WWF is an independent foundation registered under Swiss law, governed by a Board of Trustees under an International President.

Dr. Adil Najam is the President.

WWF International is the secretariat for WWF's global organization, and is based out of four regional hubs. The primary hub, and seat of the Director General, is in Gland, Switzerland. The role of the secretariat is to lead and coordinate the WWF Network of offices around the world, through developing policies and priorities, fostering global partnerships, coordinating international campaigns, and providing supportive measures in order to help make the global operation run as smoothly as it can. 

The various WWF offices around the world come under two categories:

1. Those that can raise funds and carry out work autonomously (known as National Organizations), and
2. Those that must work under the direction of one of the independent WWF offices (known as Programme Offices).

In all cases, WWF's offices carry out conservation work such as practical field projects, scientific research, advising local and national governments on environmental policy, promoting environmental education, and raising awareness of environmental issues.

A specialist WWF office in Brussels works to influence the policies and activities of the European Union, while a second WWF Office in Washington DC works to influence global institutions involved in international economic issues, such as the World Bank.

WWF's three Associate Organisations are non-governmental organizations that work closely with WWF in countries where WWF has no independent office. The Associates promote shared conservation objectives, but do not contribute financially to the WWF Network.

In all, WWF has primary offices and associates in over 40 countries around the world, working as a team towards an overall goal: to halt and reverse the destruction of our natural environment.

The inspiration came from Chi-Chi: a giant panda that had arrived at the London Zoo in the year 1961, when WWF was being created.

Aware of the need for a strong, recognisable symbol that would overcome all language barriers, WWF's founders agreed that the big, furry animal with her appealing, black-patched eyes would make an excellent logo.

The first sketches were done by the British environmentalist and artist, Gerald Watterson.

Based on these, Sir Peter Scott, one of those founders, drew the first logo, and said at the time... "We wanted an animal that is beautiful, is endangered, and one loved by many people in the world for its appealing qualities. We also wanted an animal that had an impact in black and white to save money on printing costs."

The black-and-white panda has since come to stand as a symbol for the conservation movement as a whole.