The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, founded in 1888 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Society’s work spans exploration, scientific research, education, and storytelling, and it is governed as a separate nonprofit from National Geographic Partners (the commercial media arm).
The Society’s conservation work is directed through its Explorer programs, the National Geographic Society’s Explorer Grants, and signature initiatives including the Pristine Seas project (which has helped establish more than 25 of the world’s largest marine protected areas), the Big Cats Initiative, the Last Wild Places initiative, and the Nat Geo Photo Ark, which aims to document every species in captivity. The Society has also been a long-standing funder of primate and great ape field research through its Committee for Research and Exploration, much of which feeds into IUCN Red List assessments.
The Society’s deep network of explorers, researchers, and storytellers — combined with its 135-year record of independent scientific publishing — gives it a unique position in international conservation, and its grants have supported many of the field scientists who serve on IUCN Species Specialist Groups.
