DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION [www.ddcf.org]

Problem
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) wanted to make a programmatic investment to support the use of incentive-based tools for biodiversity conservation in the United States. They required assistance to:

• Scan the array of incentive-based instruments for conservation to determine hurdles, opportunities and needs.
• Develop criteria to determine the most promising incentive-based strategies for research and demonstrations.
• Identify and recommend an optimal strategy for implementing the initiative.
• Design and structure the programmatic investment.

Solution
CEA performed a comprehensive analysis of the relevant investment opportunities and provided recommendations for program design and implementation. This involved:

• Assessment of past and current incentive models, barriers to success, prospects for national scalability.
• Evaluation of financial leveraging opportunities.
• Evaluation of possible program designs and structures in terms of programmatic control, solution design flexibility, and administrative efficiency.
• A detailed outline of several recommended investment strategies.

Results
After CEA completed the evaluation and recommendations, the DDCF invested $5 million to establish the Center for Conservation Incentives (CCI). The Center will implement a comprehensive plan to increase the quantity and efficiency of biodiversity conservation on private lands through highly leveraged federal funding.