Updated August 19, 2024
At the World Leaders Summit at COP26, the Christensen Fund joined the UK, Norway, Germany, the US, and the Netherlands, and over 15 private funders in a collective pledge of 1.7 billion USD for Indigenous and local communities to protect tropical forests that are vital ecosystems to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pandemic risk. The Christensen Fund joined this pledge in recognition of the importance of the rights and self determination of Indigenous Peoples in climate finance commitments.
In carrying out our part of the pledge, The Christensen Fund is committed to:
1. Upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in all of our actions,
2. Practicing transparency regarding our giving practices in carrying out our commitment to the wider pledge, and;
3. Being accountable by providing regular updates on our grantmaking, how we are engaging with other signatories, and how we are encouraging the participation of Indigenous peoples throughout the five years of the pledge.
To honor the self determination and the rights of Indigenous Peoples as affirmed by the UNDRIP, The Christensen Fund is providing direct support to organizations and community partners whose work and ways of life sustain and protect tropical forests. Below is a list of the organizations we have supported to date of which 76.62% are Indigenous-led organizations, and 89.78% of the grants offer unrestricted and flexible funding. 100% of the organizational support that The Christensen Fund provides is for the benefit of Indigenous Peoples. Grants (or portions thereof) that support this pledge made in 2024 as of August 19 total $3,842,500.00 to the following partner organizations:
- Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara
- Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation
- Asociación Civil de Trabajo Socioambiental de la Amazonía WATANIBA
- Charapa Consult
- Cultural Survival
- Dynamique des Groupes de Peuples Autochtones (DGPA)
- Environmental Defenders Collaborative
- Forest Peoples Programme
- Global Alliance of Territorial Communities
- If Not Us Then Who
- Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation, Inc
- Indigenous Peoples Rights, Inc
- International Indian Treaty Council
- International Indigenous Women’s Forum
- International Land and Forest Tenure Facility
- International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs
- Mongabay Org Corporation
- Muuch-Kambal AC
- Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program
- Pawanka Fund
- Podáali – Fundo Indígena da Amazônia Brasileira
- Pueblo Originario Kichwa de Sarayaku
- Rainforest Foundation, Inc.
- Rainforest Foundation Norway
- Re:wild
- Rights and Resources Institute, Inc
- Tebtebba Foundation, Inc
- Ujamaa Community Resource Team
- Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua
Grants (or portions thereof) that support this pledge made in 2023 total $5,336,000 to the following partner organizations:
- Acuavita Foundation, for their fiscally sponsored project Comité para el Seguimiento a los 11 Planes de Justicia para Pueblos Indígenas
- Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nustantra (AMAN)
- Awé Tibúame
- Carto-crítica
- Centro de Capacitacion y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos e Indigenas A.C.
- Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan, A.C.
- Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, A.C.
- Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Inc.
- El Quinto Elemento Laboratorio de Investigación e Innovación Periodística
- Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide
- Estudios Rurales y Asesoría AC
- Federación Indígena Empresarial y Comunidades Locales de México A. C. (CIELO)
- Fondo Defensores A.C.
- Fondo Defensores for their fiscally sponsored project Indigenous Rights Law Clinic
- Forest Peoples Programme
- Foro Para el Desarrollo Sustentable A.C.
- Fundacion Pro Defensa de la Naturaleza y sus Derechos, for their fiscally sponored project Accion Ecologica
- Fundación Tosepan A.C.
- Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT)
- Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL)
- Indignación Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos AC
- Instituto Mexicano de Desarrollo Comunitario A.C.
- International Treaty Indian Council
- Kumoontun
- Litigio Estratégico Indígena
- Muuch-Kambal AC
- Namati
- Observatorio Latinoamericano de Derechos Colectivos y Conflictos Socioambientales
- Periodismo De Abajo
- Podaali – Fundo Indigena da Amazonia Brasileira
- Proyecto de Derechos Sociales Económicos y Culturales
- Raíchali Independiente A.C.
- Rainforest Foundation USA
- Re:wild
- Redes para la Diversidad y la Equidad A.C.
- Rhizomatica Communications
- Rights and Resources Institute, Inc
- Servicios Integrales Emuri A.C. (SINÉ)
- Snowchange Cooperative
- Somos Viento
- Synchronicity Earth USA
- Tarahumara’s Children Hospital for their fiscally sponsored project Centros Culturales de la Tarahumara
- Telecomunicaciones Indígenas Comunitarias AC
- Tequio Jurídico A.C.
- Timo Patla Intercultural
- Tsikini A.C.
- U Yix Lu’um
Grants (or portions thereof) that support this pledge made in 2022 total $5,495,000 to the following partner organizations:
- Articulação dos Povos e Organizações Indígenas do Nordeste, Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo (APOINME)
- Asociacion Civil de Trabajo Socioambiental de la Amazonia WATANIBA
- Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan, A.C.
- Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Inc.
- Cultural Survival
- Fondo Defensores
- Forest Peoples Programme
- Fundacion Karisma
- Fundación Tosepan A.C.
- Global Greengrants Fund
- Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT)
- Instituto Mexicano de Desarrollo Comunitario A.C. (IMDEC) for their fiscally sponsored project Fondo Defensores
- Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL)
- Indigenous Peoples Rights International and their US Public Charity Indigenous Peoples Rights, Inc.
- International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs
- Land is Life
- Ogiek Peoples Development Programme (OPDP)
- Rainforest Foundation USA
- Redes para la Diversidad y la Equidad A.C.
- Redes para la Diversidad y la Equidad A.C. for their fiscally sponsored project Chicharras
- Redes para la Diversidad y la Equidad A.C. for their fiscally sponsored project Ojo de Agua
- Servicios Integrales Emuri A.C. (SINÉ) for their fiscally sponsored project Futuros Indígenas
- Synchronicity Earth USA
- Tebtebba Foundation, Inc.
- Tsikini A.C.
- Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua
Grants (or portions thereof) that support this pledge made in 2021 total $2,869,400 to the following partner organizations:
- Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, A.C.
- Cultural Survival
- Federación Indígena Empresarial y Comunidades Locales de México A. C. (CIELO)
- Foro Para el Desarrollo Sustentable A.C.
- Indigenous Peoples Rights International and their US Public Charity Indigenous Peoples Rights, Inc.
- Instituto Mexicano de Desarrollo Comunitario A.C. (IMDEC)
- Instituto Mexicano de Desarrollo Comunitario A.C. (IMDEC) for their fiscally sponsored project Fondo Defensores
- International Land and Forest Tenure Facility
- International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs
- Land is Life
- Namati
- Redes para la Diversidad y la Equidad A.C.
- Redes para la Diversidad y la Equidad A.C. for their fiscally sponsored project Ojo de Agua
- Servicios Integrales Emuri A.C. (SINÉ)
- Servicios Integrales Emuri A.C. (SINÉ) for their fiscally sponsored project Futuros Indígenas
- Tebtebba Foundation, Inc.
- Tequio Jurídico A.C.
The Christensen Fund will update its activities under the pledge at least quarterly. We look forward to continued engagement to ensure best practices in this important work. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions at info@christensenfund.org.