important but often invisible role in conserving rivers. We examine the influence of philanthropy on collective action and collaborative governance within the Colorado River Basin, a region where philanthropic support has been growing to achieve conservation objectives. Our short communication combines financial data, interviews, and documentary evidence to capture the opportunities and risks associated with philanthropy's increasing role. Financial expenditures are substantial, averaging $30.8 million USD per year from six large foundations (2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019). This funding has enabled collective action, particularly at the basin level, by strengthening or creating new forums for collaboration and investing in technical expertise to equip a broader range of voices in decision-making. It has also favoured market-based strategies and discourses, created dependencies for smaller organisations, and, in some instances, reinforced structural barriers to participation. We recommend transparent reporting of philanthropic spending related to collective action and conservation governance, and argue that foundations should explicitly consider and address legacies of exclusion for marginalised actors and groups.

More than funders: The roles of philanthropic foundations in marine conservation governance

“…This case provides additional evidence for the role foundations can play in facilitating collective action and highlights the need for more research on the opportunities and risks of philanthropy in collaborative governance (Gilson & Garrick, 2021). Some practitioners in Palau, for example, observed that coordination may have unintended consequences:…”

“…Gilson & Garrick (2021, p. 190) argue that, while funding can enable collective action, “foundations should explicitly consider and address legacies of exclusion for marginalized actors and groups.” While recognizing the crucial role of Packard in bringing conservation actors together, the recent closure of the Western Pacific Program raises questions about the continued support and efficacy of coordination efforts, like FLMMA, as well as the impact of exits on established grantee networks (Le Cornu et al, in review).…”

Best practices for collaborative conservation philanthropy

“…Landscape‐wide networks of funders and practitioners can lead to collective learning and large‐scale action (Gilson & Garrick, 2021). Funder networks built around specific topics can share learning, connect to new practitioners, and create pooled funding opportunities to amplify impact.…”

Conservation philanthropy: Growing the field of research and practice

“…), making it difficult for scholars and practitioners to find it, engage with it, and build on one another's work in a systematic way. Second, elite members of the philanthropic sector (e.g., high net‐worth individuals and foundations) are notoriously opaque, making empirical research on these actors a significant challenge—though creative scholars and a growing transparency movement are beginning to change that (Breeze, 2023; Gilson & Garrick, 2021).…”

“…This special issue is motivated by these major changes. It showcases new research to help understand and inform the boom in conservation philanthropy in the oceans (Gruby et al, 2021), on land (Opel & Titze, 2022; Waldron et al, 2013), and relating to freshwater (Gilson & Garrick, 2021). In so doing, it seeks to define and nurture the nascent field of research in conservation philanthropy.…”