This fall, The Walt Disney Company, through its partnership with the Disney Conservation Fund, awarded $6 million in grants to protect the environment. We decided to take an in-depth look at the impact Disney is attempting to have on improving the environment. We were curious where in the world they are focusing their efforts and what types of projects they are funding.
Disney Conservation Fund was founded in 1995 and has since funneled $85 million to helping the environment. In 2019, they awarded a total of 70 grants to various universities, zoos, conservation societies, and various other types of ecological institutes and foundations. According to award criteria, the grants are intended to “contribute to the conservation of endangered or threatened species in the wild, their habitats and engage the communities that surround them through community-based education programs or support sustainable community development projects that assist people in protecting nature.”
So where in the world is Disney spending its dollars?
By continent, over 40% of the funds are making their way to Africa (15 projects) and Asia (14 projects). These grants are largely going towards protecting endangered species like lions, cheetahs, elephants, and primates. The Americas are also receiving a lot of attention from the foundation. North American (11 projects) and Central/South America (11 projects) account for over 30% of the recipients, and are likewise focused on protecting wildlife, from jaguars and jays to armadillos and geckos. Primates also feature big on the Americas list. Preservation of these closest relatives to humans account for 10% of the total grants. The remainder of the awards are going to protect sea life (14 projects).
Now we know where the money is going, let’s take a look at how the money is being put to use.
About 25% of the funded projects are research oriented. These projects aim to investigate ways to help protect wildlife by studying their behavior and habitats. One project is looking for ways to improve disentanglement techniques for releasing whales caught in fishing nets off the Massachussetes coast. Another is studying ways to protect Diamondback Terrapins in New Jersey from becoming roadside fatalities. A project in Central America is taking a unique approach that seeks to include locals in community-based research to raise interest in bringing back the critically endangered sawfish.
True to Disney’s wheelhouse, kids and youths also play a big role in the grants. About 15% of the awards aim to increase involvement of kids and youths in environmental preservation activities and to improve awareness. A project in Mexico will designate children as conservation ambassadors to encourage them to connect more with nature. Another seeks to employ youths in public outreach by having them educate the public about threats to marine life.
The latest round of applications for the awards is set to close in February, 2020, with funds being disbursed in August of that year. You can see descriptions of this year’s grants for yourselves here.