The Charles Darwin Foundation, a 50-year-old conservation organization on the Galápagos Islands, faces an uncertain future. Though the Ecuadorean government calls the foundation "essential," the government hasn't provided the organization with the money it needs to survive to 2015, and it hasn't re-opened a souvenir shop that brought the CDF sorely needed revenue. The foundation must raise $1 million before the end of 2014 or it will be bankrupt.

The organization has been financially shaky for yearsThe Galápagos Islands famously inspired Darwin's masterpiece on evolution, On the Origin of the Species. While observing animals, he found a group of similar finches that varied from island to island; each species was uniquely adapted to its environment. These discoveries inspired his theory of natural selection. The CDF, founded in Belgium and named for the naturalist, works closely with Galápagos National Park to conserve the islands. It monitors 120 species on the island, has tagged 250 local sharks to study, and hand-rears the critically endangered mangrove finches, of which there are only 60 to 80 birds left.

The CDF is more than two months late with salaries"The closure of the store basically ruined our 2014 budget," CDF president Dennis Geist told Nature. "We have no endowment. We don’t even have any reserve funds. The closing of the Darwin station is a very realistic possibility right now." The CDF is more than two months late with salaries, executive director Swen Lorenz said.