Bayerischer Naturschutzfonds

In 1982, the Bavarian Nature Conservation Fund was established as an independent, legally capable foundation under public law, based in Munich. As a non-profit foundation of the Free State of Bavaria, it supports measures for the protection, care, and development of nature and landscape in Bavaria. The funds originate from the income of the capital endowment, designated revenues, the GlücksSpirale lottery, and government grants. The fund particularly supports project sponsors such as nature conservation and landscape management associations as well as municipalities, and awards the Bavarian Biodiversity Prize "Nature.Diversity.Bavaria" every two years.

The mission of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Fund is the preservation of biodiversity, including genetic diversity; the protection, development, and networking of habitats and ecological communities; the conservation and further development of regionally typical cultural landscapes and geotopes; the promotion of dynamic natural processes (process protection); as well as the strengthening of awareness and acceptance of nature conservation and landscape management.

The Bavarian Nature Conservation Fund primarily directs its funding programs to nature conservation and landscape management associations (e.g., Bund Naturschutz, Landesbund für Vogelschutz), municipalities and municipal associations in Bavaria, as well as other non-profit organizations implementing measures for habitat and species protection. Projects supported include those in the areas of land acquisition (purchase, lease), specialist planning and area management, project management, species support measures, and scientifically based concepts.