A coalition of 15 philanthropic organizations has committed $102.5 million over five years to back Indigenous-led conservation and restoration work across the United States — a shift in funding that advocates say is long overdue.
At a glance
- Tribal Nations Conservation Pledge: Launched in March 2023 C.E. by Native Americans in Philanthropy and the Biodiversity Funders Group, the pledge asks foundations to allocate a self-determined percentage of their funds to tribes, inter-tribal organizations, and tribal consortia working on biodiversity and conservation.
- Indigenous-led conservation: Fifteen funders have made commitments so far, including the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Christensen Fund, Alaska Conservation Foundation, and Decolonizing Wealth Project.
- Philanthropic funding gap: Less than 0.5% of philanthropic dollars have historically gone to Native American communities, and fewer still have reached Indigenous-led conservation efforts specifically.
Why this pledge matters
Indigenous peoples are recognized as stewards of roughly 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity, yet they have received a tiny fraction of global conservation funding. In the U.S., the 574 federally recognized tribes manage more than 140 million acres of land — yet only about $5 to $6 million per year is available to support that stewardship across all of them.
That mismatch has real consequences. Tribal conservation programs are often under-resourced for the scale of land and species they protect. Erik Stegman, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy, told Mongabay that the pledge is designed to make it easier for funders to invest in tribal-led efforts while increasing overall philanthropic support for these initiatives.
This is one of many Indigenous rights wins emerging from growing recognition that traditional ecological knowledge and community-based stewardship are among the most effective tools available in the biodiversity crisis.
How the funding will work
The pledge is flexible by design. Funders can select projects that fit their giving priorities, including Indigenous-led natural resource and conservation programs, tribal-led NGOs working in direct partnership with tribes, regranting programs that offer technical assistance, and nonprofit fiscal agents recommended by a tribal nation. Tribes developing co-stewardship arrangements with federal agencies are also eligible.
NAP and BFG have also established a Tribal Nations Funding Collaborative — a tribal-led support system and forum where participating funders can share knowledge and move resources quickly to tribes. Stegman said NAP and BFG will work directly with each funder to support effective investments.
Specific projects to receive funding had not yet been announced at the time the pledge launched.
Conservation, culture, and climate
“Conservation is not just about safeguarding land,” Stegman said in the pledge announcement. “It’s about prioritizing people, especially those who hold the traditional knowledge on how to combat our climate and biodiversity crisis, and recognizing that they can chart a path forward.”
Sam Gill, president and CEO of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, echoed that framing: “Conservation led by tribal and Indigenous communities is one of the biggest opportunities to assure a more sustainable and just future for all.”
The pledge also connects to the global Kunming-Montreal biodiversity framework, which sets a goal of protecting 30% of the planet’s land and waters by 2030 C.E. While the U.S. is not a party to that agreement, the Biden-Harris administration incorporated the 30×30 target into its America the Beautiful initiative. NAP and BFG said the pledge will help accelerate progress toward that goal. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has already moved in a similar direction, setting aside 10% of America the Beautiful Challenge funding for tribal-led projects.
A shift — but gaps remain
The $102.5 million commitment marks a meaningful increase in philanthropic attention to tribal conservation, but it does not close the structural funding shortfall tribes face. Legislation that could have helped — the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which aimed to direct $97.5 million annually to tribal nations for species protection — expired without passing the Senate. Sponsors reintroduced the bill in early 2023 C.E., but its fate remained uncertain.
The pledge itself is voluntary and self-determined, meaning the percentage each funder commits is up to them. Whether the momentum behind it translates into sustained, long-term investment — or remains a one-time gesture — will depend on funders following through over the full five-year period and beyond.
Still, tribal leaders and conservationists have called this kind of recognition a necessary first step. Similar momentum is visible elsewhere: Indigenous-led conservation efforts in Namibia have drawn international attention, and a landmark $375 million agreement in Canada’s Northwest Territories has set a precedent for large-scale Indigenous conservation funding. The U.S. pledge joins a growing body of evidence that directing resources to communities with the deepest knowledge of the land is one of the most effective investments conservation philanthropy can make.
Read more
For more on this story, see: Mongabay
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- How Indigenous-led conservation is reshaping Africa’s approach to wildlife
- Canada’s Northwest Territories seals a $375 million Indigenous conservation agreement
- The Good News for Humankind archive on Indigenous rights
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