Innovation for Conservation (I4C) is uniquely suited to meet the interests of companies that have realized a benefit from Nature’s design ideas.

How do the projects I4C invests in benefit your company? Conservation projects invested in by the I4C program protect the habitat of the organism and/or ecosystem which inspired your company’s innovation. Participating in the program results in a premium, turn-key marketing opportunity for qualifying corporations, as well as many other benefits. Frequently these projects can also simultaneously meet other objectives of corporate responsibility programs, such as carbon offsets. Research demonstrates that such programs can also benefit employee morale, productivity, and ultimately the company’s bottom-line.

What does the Biomimicry Institute do to administer the program?  
   o When a company expresses interest in making a donation to the program, the Biomimicry Institute identifies compelling conservation projects that are working to protect the habitat of the inspiring organism. This discovery process entails researching existing conservation projects and soliciting new projects through a Call for Proposals process.
   o We review each project or proposal that we are considering investing in using in-house and expert third-party reviewers.
   o We administer every aspect of the project – grant making, communications, project monitoring, etc. 
   o We facilitate the generation of marketing materials which are made available to the participating company for their marketing purposes.
   o Finally, we evaluate the projects to monitor their success (soliciting and reviewing project reports, conducting site evaluations, etc.) and recommend changes to the project and/or make new investment allocations as necessary.

Are the conservation projects effective? We do everything possible to ensure the conservation projects we support – and you make possible – are effective. Our staff has years of conservation and ecology experience, both in on-the-ground conservation initiatives as well as with large conservation and development organizations in the private and public sectors. The conservation projects we consider supporting go through a rigorous due diligence and monitoring procedure. We apply very specific and rigorous scientific and social responsibility screens to all conservation projects we support (see our eligibility criteria).  Candidate projects are reviewed by ad hoc committees of relevant experts, our staff, our advisory boards, and finally our board of directors. Once investments are made in a specific project, grantees provide a mid-year and end-of-year report on their progress.

How is participation advertised?
   o Biomimicry and the Biomimicry Institute are enjoying unprecedented growth in profile and positive press. We are regularly contacted by print, digital and television media for stories about companies developing innovative products inspired by Nature. With this kind of access, contributions from companies are publicized to highly receptive mass audiences through multiple media venues, without resorting to the artifice of advertising.  From the standpoint of public relations, this is better advertising than money can buy.
   o Company participation is also highlighted through other channels (e.g., through press releases, our website, our newsletters, etc.) and helps provide third party, independent support for your company’s environmental profile.
   o Marketing materials are generated from our conservation partners (e.g., photographs of inspiring organisms in the wild, conservation activities, etc.) and are shared with participating companies to use for their own marketing purposes. Participating companies also receive the right to use the Innovation for Conservation logo to advertise their participation in the program.

Can just “anyone” participate? Companies with biomimetic and biologically-inspired products, services, or savings can generally participate and use the program logo. However, we screen each new potential participant to ensure the program’s reputation is maintained. We do not accept participants to the program whose products or services may harm people, animals or the environment.

Donations from other organizations and individuals in support of the program's efforts are also welcome, as "Friends of the Innovation for Conservation program". Other organizataions could include, for example, companies whose products benefit from their association to Nature, green technology products, etc.

What does it cost to participate? There are a variety of ways to structure contributions to the program, and we will work with your company to find the one that best fits your needs. For example, companies may contribute an on-going percentage of income or savings derived from biologically-inspired innovations, contribute a certain amount of money per-unit-sold, or make a one-time up-front donation. Other methods of contributing may come in the form of stock, a portion of brokerage fees derived from investment capital, or royalties from biologically-inspired patents. Contributions may be philanthropic or considered a marketing expense, providing additional accounting flexibility.