The Confluence Program

Great things happen when a diverse coalition of voices and perspectives comes together to champion locally-led solutions that balance the best interests of land and water, wildlife, and people. For too long though, Tribal groups and communities of color have been excluded by the larger conservation community, leaving their critical expertise, knowledge, and local context out of these efforts. The Confluence Program was launched in 2021 to expand The Conservation Alliance’s network of grassroots and community partners that were doing meaningful conservation work. We knew that our network did not represent a coalition of everyone working to protect natural places. With a more intentional approach, we began a journey to grow our network and understand the immense conservation efforts that communities of color and Tribal groups were leading – efforts that have led to deep, impactful outcomes. From national monument designations to historical dam removal to durable private land protection, we have seen our Confluence Program partners lead and push forward historic successes.

Beginning in 2026, the next phase of the Confluence Program focuses on supporting durable conservation outcomes by deepening our relationships and further elevating the work of Tribal groups and communities of color. The support provided by this program is shaped to meet the unique needs of each group. Grantees will receive flexible funding to support their organization’s conservation efforts, in alignment with TCA’s conservation strategy. They will also be able to leverage capacity building dollars and other relevant resources to strengthen their infrastructure and operations to effectively deliver on their mission.

The Confluence Program will use an invite-only process to ensure that only the projects with the strongest alignment to TCA’s conservation strategy and program goals expend resources on the application process. The program’s funding decisions continue to be guided by an Advisory Committee that incorporates diverse expertise and backgrounds, and creates a space for learning and inquiry. Organizations selected for funding will be awarded three-year grants of $140,000.

After the proposal review process, we connect interested applicants with each other to foster relationships and a community of learning. We also share information with other funders to shed light on the volume of qualified groups that need funding, and to help make connections to our network of partners.

2026 Program Process and Timeline

Invitation to Apply: September – October 2026
TCA will leverage its network of members, funders, grantee partners, and other conservation experts to identify groups whose work strongly aligns to TCA’s conservation strategy and program goals. Applications will be due by October 30, 2026.

Application Review: November – December 2026
The Confluence Program’s Advisory Committee will review all submitted applications using teh funding criteria and priorities listed below. Staff may contact applicants with requests for additional information if needed. A subset of projects that best meet our funding criteria are selected to participate in virtual interviews with committee members.

Applicant Interviews: January 2027
Select applicants and their teams will be contacted to submit additional materials and to participate in virtual interviews with the Advisory Committee.

Grant Announcements: February 2027
After all interviews are completed, committee members will make final grant recommendations. Grant announcements are made through a press release, by email and social media, and on our website. We encourage our member companies and committee members to share the good news about our latest grant announcement with their audiences.

Funding Criteria

  • Applications are welcome from local and national nonprofit organizations, Tribes, and groups with fiscal sponsorship. Tribes do not need to be Federally or State recognized. TCA does not provide funding for individuals.
  • Organization/group must self-identify as being led by Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic, Latin American, Black, Brown, or additional communities who identify as People of Color. The Conservation Alliance considers “leadership” in this case as those with decision-making power on behalf of the entirety of the organization or effort, including board and executive level staff.
  • Connection to TCA’s Conservation Strategy – must focus on one of the following project types:
    • Federal land and/or water designation;
    • Private land acquisition and/or easements; or
    • Large-scale restoration through dam removal or buffalo rematriation.
  • Groups and projects must be located in the United States or Canada.
  • Maximum annual operating budget size of $3m or less.
  • Organization/group must have at least one staff person that has capacity to engage with TCA staff and oversee capacity building efforts.
  • State and local level legislative or administrative campaigns
  • General stewardship (e.g., trail maintenance, trash cleanup, conservation corps projects, tree planting)
  • Outdoor or environmental education
  • Research
  • Conferences, event sponsorships, or film festivals
  • Production of a film, book, podcast, or other media product
  • Participation grants to get people outside
  • A fundraiser, one-time event, or gala
  • General marketing or awareness-raising projects
  • 501c4 work and lobbying

Only in special cases do we fund more than one group working on a campaign – this is typically reserved for TCA Priority Campaigns.

  • Climate mitigation and biodiversity protection, including habitat connectivity
  • Community-centered conservation
  • Sustainability economic impacts for local communities
  • Outdoor recreation opportunities and/or access to nature
  • Viability of project impact and/or success

Advisory Committee

The Confluence Program is directed by a six to eight person advisory committee, including representatives from TCA’s staff and board, member companies, current or past grantees, and other funders and community organizations. The goal of establishing our advisory committee is to share power with those who are closer to the issues we seek to address and have different knowledge and viewpoints. We believe this increases the impact and reach of the Confluence Program. The advisory committee updates the application materials and process, and reviews applications to make funding recommendations.

Please reach out to Kim Paymaster at [email protected] for more information.

The 2026 Confluence Program advisory committee has not yet been announced. Please check back soon for more details.

View Confluence Committee Emeritus

Latest Grants

SILA

Safeguarding Arctic Wildlife and Indigenous Stewardship

Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic

Amount
$20,000
Year
2025
Walk Watershed

Restoring and Protecting Lukachukai Creek Headwaters

Seeds of Harmony, Inc.

