2026 Conservation Finance Boot Camp

🌱 Are you trying to find new sources of funding to support your conservation work?

🌱 Do you want to learn how to blend different sources of funding in a conservation project?

🌱 Are you hoping to attract private investment to your work but wondering how to do so?

🌱 Do you want to meet other conservation practitioners also seeking to increase the pace, scale, and impact of their work?

Attend the Conservation Finance Boot Camp to learn the basics of conservation finance and make new connections to advance your work!

The Conservation Finance Network (CFN) is pleased to announce our 21st annual Conservation Finance Boot Camp. The Boot Camp will be held June 2-5, 2026 at the Yale School of the Environment in New Haven, CT, in partnership with the Yale Center for Business and the Environment. The Boot Camp helps early- and mid-career professionals understand innovative and effective financing strategies to achieve durable, equitable and climate-resilient conservation, restoration, and stewardship of natural resources.

The Boot Camp will primarily take place in person beginning morning of June 2nd and ending by early afternoon on June 5th in New Haven, CT. In advance of the Boot Camp, we will also have two mandatory, half-day virtual sessions to introduce key concepts on May 12 and 14.

We will run two application rounds:

Early Decision: Applications due December 15th, 2025

For those who know they want to attend the Boot Camp, or who would like to solidify their 2026 summer plans, we will make a select number of this year’s Boot Camp slots available to early decision applicants. If attending the Boot Camp is something you know you would like to do, then applying Early Decision is a good option. We will get back to early decision applicants by late January, 2026.

Regular Decision: Applications due January 21st, 2026

Most Boot Camp slots will be allocated through our Regular Decision application process. Applications are due January 21st, and we will communicate decisions in late February, 2026.

Apply for the 2026 Conservation Finance Boot Camp here!

If you need a downloadable copy of the 2026 Boot Camp application, click here. Please note that we do not accept applications submitted via email.

The Boot Camp offers in-depth insight on creative approaches, trends and opportunities in:

PUBLIC FUNDING

PHILANTHROPY

BRIDGE FINANCING & LOANS

PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

PARTNERING WITH PRIVATE INVESTORS

BLENDING DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FUNDING

There is a strong emphasis on practical, hands-on tools and case studies. The 2026 Boot Camp will showcase case examples from selected regions of the US and focus on topics relevant to attendee interests.

This year's Boot Camp will be geared towards those early in their conservation finance journey. The Boot Camp is especially well suited for project managers. Attendees are highly encouraged to bring active projects to workshop during the course and seek feedback and advice from their peers and expert Boot Camp resource faculty. Past attendees include land and resource conservation practitioners; public agency officials; foundation program officers; land trust project staff and executive directors; impact investing professionals; and more.

Please see the frequently asked questions below for more information.

Dates: June 2 – June 5, 2026 
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT 
In-Person Tuition: $2,950 plus a small processing fee which includes all local transportation and meals. 
In-Person Registration: The course is limited to 40 participants and has a competitive application process.
Travel: Attendees are responsible for expenses associated with lodging and transportation to and from the course. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should apply?

The course is ideal for those who are early in their conservation finance journey and are actively seeking to attract or deploy funding for a specific conservation project. We will assume some familiarity with land and resource conservation practices, but the Boot Camp will offer a primer in basic principles of both conservation and finance to ensure attendees have shared vocabulary. Content is tailored to conservation project staff who don’t have existing expertise in conservation finance but may also be appropriate for those who understand one funding or financing tool well and are seeking to learn about new tools or strategies. We strongly encourage applications from practitioners who are seeking feedback and advice on conservation finance projects they are currently working on.

Most of our past attendees come from public and non-profit conservation organizations, but we welcome practitioners from the philanthropic sector, too. Please note that the Boot Camp is geared towards project staff, rather than development staff. We do not generally accept current students, given the applied nature of the course.

What Content Will the Boot Camp Cover?

A sample Boot Camp agenda is available here. The Boot Camp will cover the basics of raising, managing and deploying capital for conservation, using a mix of traditional sources like government and philanthropic grants, as well as innovative methods that utilize private capital. You will learn about a range of financial tools like loans, cash flows for project revenues, ecosystem service markets, and Pay for Success models, and how these might apply to the conservation and restoration projects your organization is undertaking or might undertake. Please look at our Boot Camp page for prior agendas.

When are applications due, and when will I hear back?

We will have two application rounds for the 2026 Boot Camp. Early decision applications are due by December 15, 2025 for a decision in late January. Regular round applications are due by January 21, 2026 and we will communicate decisions in late February. We may re-open applications in the case that we have remaining seats in the course.

How do I access and submit the application?

The link to access the application is above. If you need a downloadable copy of the 2026 Boot Camp application, click here. Please note that we do not accept applications submitted via email, they must be submitted through the online application form.

How are decisions made?

Applicants are selected based on a combination of factors including the applicability of course content to their work, a demonstrated intent to apply what they learn, and cohort balance and composition. The Boot Camp is geared towards those new to conservation finance and those seeking a general introduction, and we will give special preference to those actively working on projects with specific funding or financing needs. We encourage seasoned conservation practitioners to contact us about other ways the CFN might be of assistance to your work.

Is there a waitlist?

Yes, we typically have a waitlist. When decisions are made, we will give select applicants the option to be added to the waitlist.

What are the costs of attending?

Tuition is $2,950 plus a small processing fee, which includes all local transportation and meals. Attendees are responsible for covering costs associated with lodging in New Haven and transportation to/from the course.

Are scholarships available?

Tuition scholarships may be made available for applicants whose organizations demonstrate financial need. However, scholarship funds are very limited and will be tailored to attendees working for small organizations. There will be a question in the application where you can detail your need for a scholarship.

Is the course open to applicants outside the United States?

The course content is geared towards practitioners based in the United States. We draw primarily upon domestic case studies and examples and most examples will be based on the U.S. legal code and public funding programs. Although some topics may be analogous to international projects, we cannot guarantee the tools and strategies covered in the course will be directly applicable to your work. We encourage practitioners outside the US to investigate training opportunities with our global counterparts, such as the Conservation Finance Alliance and the International Land Conservation Network.

Who do I contact if I have further questions?

If you have further questions, please contact Katie Michels, CFN's Director of Partnerships, at kmichels@conservation-finance.org.