Impact

This is what it looks like when local knowledge gets funded.

Every project we back starts with people who already have the knowledge, relationships, and vision to make progress. Here's what happened once they had the support to move it forward.

20+
Conservation partners supported
11
Countries impacted
$165K+
Direct grants to conservation projects worldwide
$75K
Direct program related investments

We don't back safe bets.

We back conservation work that already has the expertise, urgency, and community behind it, and is looking for a first believer to help move it forward.

Each of these projects started with a person, a place, and a problem that couldn't wait.

Portfolio

Project Spotlights

Birds • New Hampshire

Loon Preservation Committee (LPC)

Common loons are sentinels of environmental health and they're dying from lead poisoning caused by fishing tackle in New Hampshire's lakes. This market-based conservation program tackles the root cause directly: replacing lead fishing tackle with non-toxic alternatives. It's a community-rooted, behavior-change model that protects loons and the freshwater ecosystems they help us understand, while working with, not against, the fishing community.
101,438 pieces of lead fishing tackle removed from circulation
867.6 lbs of lead removed from New Hampshire waters
100+ retailers, partners, and outreach events engaged statewide
Coastal • Philippines

Beach Collective: Community-Led Mangrove Restoration

Coastal communities in the Philippines are restoring mangroves by planting native species, protecting shorelines, and building the local leadership needed to sustain restoration over time. Beach Collective puts community members at the center of every decision because long-term conservation only works when it belongs to the people who live there.
13,500 mangrove seedlings planted
24 local community members employed through restoration work
43,000+ square feet of coastal habitat restored
Marine • Bahamas

Regenerative Economy & Ecosystem Fund (REEF) Bahamas

Grand Bahama's coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass meadows support local fisheries, tourism, and the communities that depend on healthy coastal ecosystems. REEF is a locally led finance model designed to connect conservation restoration with economic opportunity. HCF helped incubate the initiative, bringing together partners, governance structures, and early capital to demonstrate that restoration and local livelihoods can grow together.
$175K total pilot launch target
$100K initial grant to a local Bahamian business that launched the fund for restoring coral, mangrove, and seagrasses, and helps demonstrate a model that could be adapted in coastal regions around the world
$25K local NGO implementation support
Marine • New England

Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation: Microplastics

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that are often invisible to the naked eye and are now everywhere, but understanding where they come from and how to respond remains a challenge for communities, educators, and decision-makers alike. HCF supported Blue Ocean Society's work from 2021 to 2025, turning research into action through participatory science tools, educational resources, and public engagement that makes invisible pollution visible and actionable.
162,000+ pieces of litter removed
Microplastics Sampling & Sorting Toolkit developed and tested
Interactive microplastics dashboard launched with NH Sea Grant
Plastic Pollution • South Pacific

Henderson Island Plastic Pollution Expeditions

Henderson Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the middle of the Pacific, and one of the most plastic-polluted beaches on earth. HCF has helped support two multinational expeditions, working with the British and French, to monitor and remove plastic waste from this remote, uninhabited island, receiving recognition from The Explorers Club and supporting science research about plastics. What started as a cleanup became a model for what's possible when conservation urgency meets the right partners and the willingness to go where others won't.
35% less debris collected in 2024 than in 2019 following cleanup efforts
Long-term plastic pollution monitoring expanded in the South Pacific
20,000 pounds of debris removed across 2 expeditions (The Explorers Club Flags #97 / 2019 & #235 / 2024, Rolex Watch Expedition 2024)
Reforestation • Madagascar

Missouri Botanical Garden: Restoration Innovation

Madagascar has lost more than 90% of its original forest cover. HCF supported Missouri Botanical Garden's work with local communities to replace plastic nursery pots with biodegradable alternatives made from the bark of invasive Melaleuca trees. The approach reduces waste, creates local income opportunities, and supports restoration efforts with solutions designed for local conditions and long-term use.
2,057 native seedlings propagated in biodegradable pots
6 local producers trained and employed
2,800 biodegradable pots produced and sold
Full Portfolio

Every project we've backed.

Active
Completed
Coastal • Philippines

Beach Collective: Community-Led Mangrove Restoration

Community-led mangrove restoration and marine conservation in Cebu.

13,500 mangrove seedlings planted
Marine • Georgia

Georgia Conservancy: Tender Giants

A proof-of-concept photography and film initiative focused on North Atlantic right whales in Georgia’s calving grounds.

CORAL REEFS • INDONESIA

Global Coralition: Indonesia Reef Regeneration Hub.

Building the tools and partnerships needed to restore coral reefs at scale.

Birds • New Hampshire

Loon Preservation Committee (LPC)

Market-based lead tackle removal to protect common loons.

101,438 pieces of lead fishing tackle removed from circulation
Marine • Bahamas

Regenerative Economy & Ecosystem Fund (REEF) Bahamas

Restoring coral, mangrove, and seagrass through local enterprise on Grand Bahama.

$175K total pilot launch target
Technology • Marine

Blue Latitudes Foundation

FishLAT technology for informed offshore energy and marine conservation decisions.

Marine • New England

Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation: Microplastics

Marine health through plastic pollution mitigation.

Plastic • Global

Center for Regenerative Design & Collaboration (CRDC)

Strategic alliance to address plastic waste through circular design.

Marine • Global

Coral Reefs - Earth Law Center (ELC)

New legal protection framework for coral reef ecosystems worldwide.

Plastic Pollution • South Pacific

Henderson Island Plastic Pollution Expeditions

Two expeditions to clean the world's most plastic-polluted beach.

Wildlife • Global

Langland Conservation

Intelligence support for global wildlife crime prevention.

Reforestation • Madagascar

Missouri Botanical Garden: Restoration Innovation

Community reforestation of native ecosystems in Madagascar.

Policy • Global

NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY

Advancing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals through stakeholder collaboration.

Behavior Change • Global

Root Solutions

Guidance on creating successful conservation behavior change initiatives.

Digital • Conservation

Sovereign Nature Initiative

Merging conservation with digital gaming to fund environmental work.

Youth • Marine

Theytriarchy

Hands-on marine conservation education for the next generation of ocean stewards.

For Funders

When you support HCF, you're not just funding a project.

You're funding the moment before the project becomes possible.

Every dollar we deploy goes to early-stage conservation work that traditional philanthropy overlooks. We keep overhead low so more reaches the field.

HCF is a registered 501(c)(3). Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of U.S. law. EIN: 84-2776877.

Organizations we've partenered with

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