RELEASE: Conservation Acceleration Fund Leverages $28 Million Via 2024 Projects
DES MOINES, IA (Apr. 7, 2025) – The Great Outdoors Foundation (GOF) is pleased to announce that the Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF), its premier sustainability investment mechanism, has leveraged more than $28 million in funding for conservation infrastructure via its 2024 projects. The CAF is an innovative solution that matches value-driven private donors with an expertly selected conservation portfolio, maximizing pace and efficiency for existing water quality initiatives across the state.
“The Conservation Acceleration Fund exemplifies the efficacy and potency of public-private partnerships,” Hannah Inman, Chief Executive Officer of the Great Outdoors Foundation, said. “Of course, these projects will have a tremendous impact on the watersheds in the immediate surrounding footprint, but more than that, the 2024 portfolio will improve the quality of water flowing into the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, both critical to vibrant communities across our nation.”
In 2024 alone, the CAF activated more than 50 voluntary water quality projects across Iowa. These improvements are expected to capture 1.2+ million pounds of nitrate from the state’s waterways in alignment with Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy and include practices such as wetlands and grade stabilizations, which provide a number of additional benefits, including habitat restoration, stormwater management, and flood mitigation.
The CAF has secured more than $6 million in private funding to date, including support from the following investors:
- Athene
- Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
- ITA Group
- Polk County Board of Supervisors
- Prairie Meadows
- Principal
- Walton Family Foundation
With both local and global attention from the private sector, the CAF demonstrates significant collaboration around water quality. In fact, CAF projects from 2024 yielded an average 8:1 public-private funding output, yielding high outcomes for investors and high impact for the environment.
“There is tremendous synergy around water quality right now, and the Conservation Acceleration Fund has a proven track record of enhancing the pace and progress of existing initiatives,” Jen Cross, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for the Great Outdoors Foundation, said. “We’re incredibly grateful to our investors who recognize the value of advancing sustainability locally, with global impact.”
Projects from the CAF are selected based on submissions and recommendations from GOF’s technical partners. This pipeline allows for the highest degree of stewardship for both public and private dollars. Project funding is focused in targeted watersheds, and rewards landowner-led sustainability practices, ultimately bolstering the conservation ethic and integrating it into the agribusiness model.
“The Conservation Acceleration Fund has been instrumental in expanding our wetland and stream restoration programs,” John Swanson, Water Resources Supervisor for Polk County Public Works, said. “Notably, it has brought flexibility and creates the opportunity to match local, state, and federal dollars to their maximum potential.”
To learn more about the CAF or to become an investor, click here.
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About the Great Outdoors Foundation
The Great Outdoors Foundation exists to advance conservation through innovation, collaboration, and stewardship. We are the foremost fundraising professionals in the conservation and outdoor recreation sector. Together, we activate meaningful, accessible initiatives that enhance our environment and improve quality of life. Over the last few years, we have invested more than $200 million in conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives, and we’re just getting started.
