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 77% are Indigenous-led organizations and 70% are unrestricted grants. 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 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.
Grants (or portions thereof) that support this pledge made thus far in 2022 (as of 6/30/22) total $3,078,500 to the following partner organizations:
- Articulação dos Povos e Organizações Indígenas do Nordeste, Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo (APOINME)
- Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan, A.C.
- Cultural Survival
- 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
- 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
- Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua
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.