The SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program fosters partnerships between organizations interested in improving forest management in the United States and Canada, and responsible procurement globally. Projects address topics of current importance such as improving wildlife habitat management and conservation of biodiversity, avoiding controversial sources of fiber such as those resulting from illegal logging, and assisting local communities through forest education programs and green building projects for low-income families.

SFI Inc. invested a total of $464,000 in the conservation grant program in 2011, bringing the total invested in 2010 and 2011 to $1.14 million, which includes support for a number of multi-year projects. Through the involvement of partners, the projects will leverage additional resources to achieve a total value of $4.2 million.

The grant program builds on the fact SFI is the only forest certification standard in North America that requires participants to support and engage in research activities to improve forestry forest health, productivity and sustainable management of forest resources, and the environmental benefits and performance of forest products. Since 1995, SFI program participants have invested more than $1.2 billion in forest research activities.