Environmental Defenders Collaborative

The Environmental Defenders Collaborative (EDC) supports frontline communities and ally networks defending rights to their lands, livelihoods, and culture in the face of violence, repression, and destructive industries. We pool philanthropic funds to provide grants to activists across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our grantmaking provides timely, flexible, and participatory funds to ensure individuals and organizations have the resources they need to win the struggle for environmental justice. What makes EDC different from traditional funders is the level of flexibility in how and to whom we make grants. When meaningful support to environmental defenders is especially complex or constrained—such as in countries where outside funding is restricted—EDC’s agility is critical. Since launching in 2017, EDC has approved close to $6 million in funding to international, regional, and community-level organizations around the world. In 2023, we made 156 grants in more than 30 countries, including our first grants in Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, and Togo.