A Letter from Kirsten Midura, HCF's Director of Strategy & Partnerships
Last year marked Howell Conservation Fund’s (HCF) fifth year in existence. Having joined the HCF team early on, I was particularly excited for the opportunity to carry out a strategic review, reflecting on our beginnings and the progress we’ve made since our inception.
I first came across HCF in 2019 when I was assigned to write an article about the organization’s first expedition to Henderson Island. On this expedition - Explorers Club Flag Expedition #97 - HCF’s founder Brett Howell led the cleanup of the world’s most plastic polluted beach. It was an intrepid mission like none other, and it led me to follow the organization’s work with baited breath, as I’m sure it did for many of you.
A couple years later, things came full-circle when Brett offered me a role at HCF, first as the Communications Manager, then growing into the Director of Operations, and as of this blog post, becoming the Director of Strategy & Partnerships. Over the last five years, I have watched this organization blossom from humble origins to punching above its weight class, and I am honored to share this progress with you, our supporters.
We have published a summary of our findings from the Howell Conservation Fund’s 5-Year Review, which you can download here. We appreciate those who contributed their feedback during this process, and those who have continued to support us over the last five years and beyond.
5-Year Review: Key Findings Overview
As part of our review process, we asked for feedback from staff, donors, Board members, and other key stakeholders. Overall, you expressed that you were pleased with HCF's work to date, and also helped identify areas for improvement in the coming years. Some key findings are listed below:
Stakeholder feedback
- Stakeholders expressed high levels of satisfaction with our work, citing strengths such as providing direct funding support to grantees, embracing market-based approaches to environmental problems, and our team’s passion for and dedication to our cause.
- Stakeholders felt that our current operational model works, but was difficult to understand and explain to others.
- Stakeholders believed that our biggest challenges are the limited bandwidth of our lean team, and insufficient funding to grow at scale.
Funding and program review
- 72% of our funding comes from individual donors. This speaks to the confidence that people within our personal networks have in the work that we do. However, additional revenue streams will become necessary as we continue to grow.
- HCF has prided itself on keeping overhead under 20% of its spending over the last five years. We may revise this target moving forward, as it limits the amount of time and effort that staff can dedicate to growing the organization.
- Existing partners have been very satisfied with our support (4.5 out of 5 satisfaction). The primary area for improvement is better connections with HCF’s broader network.
- HCF staff recognized the need to formalize our grantmaking and funding pipelines, which is something we are actively working toward.
Addressing the Findings
Our strategic review process allowed us to identify our own strengths as an organization, as well as the path that we want to take moving forward. We also recognized that there were some immediate changes that we could make to address feedback from stakeholders. These changes included revising our programmatic language, formalizing our partnership pipeline and model, and creating strategic plans for network building and fundraising - the specifics of which are listed below.
(Re)Defining Our Work
Our stakeholders believe fervently in our work; however they pointed out some ambiguity around the structure and format of our organization. To rectify this, we took a critical look at what our day-to-day activities involved, how they played into our goals, and the language that we use to describe our work.
As a result, we developed new resources to better describe the work that we do. This included:
- A 1-pager that provides a snapshot of our services and our impact
- An FAQ list to explain the terminology that we frequently use
- A Theory of Change to help guide us and keep us on our set path.
By looking critically at the work we do and distilling the language that we use, we have found that we have an easier time conveying our mission and impact to our audience. It also has led to more speaking engagements, including our recently-published podcast episode with Exponent Philanthropy about the fundamentals of venture philanthropy.
Our Supporters and Funding Network
As part of our review, we took a critical look at our funding sources. We found that a substantial 72% of our funding comes from individual supporters. For us, this speaks to the confidence that people within our personal networks have in the work that we do. For that we are eternally grateful.
Looking forward, our goal is to retain the confidence and support of our individual supporters while also attracting funding from new philanthropic partners, grantmakers, and other sources. As is the case with all nonprofits, it is critical that we also build up a budget for our own operations, including hiring additional staff, monitoring the impact of our grantees, and creating content to share our work with you. We have always prided ourselves on our ability to have a deep impact given our limited resources, and as we continue to grow, it will be important that our operating budget follows suit. As such, a key goal for us in 2024 is rolling out a new fundraising plan that diversifies our revenue streams while maintaining a focus on environmental improvements.
Our Grantees and Their Impacts
In the past year, we have expanded our Catalytic Grant program, including launching our first formal Request for Proposals (RFP). This process led us to bring on eight Catalytic Grantees, bringing our current number of grantees to 11.
While HCF’s origins are predominantly in marine conservation and ocean plastics, this RFP allowed us to expand our scope and focus areas. Today, each of our grantees brings unique expertise and approaches to addressing an array of environmental issues, from tackling invasive species in Madagascar to leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for conservation efforts, and beyond. Together, these grantees, and many others, represent a powerful force for positive change, demonstrating the potential for collaboration, innovation, and collective action in addressing the environmental challenges our planet faces.
Investments and Partnerships
In the last couple years, we have expanded beyond Catalytic Grants and made strategic investments in mission-aligned, for-profit companies. These include CRDC Global, which converts plastic waste into concrete aggregate for the construction industry, and Loliware, which has developed groundbreaking technology to produce biodegradable, edible straws, cups, and other foodware as an alternative to single-use plastics.
Your Support Matters
Thank you from the depths of our hearts for your unwavering support of Howell Conservation Fund over the years. Your dedication has been the bedrock of our mission, enabling us to continue our vital work in education, advocacy, and conservation. Together, we are making a tangible difference in safeguarding the future of our planet.
Best regards,
Kirsten Midura
Director of Strategy & Partnerships
