In Profile: ACE Leverages Funds for Conservation Impact

The Conservation Fund often works with a Corporate Partner to make the most of its philanthropic investment with a named revolving fund. Through a revolving fund, The Conservation Fund provides bridge financing to protect priority lands through acquisition or conservation easements. Money in the fund is loaned for conservation deals and then “revolves” back into the reserve, to be tapped over and over.

Investments in the revolving fund move roughly three times every five years, creating a fluid source of conservation capital. For Corporate Partners, a named revolving fund is a strategic way to make the biggest possible impact with charitable dollars.

“Environmental stewardship is a responsibility for both the public and private sectors. At ACE, we take this responsibility seriously. Through the ACE Land Legacy Fund, ACE will help protect endangered and other high-priority conservation lands.”

- Evan Greenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer, ACE Limited

Summary

ACE Limited, a global property and casualty insurance and reinsurance organization, partnered with The Conservation Fund to establish the ACE Land Legacy Revolving Fund. With grants totaling more than $500,000, the ACE Land Legacy Fund has protected significant wildlife habitat, expanded public recreation areas and supported local economies across the country.

Challenge

ACE Limited's corporate perspective holds that everyone--individuals and corporations--has a responsibility to the planet. The company sought a philanthropic opportunity to demonstrate its own commitment to promoting a healthy and sustainable environment.

Solution

With a revolving fund, The Conservation Fund is poised to provide immediate capital when large-scale conservation opportunities emerge. A Corporate Partner can direct funds toward top conservation priorities in geographic regions important to employees and customers. These dollars are then leveraged against other conservation sources to protect critical land and water resources--and then ultimately revolved and reinvested, maximizing impact.

Results

Established in 2005, the ACE Land Legacy Fund operates under the umbrella of the Conservation Fund’s Revolving Fund. To date, the ACE Land Legacy Fund has provided bridge financing toward two unprecedented and unique conservation projects in New York and California, achieving dramatic conservation results and bolstering local economies. ACE has now helped to protect more than 275,000 acres of vital land and water habitats valued at more than $92.3 million.