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Our vision, mission and strategy

Baby Galapagos sea lion
© Heikki Huhtinen
Charmian Caines, GCT Chair of the Board of Trustees, at Galapagos Day 2022

Who we are

Galapagos Conservation Trust was launched in 1995 and is the only UK-registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainable development of the Galapagos Archipelago. We deliver programmes that fill gaps in scientific and socioeconomic knowledge, fund local scientists, NGOs and community groups, and partner with Ecuadorian authorities. We advocate for change to protect the wildlife of Galapagos, while amplifying the local voices of Galapagos across the UK and beyond. 

Galapagos Conservation Trust is a UK registered charity (No.1043470) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 3004112). 

Opuntia on Isabela island
© George Tzircotis

Our vision

Our vision is to see the unique nature and beauty of the Galapagos Archipelago conserved and protected in perpetuity.

Download our Impact Plan
Waved albatrosses
© Kyle Cunningham

Our mission

The Trust supports, develops and promotes projects that achieve measurable conservation, sustainable living and protection of the environment in Galapagos.

Our solutions

Lonesome George on Pinta island

Stop species extinctions

Nearly 200 species in Galapagos are considered in danger of extinction.
Brown rat

Control invasive species

Despite strong biosecurity measures, invasive species are devastating native plants and animals.
Sunset over Daphne Major, Galapagos

Build climate resilience

Climate change is likely to increase the frequency of El Niño events, which can be catastrophic for Galapagos wildlife.
Road on Santa Cruz, Galapagos

Reduce human footprint

Population growth leads to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflicts and pressure on resources.
Coastal landscape in Floreana, Galapagos
© Charlotte Brett

Restoring Islands

Species return and thrive alongside people 

By 2030 we aim to:

  • Restore Floreana and reintroduce 12 lost native species
  • Boost populations of landbirds and tortoises on populated islands
  • Rewild the highlands and support communities to thrive alongside nature
View projects
Scalloped hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
© Simon Pierce

Protecting Oceans

Galapagos seas are pollution free and full of life 

By 2030 we aim to:

  • Protect 30% of Ecuadorian waters
  • Reduce plastic pollution by 30% on Galapagos coastlines
  • Protect sharks from unsustainable fishing in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
View projects

Our values

Our Fundraising Promise

We never underestimate how important our supporters are; without your incredible support, we simply would not be able to help protect Galapagos. All of our staff and any external organisations that work for us adhere to the strictest of fundraising guidelines, ensuring our fundraising practices are legal, open, honest and respectful of your wishes and privacy.

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and are committed to the standards set out in the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice, which are designed to protect your interests as a donor. 

 In return for your support, we promise to: 

  • Uphold the highest standards in fundraising – we’ll never sell your data to other companies or charities; we will respect your privacy and we won’t use intrusive or aggressive fundraising techniques that put you under undue pressure to donate. 
  • Be transparent – we conduct our fundraising with transparency, and we spend the money we raise through fundraising on the projects we set out to. We will keep our regular donors up to date with news about GCT projects and appeals.
  • Spend your donations well – we’ll be open about how we raise money and how it is spent. In 2022, for every £1 you gave we spent 87p on conservation in Galapagos, and the rest on fundraising and administration.
  • Communicate with you how you want – we’ll make it easy for you to choose how you hear from us. If you ask us not to contact you, we won’t, unless it’s a legal requirement. You can change how we communicate with you at any time by contacting us.
  • Value your time – for everyone who gives us their time to fundraise, volunteer or campaign, we promise to value your skills and your views so that you can help in a way that suits you.
  • Listen to and resolve any complaints – we have a complaints procedure (available on request in writing) where we listen and respond to any feedback respectfully, and we monitor and report on complaints to trustees. 
  • Respect your rights and privacy – in accordance with data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR); the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR); the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and all other relevant UK data protection legislation. 

We encourage any supporters with questions or enquiries about our fundraising to contact us on 0207 399 7440 or by emailing [email protected]. If you would like to find out more about our commitments, you can visit the Fundraising Promise as set out by the Fundraising Regulator. 

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