Maliasili Conservation Fund (MCF)

A groundbreaking pooled funding initiative launched to provide multi-year, unrestricted support to a portfolio of Africa's leading conservation organizations.

Background: Inspired by the Maasai Landscape Conservation Fund (MLCF - 2020–2023), the MCF was created to address systemic funding challenges. Despite their talent and commitment, local African conservation organizations struggle due to project-based funding limitations. Globally, Indigenous Peoples and local community organizations receive less than 1% of all climate funding, and African organizations receive only around 10% of all private philanthropic funding invested across the continent.

Geographic Scope:

• Southern Kenya / Northern Tanzania Rangelands - East Africa's greatest savannah landscapes with national-level momentum for community conservation
• Madagascar - Top global biodiversity hotspot with urgent threats from deforestation
• KAZA Region - Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (transboundary collaboration between Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe)

Focus Areas:

• Climate resilience
• Wildlife conservation
• Local resource rights
• Livelihood enhancement

Funding Approach:

• Unrestricted funding - Empowering partners to align funding with their strategic priorities
• Multi-year support - Enabling long-term planning and sustainability
• Streamlined processes - Minimizing administrative burdens
• Relatively substantial funding - Aiming to cover 10%-25% of a grantee organization's annual budget during the funding period

Eligibility:

• Africa's leading community conservation organizations
• Maliasili conservation partners
• Organizations addressing climate, wildlife conservation, local resource rights, and livelihoods
• Community-led organizations with local roots and locally-led leadership

Current Status:

• Launched: 2023
• Funds Raised: $12.3M of a revised four-year funding target of $16M
• Funds Disbursed: $6.73M to date
• Number of Partners: 26 organizations across three focal geographies
• Funding Sources: Includes $4M allocated by Maliasili from a 2022 one-time gift from MacKenzie Scott

Support Includes:

• Direct, multi-year core support
• Organizational development tools and processes
• Core funding
• Customized organizational support
• Assistance with team investment, communication, fundraising, systems management, and infrastructure