Responsible exits and social outcomes of conservation philanthropy

Abstract

Environmental philanthropy is witnessing unprecedented growth. In recent years, several foundations have invested billions of dollars to solve environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainable resource management (Betsill et al., 2021; Mufson, 2021; Greenfield, 2021). Ocean philanthropy has seen a particularly significant increase, with ocean conservation funding more than doubling over the past decade, exceeding USD 1 billion in 2022 (CEA, 2023). Within this landscape, small-scale fisheries are estimated to receive $10-$23 million annually (Rare, 2016). While philanthropic funding has contributed to significant progress in conservation, there is growing scrutiny regarding its efficiency, legitimacy, and the concentration of power in the hands of a few billionaires influencing public policies. This dissertation answers the growing calls for opening the black box of philanthropy (Rogers, 2015; Goss, 2016; Skocpol, 2016; Betsill et al., 2021; Gruby et al., 2021). Specifically, a critical aspect of conservation philanthropy that remains unexplored is the process of exiting and the consequences for grantees and communities. The impetus for the three manuscripts that make up this dissertation is the Packard Foundation's exit from the Western Pacific region after twenty years of funding marine conservation. Through a multi-scalar approach, this dissertation explores responsible exits and the social outcomes of conservation philanthropy. Case studies across global, regional/national, and local governance scales contribute a comprehensive analysis that is theoretically informed and empirically grounded of the way foundations navigate exits and the social outcomes of the projects they fund. This dissertation moves beyond the binary critiques of foundations as "good" or "bad" and takes a solution-oriented approach while also engaging in critical and reflexive research. This dissertation is grounded in two important fields: environmental governance and environmental philanthropy. I argue for greater shared learning between these two fields to advance conservation philanthropy's understanding and practice. Specifically, environmental philanthropy can benefit from the existing conceptual frameworks, empirical research and methodologies of environmental governance, while environmental governance should recognize philanthropic foundations as influential actors that need more research attention. Foundations often lack a clear framework to guide their exit strategies in a responsible way, sometimes leading to poorly executed exits which can leave grantees and the work they do struggling to sustain conservation efforts. The second chapter fills that gap by developing an exit typology and a set of best practices, offering guidance for funders who navigate exits. The key takeaway of this chapter is that exits should not be an afterthought but an integral part of the decision-making process, ideally planning from the very start to ensure long-term sustainability. But how are exits experienced on the receiving end? Chapter three explores the exit viewpoints of ocean conservation practitioners, including grantees, who experienced the Packard Foundation exit in Fiji and Palau. This Chapter reveals that viewpoints were diverse (i.e., optimistic, pessimistic, ambivalent, and apathetic) and shaped by a combination of rationales. While optimistic viewpoints were mostly linked to Packard implementing exit best practices that relate to the principles and administration and management categories of the responsible exit framework (Chapter 2), pessimistic viewpoints were linked to challenges related to the sustainability category of the framework, which are more systemic in nature. This Chapter reasserts that exit best practices are key to conducting a responsible exit and that some of these practices must be addressed by foundations at both the field and individual organizational levels. The fourth Chapter examines how philanthropic funding affects communities. This Chapter examines the social outcomes of conservation philanthropy through the case study of a Packard-funded small-scale fisheries project in Palau. Using Photovoice, a participatory research method that centers the voices and experiences of fishers, this Chapter reveals a mix of positive and negative outcomes. A key takeaway is the importance of strong community engagement in the design and implementation of philanthropic-supported conservation projects. Growing critiques of current models of giving must be taken seriously. Changes are needed to ensure that philanthropy operates in a responsible and just manner for both people and the environment by being more transparent, inclusive, and accountable to the communities it directly supports. This dissertation informs these conversations with an empirical analysis that centers the perspectives of grantees and communities affected by philanthropic-funded projects.