The Conservation Foundation, a registered charity in the UK, was founded on 5 March 1982 by David Bellamy and David Shreeve. Bellamy was the president of the foundation. Dorothy Harris is chair as of 2022, and David is its executive director.
The charity is governed by a board of directors and supported by a council. Based in the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London, the activities of the organization primarily cover the UK, but past projects have covered every continent on Earth.
The foundation runs a number of projects to engage the public in environmental issues. Most are aimed at communities around the UK, whilst others target specific regions of the UK or operate internationally.
The charity is supported through government funding, charitable trusts and foundations, individuals, and business sponsorship through corporate social responsibility projects. It is not a membership organisation.