Gulf of California Fund


A long-term financing mechanism of non-endowment and endowment assets

The Project

The Gulf of California Fund (FGC, acronym in Spanish) aims to finance initiatives in protected areas (PAs) and their areas of influence to conserve the network of marine-coastal ecosystems representative of the Gulf of California.

Context

The FGC is a mechanism for long-term financing of non-endowment and endowment assets that finance strategic conservation actions in marine-coastal PAs and their areas of influence.

In 2009, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Global Conservation Fund, and International Community Foundation created an endowment fund whose interests support efforts for the management and conservation of ecosystems and natural resources in priority marine-coastal PAs of the Gulf of California and the North Pacific. The FGC's non-endowment resources come primarily from a funding mechanism linked to nature tourism through tripartite cooperation between FMCN, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and contributions from passengers aboard Lindblad Expeditions cruises.

The financed initiatives aim to ensure citizen participation in managing marine-coastal natural resources and strengthening the social cohesion of coastal communities.

The lines of work that guide the actions of the Gulf of California Fund are:

  1. Use of territorial management tools.
  2. Sustainable use.
  3. Conservation of priority species.
  4. Conservation of ecosystems and natural resources in priority marine-coastal PAs of the Gulf of California and the North Pacific

The financed initiatives are aimed at strengthening the social cohesion of coastal communities.

Achievements

Since 2004, the FGC has financed 136 initiatives through 52 CSOs and research institutions that have strengthened the operation of PAs and social cohesion of coastal communities, promoting instruments for fisheries management and sustainable tourism alternatives. Almost 30 endangered species of high biodiversity value, such as the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) and the black turtle (Chelonia mydas), have been protected.

In the first half of 2022, the FGC financed 12 subprojects that contribute to the conservation of the marine-coastal ecosystem network of the Gulf of California and the North Pacific region, as well as to the strengthening of the social cohesion of and economic recovery of communities in the northwestern part of the country, following the negative effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The subprojects include environmentally responsible, economically viable activities focused on fisheries management, sustainable tourism, and species monitoring.

Learn more about the project:

Download
View

Allies

  • The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
  • Conservation International Mexico / Global Conservation Fund
  • International Community Foundation 
  • Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Joint Fund for Exploration and Conservation