The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) represents and fosters a collaborative approach.

• A council of donors governs the partnership. The Donor Council includes high-level representatives from each partner institution. It provides strategic guidance, helps secure additional partners, and approves priority areas and strategies for investment. The Council also provides a forum through which the partners can coordinate their overall investment, leveraging the power of partnership and investments dollar-for-dollar.

• Conservation International administers and executes the global program. This includes hosting the CEPF Secretariat, employing Secretariat staff, and ensuring that all funds are managed with due diligence and efficiency on behalf of the partnership. The CEPF Secretariat is responsible for strategic and financial management, oversight, and reporting for the program.

• A working group comprised of technical staff from each of the donor partner organizations, provides input, expertise, and guidance on operational and technical issues. The members also communicate the partnership’s purpose and results within their respective organizations.

• Regional implementation teams, comprised of civil society groups, are in the frontline of strategy implementation. They are tasked with ensuring that CEPF funding is delivering the outcomes identified in the CEPF ecosystem profiles. They play an instrumental role in all CEPF operations, including assisting potential partners, decisionmaking, facilitating coordination among multiple stakeholders, and monitoring implementation.

• Special advisory committees and scientific and technical reviewers assist Regional Implementation Teams and CEPF staff in assessing proposals and making sound investment decisions.