Goron, CoralineYang, ShangyiWang, SimingLi, Muyang2024-04-292024-04-292024-04-28https://hdl.handle.net/10161/30629Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) are pivotal stewards of biodiversity-rich areas, yet they often face significant financial constraints that impede their conservation efforts. This study, conducted in collaboration with the Global Environmental Institute, investigates the funding practices of international philanthropic foundations to identify how these can be enhanced to support IPLCs more effectively. Through interviews with seven international foundations who made commitments to support IPLCs, two intermediary organizations, and one IPLC group, this study explores the challenges within current funding mechanisms aimed at supporting biodiversity conservation by IPLCs. Our findings illuminate a complex funding landscape where long-term, unrestricted financial support is recognized as crucial yet hindered by several barriers. These include inadequate capacity within IPLC groups, misaligned priorities between donors and IPLCs, persistent language obstacles, trust issues, and hard to satisfy financial reporting demands. We also find that some organizations are already pursuing innovative practices that have the potential to overcome these barriers and serve as reference for other donors. Our analysis suggests that international foundations should focus on providing long-term, unrestricted funding directly to IPLC organizations while investing more in building their capacity to manage funds and projects, as well as to enhance their decision-making roles. Moreover, they should adopt policies that promote the use of indigenous local languages in their programs to enhance understanding, participation, and effectiveness. Foundations and other donor organizations who want to support IPLCs should also reform their governance structures to enable greater IPLC representation, and set explicit targets for reducing the number of intermediaries while also increasing direct funding to them. It is highly recommended that foundations ought to clearly define and plan to increase direct funding allocations to grassroots communities and local organizations in future funding cycles. They should also reevaluate their risk perceptions related to biodiversity conservation, prioritizing investment over avoidance, and maintain transparency and collaborative practices to strengthen local organizational capacities in alignment with IPLC priorities. Despite ongoing challenges, there is an increasing acknowledgment of the necessity for inclusive strategies and partnerships that align conservation efforts with the unique needs and priorities of IPLCs. This study serves as a reference for optimizing fund distribution to those who are integral to safeguarding global biodiversity.en-USIndigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs)Biodiversity conservationInternational philanthropic foundationsDirect fundingFunding barriersInnovative practices