The Board of BPAF was established in 2015. It is comprised of a maximum of 11 members, five of whom are appointed by the Government, one each by the Bahamas National Trust and The Nature Conservancy, with the final four being appointed by Board members.
Board members may serve for a maximum of four years. They bring experience in one or more pertinent areas including ecological science, biodiversity conservation, protected area management, finance, law, marketing and investment management.
Currently, only two Directors are employed by, affiliated with or controlled by the Government of The Bahamas.
The BPAF’s Act allow for a broad range of revenue sources including public and private donations, gifts and bequests, fees, investments and proceeds from the sale of tangible and intangible property. Current funding sources for BPAF include philanthropic contributions, grants, income on investments, conditional disbursements from the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, and a short-term financial mechanism with the Government of The Bahamas.
The BPAF functions under the core principles of:
Transparency
This principle is embodied in the BPAF Act’s provisions on conflict of interests and audits.
Accountability
This principle is embodied in the BPAF Act’s provision for the Board to issue an annual report to the Minister who shall share a copy with the House of Assembly and the Senate and to make the auditor’s annual report publicly available.
Independence / Non-Political
This principle is embodied to the BPAF Act’s provision that the Fund not publish propaganda, attempt to influence legislation or participate in any political campaign or on behalf of any political candidate or party.