The JRS Biodiversity Foundation is an independent grantmaking foundation based in the USA with assets of over US$ 45 million. JRS awards about $2M in grants per year to promote research and increase access and use of biodiversity information in sub-Saharan Africa. We envision a world in which biodiversity knowledge contributes to conserving the Earth’s biodiversity for the benefit of society. Our mission is to increase access to and use of information that leads to greater biodiversity conservation and more sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. Our goal is to increase the capacity of the institutions and people who collect and disseminate biodiversity data and information (“biodiversity informatics”) and to connect this knowledge to stakeholders who make and influence decisions that are crucial to preserving biodiversity.