The Board of the BPAF was established in July 2014. It is comprised of 11 members, six of whom are appointed by the Government, one each by The Nature Conservancy and the Bahamas National trust, with the final three being NGO representatives. Board members bring experience in one or more pertinent areas including ecological science, biodiversity conservation, finance, law and investment management. Currently, no 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 the BPAF include subventions from the Government of The Bahamas, a one-time allocation from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), conditional disbursements from the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, and any interest that the Fund accrues.
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.