CCI is a strategic collaboration between independent organisations, each with its own identity, constitution and governance.

CCI partners have agreed to work closely together under a shared strategy and set of operational procedures. In joining CCI, each organisation subscribes to a set of shared principles and signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the other CCI partners.

CCI has no separate legal identity but its overall direction and collaborative programmes are overseen by the CCI Council comprised of representatives of each CCI partner. The guidance of CCI activities is carried out by a series of Committees and Advisory Groups which may be reviewed and changed by the partners, through the Council, from time to time.

The guidance and oversight of CCI activities are carried out by various processes and committees. The CCI Council is the primary decision-making body for the overall initiative and consists of senior representatives from each of the CCI partners.

There are also advisory and working groups to give direction and support to the different CCI activities and to help with the overall development of the collaboration.

Council

The CCI Council is the primary decision-making body for the overall initiative. On behalf of the CCI partners they adopt and oversee progress on achieving the CCI Strategy. Working groups for all the CCI programmes and activities report to the Council.

Advisory Board

The CCI Advisory Board provides guidance on the global niche and future direction of CCI, helping to identify new strategic opportunities and secure support for CCI collaborative activities.

Cambridge University and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI)

CCI is a collaboration between independent organisations based in and around Cambridge, who have a shared vision, mission and set of strategic objectives that they wish to address together to transform the understanding and conservation of biodiversity. As such, CCI is not itself a legal entity, which is able directly to receive charitable donations or other funding. However, as one of the collaborating organisations, and the host of CCI’s premises and executive team, the University is able to receive donations and grants for the benefit of the collaboration, provided that they further its own educational and research mission. Funds and other resources applied by the University in support of CCI (including funds provided by philanthropists and third party granting bodies received on behalf of CCI) must necessarily be contributed on this basis.

Consequently, in recognition of the need to align support provided by and through the University with its educational and research mission, grant and/or philanthropic funding is sought and received on the basis that it will be applied for the benefit of the public for the following purposes (or narrower purposes falling within their scope):

• to support the conservation of nature worldwide as a contribution to society, where such support is also expected by the University to give rise to educational benefits (either directly or indirectly through dissemination of learnings and best practice or otherwise, including through the work of the University and its collaborators in the CCI);
• to advance education, learning and research in conservation and environmental sustainability and improvement;
• to advance education in the understanding of conservation science and practice; and

• to advance education (especially through communication) in the need to protect the natural world as a whole.