What is the Great Lakes Protection Fund?
The Great Lakes Protection Fund is a private, not-for-profit corporation. The Governors of the Great Lakes states created the Fund in 1989 to be a permanent source of financial support for innovative regional efforts to protect and restore the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The Fund provides support in the form of grants, loans, and other investments. Where does the Great Lakes Protection Fund’s money come from? Seven Great Lakes states provided one-time contributions to create the Fund’s permanent endowment. The states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have contributed $81 million to the Fund’s permanent endowment. This endowment is invested to produce income. Two-thirds of the Fund’s net income is dedicated to regional projects that produce tangible improvements to the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The remaining third is distributed annually to the member states in proportion to their original contribution, so that the member s
