Conservationists often equate sustainability with funding, whether it be through additional donors or via endeavors such as ecotourism and payment for ecosystem services. “Grantees can get trapped into thinking that they have to put a business slant on sustainability,” said CEPF Grant Director Dan Rothberg. “What makes results sustainable varies according to the specific circumstances and conditions.”  

What exactly does sustainability mean? Grant Director Michele Zador has a succinct answer: “Making conservation results, processes and impacts resilient over the long-term.”