I have been a Board Member at CSF for many, many years... CSF works at the nexus of economics and conservation, training environmentalists to understand economics as well as doing economic analyses of important development projects that could leave a lasting environmental impact. Their work bridges the gap between environmentalists and the world of finance and economics. It allows conservationists to understand the thought process behind, for instance, a development bank's decision to finance a large dam. And it allows those conservationists to argue for better outcomes because they understand the economic assumptions underlying such decisions and can call them into question. Essentially we can play on their turf, on their terms. And, more often than not, it seems like the most environmentally destructive projects are often economically questionable as well. Not always, but most of the time that's how it plays out...
CSF has been very successful doing this work, but has remained a very low profile organization. This is partially because it's quite small, but more because the nature of the team there. Good economists tend not to be self-promotional. I would argue that the 500 people CSF trained in Brazil over the last 15 years are at heart of the improvements that have happened there over that time. There are conservationists throughout Brazilian civll society that are much more effective thanks to the training they've received. But CSF won't make that case until good data is gathered to support that claim. Oh well...
Review from Guidestar