Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

This capstone report involves the relationship between marine conservation biologists and funding. The goal is to help scientists pitch their projects in a way that compels potential philanthropists dedicated to ocean conservation to financially contribute by investigating transferable communication tools that scientists can utilize. This has been done through conducting interviews with various marine foundations and institutions’ program departments. Upon conducting extensive research in marine fundraising, it becomes clear that there has been a shift in the philanthropic landscape that requires scientists and labs to think differently about cultivating relationships with donors. Ocean science research has been reliant upon now dwindling large scale financial support from federal agencies. This research highlights the importance of cultivating relationships with philanthropists and marine conservation foundations through new and different communication approaches.