Founded in 1989, The Conservation Alliance (TCA) has granted over $30 million to local and national groups seeking to conserve and protect critical landscapes across North America. These grants have supported projects resulting in the protection of over 125 million acres of land and nearly 5,000 river miles.
But that’s not the whole story. Like many long-standing philanthropic organizations in the conservation space, The Conservation Alliance’s funding and partnerships did not account for the diversity of organizations and groups leading conservation work on the ground.
Back in 2020, we found that just 0.5% of all of our grants were funding projects led by Indigenous groups and communities of color. Now, we’re proud to say that that number has increased to over 40%.
With TCA’s recent announcement of our fifth round of grantees for the program, we want to acknowledge the important progress we’ve collectively made, reflect on the lessons we’ve learned along the way, and contemplate how we can continue to build our understanding of true partnership.
How We Got Here
Once the TCA team identified the considerable gap in funding, we quickly took action. Our first step was hiring consultants, Teresa Baker and Marcelo Bonta, to examine our organization’s programs and structures.
“We took a hard look at our core grant program and acknowledged that it unintentionally created barriers for historically marginalized communities to access funding,” said Josie Norris, former Grant Program Director at The Conservation Alliance. “We had a responsibility to change that. Designing a new grant program rooted in shared power and community ownership allowed us to carry those lessons forward and reshape all of our grantmaking.”
Together, we identified a path forward that included a new grant program specifically dedicated to funding organizations led by racially underrepresented communities. The Confluence Program officially kicked off in 2021 with an advisory committee brought on to help lead decision making, and the first slate of grantees announced in December, 2021.
Five Years of Impact
When building the foundation of the Confluence Program, we recognized that the TCA staff alone didn’t hold the expertise needed for truly informed decision making. We established an advisory committee that consisted of representatives from TCA, our member companies, grantee partners, and others in the conservation and philanthropy space. The advisory committee’s goal is to share power with and learn from those who are closer to the issues we seek to address and have different knowledge and viewpoints in order to increase our impact and reach.
“The Conservation Alliance’s Confluence Program is vital to Kahtoola because the future of conservation depends on leaders who reflect the full diversity of the communities connected to these landscapes. When we support leaders of color, we’re not just investing in equity; we’re strengthening the movement with voices, wisdom, and lived experiences that make our collective impact deeper, more just, and more enduring.” – Betsy Harter, Associate of Sustainability, Conservation, & Philanthropy at Kahtoola and 2024 Confluence Program Advisory Committee member
The program has now funded a diverse array of projects spanning North America. From National Monument and Marine Sanctuary designations, to major dam removals, and the establishment of community green space, each of the projects we’ve funded has been deeply meaningful to the organizations leading them and the surrounding communities.
Here is what some of our grantees have to say about the impact of the Confluence Program:
“The Valentine Community Conservation Park residents are eternally grateful for the funding assistance we received from the Confluence Program in 2021-2022. Receiving a conservation grant in a predominantly Afro-American city was the catalyst for other funders to invest in a declining, marginalized city. The park opened in 2023 and there are now plans being implemented to revitalize the lands within a mile radius of the park, creating even more green space for our community to enjoy for generations to come.” – Lillie Douglas, Valentine Conservation Community, 2021 Confluence Grantee
“The Confluence Program helps fill a crucial gap in ecological protection. The program has a process to tactically fund organizations and work that produce substantial on-the-ground outcomes but may not receive enough financial support. This grant helped Great Plains Restoration Council operationalize larger capacity for our youth Restoration Not Incarceration program to restore and protect the largest stronghold of endangered native tallgrass Fort Worth Prairie left under the southern Central Flyway, while also laying the groundwork for a potential major new State Park for buffalo and prairie dogs in the legendary Panhandle Plains of Texas.” – Jarid Manos, Great Plains Restoration Council, 2022 Confluence Grantee, and 2023 Confluence Program Advisory Committee member
“The Confluence Program provided the Northern Chumash Tribal Council with both monetary and non-monetary benefits, enhancing our visibility and capacity during our successful Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary campaign. TCA member company, Rivian, connected us with the program. Rivian’s support helped us assess our ancestral lands for runoff into sanctuary waters, with a specific focus on preserving Southern California Steelhead. Both partnerships reawakened an interconnected ecological rhythm that will continue to enhance the A’tishwin (Lifeforce) for generations to come.” – Violet Sage Walker, Chumash Marine Sanctuary, 2023 Confluence Grantee
Lessons Learned
The first five years of running the Confluence Program have taught our team so much about authentic partnership and the role that we can and should play in dismantling historic biases that are deeply rooted in conservation philanthropy. A few of our biggest takeaways so far are:
- Create a space that is inviting for Indigenous groups and communities of color. It’s not enough to simply open the door to fund historically underrepresented communities. We need to be intentional about creating a space where organizations and individuals feel welcome. By partnering with our advisory committee members, expanding our own understanding of community needs, and developing intentional relationships, we have tried to widen our network and demonstrate our commitment to more equitable conservation.
- Set up a program that eliminates any unnecessary barriers. The grant process can be a challenge for new groups or those that have limited capacity. The Confluence Program does not require a TCA member nomination or 501c3 status, does not request a program budget until further in the process, and offers accommodations to those that may need additional support.
- Share power through an advisory committee to challenge and expand your knowledge base and connect others to your work. TCA made an intentional decision to develop an annual advisory committee composed of individuals of color and white allies in order to increase collaboration and learning within the wider conservation sector. With a new committee each year, our members bring fresh perspectives, new relationships and networks, and push us to consistently re-examine our structures and policies.
- Offer longer term funding. From the start, TCA awarded two-year grants to Confluence Program grantees to help them build capacity and develop a more stable runway to move forward on their work. The longer timeframe has also allowed us to create deeper partnerships with grantees, understanding their needs and how the relationship can go beyond a monetary donation.
- Understand your role. Conservation funders that invest in community-led conservation cannot take credit for diversifying the movement. The conservation movement is already diverse, but for too long, there have been barriers for many individuals and communities to access funding. As a funder, we realized that we could help share information about strong community-led efforts with other funders, hopefully shedding light on the incredible work already happening and expanding opportunities for those groups. After each Confluence Program grant cycle, we share these details with other funders and try to connect critical work to needed support.
Continuing to Learn and Grow
Ultimately, the Confluence Program seeks to continue to expand our network of grassroots and community partners to represent a coalition of everyone working to protect natural places. This is more than just the right thing to do – it is what leads us to more impactful outcomes. While our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is ongoing, we are also giving ourselves flexibility to adapt as we learn, so we can continue to do better.
We are committed to consistently reevaluating every aspect of the program to ensure it’s meeting the unique needs of the communities we serve and the groups we are funding. As those needs evolve, so must we.
Great things happen when a diverse coalition of voices and perspectives comes together to champion solutions that balance the best interests of land, water, and people. The Confluence Program has been a critical step in our efforts to help create new systems and structures that bring all of the groups, organizations, and businesses committed to this work closer together to protect our shared natural places. We look forward to continuing our journey with each of you.
