The Arannayk Foundation, also known as the Bangladesh Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation, was established jointly by the Governments of Bangladesh and the United States of America as a not-for-profit company for promoting conservation of forests and biodiversity of the country. The Foundation is managed by a Board of Directors with two representatives from the two governments and five Directors from civil society organizations.

The primary source of fund of the Foundation is the government of the United States of America which has agreed to pay USD 8 million, under a debt reduction agreement, for piloting different projects on community based conservation of forests and biodiversity. The Foundation has so far received USD 6 million, with which it has been implementing a number of projects through local NGOs and relevant professional organizations of the country. Presently there are 21 on-going projects which include indigenous community based conservation of mouza forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, community based conservation of swamp (hijal-koroch) forests in haor areas, conservation of coastal biodiversity, conservation of homestead biodiversity and conservation of indigenous and endangered medicinal plants. Among the upcoming projects co-management of degraded sal forests and hill forests, assessment of biodiversity and carbons stock in protected forest areas and assessment of habitat quality and population of keystone species of wild animals in the natural forests are noteworthy.

The main strategy of Arannayk Foundation for promoting conservation of forests and biodiversity is to involve local communities in the management of the forests and to create opportunities for them to generate income through alternative means so that their dependence on forests is reduced. Thus the projects of the Arannayk Foundation contribute simultaneously to both forest conservation and poverty reduction. Its projects support strengthening of community based organizations and developing their technical and entrepreneurial skills and access to funds for alternative income generating activities.

The results of the ongoing pilot projects are encouraging. To create a significant impact towards conserving and restoring the natural forests and biodiversity assets of the country, the successful approaches and activities of the pilot projects need to be replicated. Arannayk Foundation needs additional funds for this purpose. Therefore, it wishes to seek funds from potential donors including international and bilateral donors as well as the environmentally aware private sector organizations of the country.

To encourage the private sector organizations, especially industrial concerns, to sponsor community based forest and biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration (climate change mitigation) projects through the Arannayk Foundation, the latter is planning to offer them the opportunity of using its logo and motto (forest and biodiversity conservation) on their products and promotional materials to promote their 'green image'. This scheme will also provide them the opportunity to demonstrate their compliance or voluntary contribution (as a corporate social responsibility) to climate change mitigation through reducing emissions from forest degradation and deforestation.

To materialize its stated fund raising strategy, the Arannayk Foundation plans to popularize itself among potential donors, collaborators and general public by widely disseminating its vision, activities and success stories and by being branded with a more attractive new logo, including a tag line highlighting the characteristics and/or vision of the organization.

To have the new logo (with a tagline), proposals including the design idea (and/or draft) and quotation of price are being invited from competent organizations and individuals, which should be submitted to the office of the undersigned in sealed envelopes by 02 May 2010.

The Executive Director
Arannayk Foundation
Appt. No. 4-A, House 120, Road 1, Block-F,
Banani, Dhaka 1213.