Philanthropy 2.0 is already here ~ Financing ocean conservation at scale, today

Philanthropy is the spark, not the engine. Marine conservation faces a fundamental financing challenge: protecting nature at scale requires long-term resources, yet many conservation models remain dependent on recurring philanthropic funding. This roundtable will explore what happens when philanthropy is used not simply to fund conservation, but to help build the financial mechanisms that can ultimately sustain it. Using Blue Alliance as a live case study, the discussion will examine how US$10 million of blended capital has helped build a model in which marine protected areas are supported by sustainable revenue and investment, alongside catalytic philanthropy. The conversation will consider what gives funders confidence in these models, how philanthropy, finance and governments can work together, and how successful approaches can be replicated across geographies. The central question is: how can we move from funding individual conservation projects towards building financially sustainable models — and what would it take to create ten more Blue Alliances? Bringing together philanthropists, family offices, foundations, impact investors, financial institutions, conservation leaders and strategic partners, the roundtable will be an opportunity to share perspectives, examine what is working in practice, and identify the capital and partnerships needed to scale the next generation of sustainable ocean conservation.