The Great Lakes Protection Fund's mission is to identify, demonstrate and promote regional action to enhance the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The governors of the Great Lakes states created the Fund in 1989 to help them protect and restore their shared natural resource. The Fund is the first private, permanent endowment created to benefit a specific ecosystem. The governors designed the Fund to catalyze the continuous development of new technologies, innovative methods, and practical regional actions to improve the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem.