What FIMA NGO does

FIMA (ONG FIMA - Organización No Gubernamental FIMA) is an independent, non-profit environmental NGO founded in 1998 and headquartered in Santiago, Chile, with approximately 41 employees. The organization pursues the right to a healthy environment through environmental litigation before Chilean courts (Environmental Tribunals, Courts of Appeal, Supreme Court) and international bodies, policy advocacy, citizen capacity-building, and academic publishing. Its product portfolio includes the Poder Ambiental (poderambiental.cl) digital citizen empowerment platform — a website enabling individuals to understand and exercise their environmental rights, file administrative appeals, and submit citizen observations on environmental projects, with an AI-powered engine under development; the academic Revista Justicia Ambiental journal; Usocioambiental (usocioambiental.cl), an online environmental university program; SURGENCIA, a 2025-launched editorial project combining art and climate justice writing; and the Municipio Verde municipal sustainability program. FIMA also produces analytical reports such as citizen monitoring guides for environmental decrees and has commissioned international studies including an ELAW technical report on the Lake Vichuquén environmental crisis delivered to Chile's Ministry of Environment.

FIMA serves Chilean communities and citizens whose environmental rights have been affected or threatened by development projects, partnering civil society organizations and scientific societies (as part of a coalition of 240+ organizations), and government institutions including the Escazú Agreement Secretariat. The organization has secured landmark litigation outcomes, including blocking the Dominga mining-port project through three Committee of Ministers rejections and the rejection of the Río Cuervo hydroelectric project, and is currently leading coordinated advocacy against the Kast government's environmental policy rollbacks.

As a non-profit, FIMA does not operate a commercial pricing model. Revenue is generated through individual and organizational membership fees ("Hazte socio/a"), donations, grants, and publication revenue from the Revista Justicia Ambiental and other educational materials. Distribution occurs primarily through direct citizen engagement, legal representation, digital platforms, and multi-channel awareness building (website, newsletter, social media on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube), with earned media through opinion columns in La Tercera, El Desconcierto, Cooperativa, and Dialogue Earth. The organization is governed by an internal board and led by Executive Director Ezio Costa Cordella, operating autonomously from any governmental or partisan political body.

Name

FIMA NGO

Legal name

ONG FIMA (Organización No Gubernamental FIMA)

Website

https://fima.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FIMA is a Chilean environmental NGO founded in 1998 that provides environmental litigation, citizen empowerment platforms (Poder Ambiental), academic publishing, and policy advocacy to communities, civil society coalitions, and government institutions across Chile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Legal Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Permitting & Impact Assessment (EIA/NEPA) (BPAIAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

NEPA/EA/EIS & Public Consultation (EUAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Environmental law services
• Environmental justice advocacy
• Citizen empowerment tools
• Environmental policy research
• Civil society coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FIMA provides independent environmental legal representation and advocacy in Chile, complemented by citizen empowerment digital tools (Poder Ambiental), academic and editorial publications (Revista Justicia Ambiental, SURGENCIA), educational programs (Usocioambiental), and a municipal sustainability initiative (Municipio Verde). Its portfolio combines direct litigation, public-interest research and policy analysis, capacity-building for civil society, and self-service resources that enable citizens to exercise environmental rights without legal counsel.

Product overview

NGO FIMA (founded in 1998) is a non-profit environmental organization that operates as a platform of interconnected programs and publications rather than a unified software product. Its portfolio includes academic publications (Revista Justicia Ambiental and the new SURGENCIA magazine), digital citizen empowerment tools (Poder Ambiental website), educational programs (Usocioambiental courses), and municipal support services (Municipio Verde). FIMA also produces analytical reports for citizen monitoring of environmental policies and provides environmental litigation and legal advocacy services. The organization does not offer a commercial software product but rather public-good programs focused on environmental justice, access to information, and citizen participation in environmental governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Revista Justicia Ambiental: An environmental justice journal published by FIMA covering legal, policy, and jurisprudential matters related to environmental law in Chile and Latin America.
• Poder Ambiental
• Usocioambiental
• SURGENCIA
• Municipio Verde