Amount
$20,000
Year
2025
Wilps

Wilps ‘Wii K’aax Territorial Stewardship Initiative

Wilps ‘Wii K’aax

Amount
$50,000
Year
2025
Kwtsan Landscape

Protect Kw’tsán

Atsapáq

Amount
$50,000
Year
2025
Bald Rock

LandBack, LakeBack

Giniw Collective

Amount
$100,000
Year
2025
OMA

Ocmulgee River Corridor Conservation and Cultural Restoration

Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative

Amount
$100,000
Year
2025
Sacred Places

Geŋa Interstakeholder Advisory Committee

Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples

Amount
$100,000
Year
2024
Esselen Tribe of Monterey County

Esselen Return: Restoring Land and Water, Reviving Tradition

Esselen Tribe of Monterey County

Amount
$100,000
Year
2024
NDPonics

Oheki Mandukai (Turkey Mountain Project)

NDPonics

Amount
$100,000
Year
2024
Gullah/Geechee Saving Environmental Actions & Marine Environment

Gullah/Geechee Saving Environmental Actions & Marine Environment

Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition

Amount
$100,000
Year
2024
Beefield Community Park

Beefield Community Park

Battery Island Drive Community Association

Amount
$100,000
Year
2023
McDermitt Caldera

Protection of Sacred and Environmentally Sensitive Landscapes in the McDermitt Caldera

People of Red Mountain

Amount
$100,000
Year
2023

FAQs

The definition of confluence is: “the junction of two rivers, especially rivers of approximately equal width.” We chose to use the word confluence to represent the merging of values-driven private businesses with the diversity of organizations doing conservation work. We believe that bringing these two sectors closer together has the potential to shape the course of the environmental movement to help people, wildlife, and wild places thrive. Additionally, the river reference is a nod to our roots in the outdoor industry, and represents a type of place these grants could help protect.

Organizations led by Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic, Latin American, Black, Brown, and additional communities who identify as People of Color are eligible to apply for funding. They must meet the remaining eligibility criteria as well. The Conservation Alliance considers “leadership” in this case as those with decision-making power on behalf of the entirety of the organization or effort, including board and executive level staff.

There are a couple ways in which groups with budgets above this amount may still be eligible:

  • Federally recognized Tribes in the US are considered sovereign nations. As such, we would look at the relevant department’s operating budget for the Tribe rather than its overall operating budget.
  • Since groups may receive one-time infusions of revenue to certain projects, this may not be an accurate reflection of their ongoing operating budget. If that is the case, we would take a look at additional budget data to understand what the group’s typical operating budget is.

Small groups are often overlooked by funders and therefore underfunded. Our hope is that funding for groups this size will help scale their work. Additionally, only a small number of groups will be selected to receive funding. The committee is using the budget cap as a tool to decrease the number of declined applicants.

Yes. Applicants can apply for funding through both programs, although it is less likely that groups will be funded through both cycles during the same year. Click here to learn more about the funding criteria and application process in our member collective grant program.

Prior to 2020, less than 1% of our funding was awarded to organizations led by Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic, Latin American, Black, Brown, and additional communities who identify as People of Color. This left out incredibly impactful groups that brought local knowledge, deep expertise, and important relationships to the conservation space. The Confluence Program helped expand our network and our impact. In 2021, 24% of our funding supported projects led by Indigenous groups and People of Color – this grew to about 30% in 2022 and 2023, 35% in 2024, and over 40% in 2025. This program is one step in bringing our justice, equity, diversity and inclusion commitments to life in our work, in a way that deepens our overall conservation impact.

Grantee partners from this program have pushed forward incredible wins – the largest dam removal in U.S. history, national monument and national marine sanctuary designations, and private land protection that expanded access to green space for local communities.

No. This program is designed specifically to fund groups who have been historically excluded and underfunded for their work. We encourage organizations in this situation to partner with community members of color, or organizations led by those community members, and invite them to apply for funding. Remember, the organization does not need to have 501c3 status to qualify.

We welcome applications from groups where the decisions that impact the direction of the organization are made by people who self-identify as Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic, Latin American, Black, Brown, or additional communities who identify as People of Color.

We made a commitment to develop programs and initiatives to support diversity and inclusion when we signed the Diversity Pledge in 2020, and this program is part of that commitment. We worked with advisors to help us balance our desire to support every community who loves the outdoors and also intentionally build meaningful relationships. After lengthy discussions, we decided to focus on one aspect of our equity work by centering Tribal groups and communities of color for the Confluence Program.

The Confluence Program launched in 2021, and each year we work to refine and adjust the program as we believe best supports impactful work in the conservation space. 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 encourage people to connect one on one with a grantee they are drawn to, establish a working relationship with them, and identify ways you or your company can support them. We are happy to help make connections between member companies and grantees or grant applicants. If you would like to donate to The Conservation Alliance’s Confluence Program, please contact us at [email protected].

Our goal is to grow our grant program and give more money to everyone working to protect natural places. There is a huge need for grassroots conservation funding and we are working hard to help our current partners and future grantees achieve their objectives.

We have made an intentional commitment to expanding our networks over the last few years. We will connect with previous committee members, other funders, TCA member companies, and other partners that we know have relationships and understanding of efforts led by Tribal groups and communities of color. We will evaluate all recommendations to make sure that they are a strong fit with our eligibility criteria and priority filters. Given that we are only able to award two-four new grants each cycle, we want to limit the burden on applicants and our reviewers, while striving to find groups and projects that meet the goals of this program and our organization.