Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities-Led Financing Mechanisms: Mapping of Existing Funds in Tropical Forest Countries
Across tropical forest countries, Indigenous peoples and local communities have established funds rooted in their own organizations and governance systems. These mechanisms offer pathways for directing resources toward territorial stewardship and self-determined development. Yet limited documentation of how these funds operate and the challenges they face has made it harder for donors and policymakers to […]
Rainforest Foundation US’s Climate Impact Report: 12M+ Metric Tons of CO₂e Removed in 2025
Forests within RFUS’s program footprint removed the CO2 equivalent to the annual electricity use of over 2.5 million U.S. homes.
The Role of Intermediaries in Enabling Direct Funding for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (Published by the ICCA Consortium)
TREES 3.0: Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Secure Key Wins in Revision of Leading Carbon Market Standard
How Indigenous and local community advocacy strengthened consent, benefit-sharing, and transparency requirements in the world’s leading jurisdictional REDD+ carbon standard.
2025 Annual Impact Report
Securing the Amazon: Indigenous Land Tenure and Forest Protection in Peru
Securing Indigenous peoples’ land rights is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect forests, but the process is often long and risky. In Peru’s Amazon, an Indigenous-led initiative is changing that. A new report unpacks what’s driving its success.
Making Forest Carbon Markets Work for Communities: A Case Study on Benefit Sharing in the REDD+ Guatecarbon Project
Benefit sharing is a critical component of REDD+ forest carbon projects, particularly where Indigenous peoples and local communities are central to forest stewardship. As REDD+ evolves into market-based mechanisms, with carbon credits generating revenue in international carbon markets, ensuring that benefits are distributed fairly is essential for the long term success of the initiative. However, […]
Winter 2025 Newsletter: A Year In Review
A Message From Our Executive Director Dear Friends and Supporters, This year, Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) worked closely with our Indigenous partners to advance their efforts to shape how forest finance reaches communities protecting the world’s rainforests. Despite safeguarding 36% of the world’s tropical forests, Indigenous peoples and local communities receive just 1% of international […]
The Rainforest Foundation Family
RFUS’s 2030 Plan for Forests, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, and Climate Action
Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) envisions a world where the rights of Indigenous peoples are respected and rainforests flourish. Our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan is a blueprint for achieving that vision, scaling Indigenous-led forest protection across Central and South America so that people, forests, and the climate can thrive together, now and for generations to come. Our […]
