Our Mission

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Our Vision

TNC’s vision is a world where people and nature thrive together. To achieve this positive vision of the future, we need to recognize the unprecedented challenges that affect global communities, and work together to find new ways to help nature thrive while securing a more prosperous future for people. TNC is committed to protecting land and water at unparalleled scales, tackling climate change, providing food and water sustainably for a growing population, building healthy cities, and connecting people and nature.

Everyone depends on a healthy, diverse environment, whether we live in Hong Kong, London or New York. It’s our turn to invest in nature.

Our Values

Integrity Beyond Reproach:

We will meet the highest ethical and professional standards in all of our organizational endeavors and, in doing so, we hold ourselves accountable to our mission and to the public. 

• Be honest at all times
• Be accountable to each other, to the mission, to our donors, members, partners, and to the public (read our Privacy Policy)
• Earn trust by building relationships, being competent, and following through on all of our commitments

Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures:

Enduring conservation success depends on the active involvement of people and partners whose lives and livelihoods are linked to the natural systems we seek to conserve. We respect the needs, values and traditions of local communities and cultures, and we forge relationships based on mutual benefit and trust. 

• Demonstrate respect by committing to local, on the ground involvement with people, communities and cultures, and with awareness and sensitivity to their economic realities
• Treat our partners and colleagues with fairness and honesty
• Celebrate individual, team and project success as the success of all who work for TNC
• Work collaboratively with all sectors of society, including indigenous people, to develop practical conservation solutions

Commitment to Diversity:

We recognize that conservation is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of men and women of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. We will recruit and mentor staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character.  

• Respect and be open to a variety of viewpoints and diversity of thought
• Work in an environment that encourages each of us to achieve our potential and values the contributions of all
• Expand and strengthen the diversity of our workforce, trustee base and boards

One Conservancy:

Our strength and vitality lie in being one organization working together in local places and across borders to achieve our global mission. We value the collective and collaborative efforts that are so essential to our success.  

• Work across all of our operations to implement and support the right strategies, at the right scales, and at the right places always with the greater good of our mission in mind
• Act with continuity of purpose in everything we do, from the focus of our conservation efforts to the allocation of our resources
• Celebrate individual, team and project success as the success of all who work for TNC

Tangible, Lasting Results:

We use the best available science, a creative spirit, and a collaborative, non-confrontational approach to craft innovative solutions to complex conservation problems at scales that matter and in ways that will endure. 

• Use a creative spirit and original thought in the pursuit of excellence
• Develop, analyze and use the best available conservation science and a science-based rigor to set priorities, make decisions, take action and measure results
• Conduct our business in an environmentally sensitive manner

What Makes Us Different

It is not just about what we do, but also how we do it. We are leaders with an optimistic vision guided by science, focused on being pragmatic, collaborative, community-based, and financially savvy. We take an innovative approach to find win-win solutions to complex conservation problems that allows us to achieve tangible and lasting results.

Impact Report and Finances

The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgency of our conservation mission, bringing into sharp focus the inextricable link between human and planetary health. Despite this year’s challenges, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has advanced science on oyster reef restoration, protected wildlife and habitats, and continued to inspire young conservationists with our (virtual) education program. None of this work would have been possible without you. Thanks to our supporters — our Conservation Champions — for making these achievements possible.

The world depends on us more than ever, so if you’re not already a Conservation Champion, join us today.

What We Achieved Together

Thanks to our supporters and partners in Hong Kong and around the world, TNC accomplished remarkable conservation results. Across Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, we restored forests, secured habitats, protected communities and built climate change resilience.

Finances and Accountability

We carry out our work with a deep commitment to accountability and transparency. We want you and everyone in Hong Kong and around the world to know as much as possible about how TNC operates and how carefully and effectively we use your donations. We are transparent about our finances, and we are highly rated by charity watchdog organizations. Learn more about our financials in this year’s report. 

High Charity Ratings

As a leading global charity, we hold ourselves accountable to our members, the public and all creatures that have a stake in the preservation of the world’s natural resources. And we seek to make use of every Hong Kong Dollar donated to TNC with careful attention to effectiveness and efficiency.

Charity watchdog organizations applaud organizations who invest 66 percent or more of their funding directly into their work. TNC consistently receives high charity ratings from charity watchdog organizations. For example, we are:

• An accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance;
• Compliant with the Ethical Guidelines for Fundraising and Other Nonprofit Communications set forth by the Direct Marketing Association.

The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC’s) conservation efforts around the world have led to the protection of more than 52.6 million hectares of lands and 8,000 kilometers of rivers. However, we could not have achieved so much — nor can we continue to make a difference — without support from individuals like you.

Like most major non-profit organizations in Hong Kong and across the globe, TNC employs a variety of fundraising channels to ask for your support in accomplishing our mission — to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. These fundraising channels include direct mail, face-to-face, special events, our website and social media.