Products and services

• Poder Ambiental (poderambiental.cl) A citizen-facing digital platform that enables individuals to learn about their environmental rights and exercise them, including making citizen observations on environmental projects and filing administrative appeals. It is currently under development with planned AI integration to enhance usability.
• Revista Justicia Ambiental An academic and specialized publication (journal) focused on environmental law, jurisprudence, and policy analysis in Chile and Latin America, distributed to subscribers and institutional partners across the region.
• SURGENCIA A new editorial project and magazine that opens spaces for narratives about the climate crisis, connecting art, writing, and legal reflection, with its first edition scheduled for second semester 2026.
• Usocioambiental An educational courses and training program focused on environmental issues and citizen participation in environmental matters, delivered as an ongoing university program.
• Municipio Verde A program focused on working with municipalities to promote environmental sustainability at the local government level.
• Citizen Monitoring of Environmental Decrees A report and accompanying explanatory cards that describe the content, objectives, and status of environmental decrees (air quality standards, decontamination plans, biodiversity regulations, climate change measures) to enable citizen monitoring of policy rollbacks.
• Environmental Legal Representation and Advocacy Services Direct legal representation in environmental litigation before Chilean Environmental Tribunals, Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, provided to communities and organizations whose environmental rights have been affected or threatened, combined with advocacy, research, and policy analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully blocked the Dominga mining-port project through three rejections by the Committee of Ministers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International network of scientists, lawyers, and environmental professionals headquartered in the United States. FIMA commissioned ELAW to conduct an international study on the causes of the Lake Vichuquén environmental crisis, producing a technical report delivered to Chile's Ministry of Environment for secondary quality standard development.
• The Climate Reality ProjectminorOthers · 1 January 2026Global organization founded by Al Gore focused on climate leadership training. FIMA serves as a regional host for the 63rd edition of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training held in Santiago, Chile in July 2026, positioning Chile as a regional leader in climate mitigation.
• Coalition of 240+ Civil Society Organizations and Scientific SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarge coalition of environmental NGOs, social organizations, scientific societies, indigenous communities, and individuals united in opposition to the Kast government's environmental policy rollbacks. Includes organizations such as Oceana Chile, Greenpeace Chile, WWF Chile, and 240+ additional signatories to public declarations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greenpeace Chile: Chilean branch of the global environmental advocacy organization, listed as a coalition partner with FIMA on environmental policy opposition. Directly comparable as a Chile-based environmental NGO focused on advocacy, litigation, and public campaigns.
• WWF Chile: World Wildlife Fund's Chilean chapter, also part of FIMA's 240+ organization coalition. Directly comparable as a Chile-based environmental NGO working on conservation and policy advocacy.
• Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW): Global network of environmental lawyers and scientists that has partnered with FIMA on the Lake Vichuqu\u00e9n study. Directly comparable as an environmental law and advocacy organization serving public-interest cases.
• Consejo de Defensa de la Patagonia (CDP): Chilean coalition of NGOs opposing industrial projects in Patagonia; FIMA has been a founding member since 2013. Direct peer in environmental litigation and coalition advocacy in Chile.
• Oceana Chile: Chilean office of Oceana focused on marine conservation and fisheries policy. Direct coalition partner of FIMA with overlapping litigation and advocacy tactics in Chilean environmental governance.

Broad incumbents

• NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): Major US-based environmental advocacy organization. Comparable in combining litigation, policy advocacy, and citizen empowerment, though it operates globally and at a much larger scale.
• Earthjustice: Major US-based environmental law organization with global influence. Comparable in mission (public-interest environmental litigation) but operates at much larger scale with a broader portfolio than FIMA.

Regional players

• AIDA (Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente): Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense, a Latin American environmental law organization operating across multiple countries. Comparable in its use of litigation and citizen empowerment, though it operates at a wider regional scope than FIMA.
• Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN): Argentine environmental law and policy NGO. Highly comparable as a Latin American environmental advocacy and citizen participation organization, but focused on Argentina rather than Chile.

Emerging players

• Climate Reality Project: Global climate advocacy organization founded by Al Gore; FIMA serves as regional host in Chile for their 2026 training. Comparable in climate communication and advocacy focus, with overlapping target audiences and educational programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FIMA_Chile
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ONGFIMASantiago
• Facebookfacebook.com/FIMA.ONG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ong-fima
• Instagraminstagram.com/fima_ong
• TikToktiktok.com/@ongfima

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FIMA NGO