How we work

Allies of the territory. Never above it.

Conservation only lasts when it belongs to the people who live the territory. Our job is to remove the friction — funding, science, networks, visibility — so community leadership can do what it already does best.

Have a first conversation See the full process

Divers tending an underwater coral nursery. — Taken in the Salango/ Ciriales reef in Ecuador's Machalilla National Park, where CONMAR stewards a marine ecosystem of high biodiversity value — divers tend a mid-water coral nursery, where fragments of climate-resilient coral are grown on suspended frames before being out-planted onto degraded reefs to rebuild fish habitat and shoreline protection.Inside Ecuador's Machalilla Natural Park, CONMAR runs a living coral nursery. Divers raise climate-resilient coral fragments on suspended frames before transplanting them onto damaged reefs — rebuilding fish habitat and shoreline protection, one piece at a time.Meet our partnering communities

How we work

Allies of the territory. Never above it.

Have a first conversation See the full collaboration process

HOW IT WORKS (IN DEPTH)

Nine steps. Two sides. One throughline.

Community-sideFunder-sideBoth

The full arc of a partnership — from first relationship through implementation, reporting and renewal.

01
Genuine, non-transactional relationships with a handful of already in place across Latin America.
02
Co-development of fundable conservation and other community-led projects — and translating existing needs into fundable formats.
03
We work with communities to understand the local context, confirm how decisions are made, clarify the proposed use of funds and identify material risks or safeguards around the specific collaboration.
04
Funder suitability check — motivation, track record, reputation, and values. Communities have the final word.
05
Community demo meeting followed by joint expectations mapping and final community collaboration selection.
06
Alignment on project-level deal structure: amount, coordination fee, timeline, results, funding needs, transparency, and reporting cadence.
07
Community implements, restores, stewards, conserves. We monitor progress, fund usage, risks — and report back to you.
08
Recurring updates during implementation and structured report post-execution.
09
Joint review of results and pathways for renewal or continued collaboration.

Take the first step

What you get

What partnering with us gives you.

A single point of contact

One trusted door instead of managing many relationships across projects, organizations, and territories — with access to diverse, field-verified initiatives and local partners.

Ground-level insight

Direct understanding of community needs, priorities, and context you couldn't reach on your own — a responsible way into community-led climate and nature funding.

A de-risked capital plan

A clear, gap-free deployment plan before a euro moves — with a credible read on each opportunity: community involvement, funding-readiness, rights situation, and foreseeable risks.

Radical transparency

Transparent fund flow, documentation, and funder-legible updates through implementation and a post-execution report — without forcing communities into heavy compliance. More visibility when you want it.

Misuse safeguards

Safeguards that reduce misuse risk and keep your support aligned with local priorities — never against them. Full insight into the structures and measures that prevent capital misuse.

Our Principles

Some of our guiding principles

1Community first.
2Capital must reinforce community autonomy.
3Climate impact must be rooted in local consent.
4No extractive intermediation.
5Long-term stewardship over short-term transactions.
6Transparency and accountability on each side.
7Biodiversity, climate, and livelihoods are interdependent.
8Communities are partners and stewards, not beneficiaries.

Economic principles

An ecological economy, by design.

Our financial framework is written into our constitution. 100% of committed project capital is reserved for and used exclusively for the community-agreed purpose — our coordination fee is paid on top by the funder, never deducted from the community's allocation.

Direct to territory

Every euro of committed project capital goes to the projects and partner communities — by design, not by promise. Our fee sits on top, paid by the funder.

Ecological economy

We back development models grounded in ecological economy: responsible use of resources and long-term sustainability across generations.

Full traceability

Every cost is identified, justified and documented. Periodic reports to donors, allies and stakeholders.

Independent audits

Internal controls, external audits and independent evaluations safeguard the right use of every resource.

Direct to territory

All capital reaches the community. Our fee is paid by the funder.

Ecological economy

Responsible resource use and long-term sustainability.

Full traceability

All costs identified and documented. Reports to donors.

Independent audits

Controls and audits protect the right use of resources.

Put this approach to work

Does this way of working fit what you fund?

If our method resonates, the next step is a short conversation — about your priorities, ours, and where they overlap.

Start a conversation Or email us directly