Please browse the Frequently Asked Questions below to learn more about our fundraising channels and why we use them. And if you ever have a question or concern about how we fundraise, please email us at hksupporter@tnc.org or call us at (852) 2280 4878.

You may have already met one of our Fundraising Ambassadors about town. They are professional spokespeople for our organization, and their job is to help us raise awareness and financial support for our important global mission. Our Fundraising Ambassadors can be found at special events, in malls and plazas, and even the lobbies of office buildings, sharing information about TNC and our projects across Asia that help preserve and even improve our lives here in Hong Kong. They invite interested members of the public — like you — to join us as Conservation Champions by making a monthly gift via direct debit or credit card.

Our Fundraising Ambassadors can be recognized by their TNC polo shirts, and by their identification badges and TNC folders with more information and our registration documents.

Join us all in the world’s most ambitious effort yet to save the lands and waters we all depend on. Become a monthly Conservation Champion today.

Integrity Beyond Reproach

At The Nature Conservancy, we operate with Integrity Beyond Reproach in all of our activities around the world. We commit to:

• Operate and communicate with honesty and transparency
• Hold ourselves accountable to our mission, our teams, and the many communities we serve
• Earn trust by engaging thoughtfully with peers and partners, building relationships, and growing our cultural competencies

Our Values of Integrity Beyond Reproach; One Conservancy; Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures; Commitment to Diversity; and Tangible Lasting Results shape who we are as an organization and how we conduct ourselves as individuals. They inspire us to do the right thing and to do right by one another. Our Values are the foundation for our Code of Conduct.

TNC Code of Conduct: People and Nature Thrive When We…

The TNC Code of Conduct provides the principles and expectations to guide staff, Board members, Trustees/Advisors, volunteers, and third-parties in the course of their work for TNC. One of those expectations is that TNC staff and others acting on our behalf will comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations in each country, state, or locality where TNC operates. Where TNC’s Code or policies are more protective than the laws and customs in certain countries, TNC staff and others acting on our behalf will be held to the higher standards set forth in our Code.

Our Code is also an interactive field guide for our staff that provides access to additional resources to help them make sound ethical and legal decisions. Staff and others who violate our Code will face consequences.

TNC maintains policies and procedures that support our Code of Conduct and provide more detail and direction for staff to follow to achieve TNC’s mission in accordance with high ethical and legal standards. For example, TNC maintains policies and procedures on Conflicts of Interest; Lobbying Limitations; Participation in Candidate Elections; Corporate Engagement; Reporting Suspected Violations of Law or Policy; Confidential Information; Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Diversity; Workplace Conduct, Harassment Prevention and Reporting; Privacy and Personal Data Protection; and Records Management.

TNC Helpline: Ask a Question or Report a Concern

Staff and third parties may contact the Ethics & Compliance team anytime to submit a question or concern at our online Helpline. The TNC Helpline is available online or by phone 24/7/365 in a variety of languages. In the US, you can call 800-461-9330, or text 571-458-1739. Our Helpline page has phone numbers for international calling. Concerns may be submitted anonymously where permitted by law.

TNC takes all concerns seriously and when misconduct is found, consistent disciplinary action and remedial measures are taken across the organization and at all staff levels. At TNC, we are all responsible for speaking up if something does not feel right or if we have concerns about ethical misconduct. We know it takes courage to speak up. TNC will not tolerate retaliation against individuals who ask questions or raise concerns about potential misconduct in good faith.

Ethics & Compliance Program

TNC’s Ethics & Compliance Program is designed to promote and foster: 1) a culture of integrity and ethical-decision making aligned with TNC’s Values; 2) compliance with TNC’s Code of Conduct, policies, procedures and applicable laws; and 3) appropriate risk assessment, due diligence and monitoring to detect, deter and prevent misconduct and unethical behavior. The TNC Ethics & Compliance Office was established by the Board of Directors in 2012.

In addition to our Code and Helpline, our Ethics & Compliance Program includes the following:

• Regular assessment of risks through inputs from Helpline reports, Internal Audit, Legal and management.
• Annual Integrity Awareness training for all staff.
• Routine Code of Conduct awareness for the Board of Directors, Trustees and Advisors.
• Targeted awareness and training for staff to mitigate key risks.
• Conflicts of Interest Committee.
• Fair and impartial investigations of allegations of wrongdoing.
• Privacy program.
• Regular programmatic maturity assessments of our Ethics & Compliance and Privacy programs.

Leadership and Oversight

The Ethics and Compliance Office is led by our Chief Ethics, Compliance & Privacy Officer who reports to our General Counsel and to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee has oversight responsibility for the Ethics & Compliance Program and the Chief Ethics, Compliance & Privacy Officer provides a report quarterly to the Audit Committee and annually to the Board of Directors.