WWF is a global organization that is doing all it can to halt the accelerating destruction of our natural world. Yet it is no good being global if we cannot act locally.
WWF is an independent foundation registered under Swiss law. A Board of Trustees under an International President governs it. Currently, the President is Ms Yolanda Kakabadse. The long-time President and now President Emeritus is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Gland, Switzerland is the home of WWF International, the secretariat for WWF´s global organization. Its role is to lead and coordinate the WWF Network of offices around the world, through developing policies and priorities, fostering global partnerships, coordinating international campaigns and providing supportive measures in order to make the global operation run as smoothly as it can. The secretariat is under the directorship of Mr James P. Leape.
The WWF network is extensive: independent National Organizations exist in 27 countries, including Finland. In addition, WWF has five Associate Organizations and 24 Programme Offices around the world. Click the link below ofr contact details of all WWF Offices.
National Organizations raise funds and carry out vital conservation work independently, whereas Programme Offices, as yet, cannot finance their own work. Programme Offices receive funding from National Organizations and WWF International. In all cases, WWF´s offices carry out local conservation work, such as practical field projects, scientific research, advising local and national governments on environmental policy, promoting environmental education and raising awareness of environmental issues.
Each independent office additionally contributes funding to WWF´s global conservation programme, while all offices help contribute to an enormous pool of environmental expertise and knowledge.
A specialist office in Brussels works to influence the policies and activities of the European Union, while a second in Washington works to influence global institutions involved in international economic issues, such as the World Bank.
WWF´s five Associate Organizations are independent non-governmental bodies that work closely WWF in countries where WWF has no independent office. The Associates promote shared conservation objectives, but do not contribute financially to the WWF Network.
In all, WWF has offices in 50 countries, but it operates in nearly one hundred countries around the world. WWF´s offices, field projects and friends all around the world are working as a team towards an overall goal: to halt and reverse the destruction of our natural environment.