WWF-Philippines pushes green investment

MANILA, Philippines—No other time to invest in the Philippine environment but now.

The World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines, part of the world’s largest and most experienced conservation organization, invites high net-worth individuals or groups to invest in the Major Gifts Program.

A big chunk of the fund will go to the Philippine Fund for Nature, an endowment fund that will enable WWF-Philippines to “sustain in the long run its key projects which help conserve our biodiversity and help mitigate the impact of human footprint on our environment.”

“It is an assurance that whenever a donor “decides to pull out on a project site, we have money to continue the work we are doing,” said WWF vice president for marketing and communications Reggie Olalia.

The program has a target of P200 million in investments in two years from 50 wealthy donors. The number 50 represents the years of WWF-International since its foundation.

The donors should come from a wide range of profiles who want to make a positive impact on the local environment.

Donors may be individuals, couples, groups or families and will undergo a “diligent” background check. They should all “share the same desire to take care of the environment.”

Donations may come in gifts of cash, security and real property. They may be given in one go or in tranches, Olalia said.

The concept of Major Gifts Program started with 1001 Nature Trust, a trust that was put up in 1971 to provide WWF International a “financial base to maintain a sustainably managed organization.” It is an invitation to 1001 individuals to invest in an environmental cause.

Since its start in January, the Major Gifts program already had four donors. Two gave P5 million each and the other two gave P1 million each.

“We face a challenging and increasingly volatile future. A future characterized by variability – climatic, economic, political, social. There are many ways to survive rough seas. One prerequisite is to save up for those rainy days. This is one major deliverable of our Major Gifts Program,” WWF Philippines vice chair and chief executive officer Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan said.

Some of the “high-impact” projects undertaken by WWF-Philippines include the Watershed Management Project in Isabela, the Climate Change Adaptation Plan in Davao and the management of the Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea.

With the Major Gifts Program, the donors will be engaging themselves in a “lifelong legacy” through supporting the WWF-Philippines and its environmental causes.

“This is the high time to invest in the Philippine environment and the best way is through the WWF,” Olalia said.

Interested donors may get in touch with Puch Calma, Major Gifts Program manager at 0927 7936133 or [email protected]