*Call for Papers**
Special Issue of Conservation Science and Practice on “Conservation Philanthropy”
Guest Editors: Rebecca Gruby (Colorado State University), Ash Enrici (Indiana University), and Daniel C. Miller (University of Illinois/University of Notre Dame)
Overview:
We are living in an era of mega-wealth and big philanthropy. Philanthropic individuals and organizations affect conservation in profound ways, both through their funding decisions and direct engagement in conservation policy and practice. Despite its growing prominence, however, conservation philanthropy—voluntary contributions of money, property, or time in support of conservation—has received little scholarly attention. This omission limits knowledge on how philanthropy works (and could work) to influence conservation agendas, organizations, networks, research, local communities, and natural systems around the world. There is a significant need for research that can inform debate, policy, and practice in relation to conservation philanthropy.
Special Issue focus:
This special issue of Conservation Science and Practice will include papers that explore conservation philanthropy from diverse theoretical, methodological, and geographical perspectives, with explicit attention to informing conservation science and practice. As the first special issue to focus on conservation philanthropy, we aim to mobilize scholarly attention to this prominent yet under-studied dimension of conservation. The scope is broad, covering any biome or country context. Contributions may consider any type of philanthropy, including high net worth individuals and organized philanthropy, such as private or community foundations.
We invite contributions on topics including but not limited to:
- Funding flows, showing relative contributions to particular conservation issues or geographies coming from philanthropy compared to other types of donors;
- Roles of philanthropy in conservation (e.g., in agenda-setting, knowledge production, capacity building, convening, etc.);
- Social and ecological outcomes of conservation philanthropy, including differential effects across gender, race, class, and other social distinctions;
- Critical perspectives, including analyses of ‘philanthrocapitalism’;
- Internal organizational dynamics of foundations working on conservation;
- Issues of legitimacy, equity, and justice in conservation philanthropy; and
- Applied best practices.
We are especially interested in empirical contributions (e.g., case studies, small- or large-n comparative work, etc.) but will also consider review or perspective pieces.
Contact information:
To submit an abstract for a paper to be considered for the special issue or for more information please contact Dr. Rebecca Gruby (Rebecca.Gruby@colostate.edu). We look forward to your abstracts!
Timeline:
- 30 June 2021: Deadline for interested authors to submit short (<300 words) abstracts
- 15 July 2021: Deadline for editors to invite full contributions for the special issue
- 15 November 2021: Deadline for submission to Conservation Science and Practice