Forest Conservation Fund
Forest Conservation Fund is a Switzerland-based non-profit foundation that channels corporate and individual donations to community-led rainforest conservation projects through result-based grants, partnering with local NGOs and indigenous communities across Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSwitzerland, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Forest Conservation Fund does
Forest Conservation Fund (FCF) is a Switzerland-based non-profit foundation established in 2020 that operates a grant-funding platform connecting corporate and individual donors with community-led rainforest conservation projects in tropical forest regions. The organization's core mechanic is result-based "insetting": donors contribute $40 per hectare annually to protect forest areas equivalent to the commodity sourcing footprint of their products (cocoa, palm oil, coffee, rubber, timber, soy), with FCF accepting a minimum recommended corporate donation of $20,000 covering 500 hectares. FCF operates 13 projects across Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Peru, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, partnered with local NGOs such as ERuDeF, Burung Indonesia, Daemeter Foundation, LSM Padi, Daluhay, Sangga Bumi Lestari, PRCF Indonesia, and RIMBA Satwa, and with indigenous and local communities who act as the principal forest stewards.
FCF's technology stack is built on third-party verification tools rather than proprietary systems. The organization uses Starling Verification (a partnership with Airbus Defence and Space) for satellite-based deforestation monitoring, and the SMART Conservation Tool for biodiversity and patrol tracking. Grant disbursements are gated on verified field results—satellite imagery and biodiversity data must confirm forests remain standing before quarterly payments are released. FCF directs 80% of donor income to field projects and 20% to operational costs, including the satellite monitoring and technology infrastructure, and publishes annual reports (2020–2024) and quarterly project updates. Revenue is generated through four streams: corporate insetting, individual donations tiered by diet ($40–$120/year), adopt-a-hectare gifts, and carbon credits at $10/tonne from projects like Tanoé-Ehy Forest.
FCF is governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Simon Lord (former CSO of Sime Darby Plantations), with other members including Angel Niesje Manembu, Rachel Aswegbhofe Ikemeh, and Boris Saraber (COO of Earthworm Foundation). The Grants Committee is chaired by Liza Zogib (founder of DiversEarth) and includes Inza Koné (2009 Future for Nature Prize laureate), Sam Moko (UNDP REDD+ PNG), and Rob McWilliam (Director of Technical Services at Earthworm Foundation and a Starling co-developer). The organization is led by founding Executive Director Charlotte Opal, with regional portfolio managers Nita Murjani (Asia, joined August 2023), Widya Astuti (Riau, joined January 2026), and Vanessa Falkowski (Africa & Latin America, joined April 2026), giving a current headcount of approximately 10. Named corporate donors include PZ Cussons, John Lewis Partnership, GE Vernova, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Hershey's, and Colgate.
Forest Conservation Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forest Conservation Fund
- Legal name
- Forest Conservation Fund
- Website
- https://fundforests.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Forest Conservation Fund is a Switzerland-based non-profit foundation that channels corporate and individual donations to community-led rainforest conservation projects through result-based grants, partnering with local NGOs and indigenous communities across Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forest Conservation Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conservation Grant Funding and Forest Protection Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Forest Conservation Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Switzerland
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forest Conservation Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Forest Footprint Insetting: Companies contribute $40 per hectare annually to protect forest areas equivalent to their commodity sourcing footprint. This moves companies beyond 'neutral' to become Forest Positive. The minimum recommended donation is $20,000 (500 hectares).
- Individual Donations: Individuals can donate to protect forest hectares based on their dietary footprint: $40/hectare for vegans, $80 for vegetarians, $120 for meat-eaters (1-3 hectares annually).
- Carbon Credits: FCF offers carbon credits from projects like Tanoé-Ehy Forest at $10/tonne. Each hectare protected represents approximately 5 tonnes of avoided emissions annually.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Corporate Forest Insetting: $40 per hectare annually |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Individual Donations by Diet Type |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Forest Conservation Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FCF operates a result-based conservation grant platform that connects corporate and individual donors to community-led rainforest protection projects. Donors contribute $40 per hectare annually; funds are disbursed to local grantees only after satellite monitoring (Starling Verification) and biodiversity data confirm forests remain standing. Companies use the service to inset their commodity-driven forest footprint, while individuals fund protection based on dietary footprint tiers.
Product overview
The Forest Conservation Fund (FCF) is a Switzerland-based non-profit conservation organization that operates a grant-funding platform connecting corporate and individual donors with community-led rainforest conservation projects. FCF does not build or sell a software product; rather, its core offering is a result-based conservation grant mechanism structured around three main programs: (1) the Conservation Grant Program, which disperses funds to verified field projects at $40/hectare/year only after satellite and biodiversity monitoring confirm forests remain standing; (2) the Forest Footprint Insetting service for companies, which helps them calculate commodity-driven forest footprints using a downloadable calculator and protect an equivalent conservation area; and (3) individual donation programs including a direct donation option and an Adopt-a-Hectare gift offering. Supporting sub-products include a structured 10-step grantee application process and publicly accessible annual reports, quarterly newsletters, and project-level monitoring publications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of income directed to projects
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Forest Conservation Fund
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Forest Conservation Fund technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Forest Conservation Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Earthworm FoundationcoreEarthworm Foundation hosts FCF Zoom events and provides strategic support. Charlotte Opal previously worked with Earthworm Foundation as Director of Partnerships. FCF was discussed at Earthworm Foundation events and shares similar mission of connecting markets to conservation.
- ERuDeF (Environment and Rural Development Foundation)coreLocal Cameroonian NGO partner managing Deng Deng-Belabo Gorilla Corridor project. ERuDeF conducted participatory mapping with ten surrounding villages and supports community forest management.
- CSRS (Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques)coreSwiss research center working with Tanoé-Ehy Forest communities since 2009. Grantee for FCF's Ivory Coast project, managing forest protection and conservation activities.
- Grupo PalmascorePeruvian palm oil and cocoa company protecting Maniti Promise Forest (15,000 hectares) through FCF. Manages conservation with 13 local communities in Amazon region.
- Burung IndonesiacoreIndonesian NGO (BirdLife International member) working on Taluditi Forest conservation in Sulawesi. Holds technical cooperation agreement with Forestry Department.
- CAN Indonesia (Conservation Action Network)coreIndonesian NGO specializing in wildlife reintroduction and community-based conservation. Grantee for Lesan River Forest and Jawai Tangaran Mangrove projects.
- Daemeter FoundationcoreGrantee for Rawa Mekar Jaya Forest project in Riau. Has track record managing grants from FCDO, SECO, RSPO, Packard Foundation, and private funding.
- LSM PadicoreEast Kalimantan NGO supporting Mului community since 1996. Assisted in securing forest's customary status and manages conservation projects.
- DaluhaycorePhilippine NGO working with Dumagat and Alta indigenous communities on Ancestral Eagle Forest conservation since February 2016.
- Sangga Bumi LestaricoreIndonesian non-profit helping communities in West Kalimantan conserve fragmented forest habitats. Grantee for Bentarum Biodiversity Corridor project.
- PRCF IndonesiacoreYayasan Pelestari Ragamhayati dan Cipta Fondasi Indonesia, grantee for Lobu Tayas Forest project. Has extensive experience in village forest establishment from West Kalimantan.
- Rimba Satwa FoundationcoreIndonesian non-profit specializing in conservation and human-wildlife conflict management. Grantee for Surian Nagari Forest project.
- Global Shrimp ForumminorNon-profit forum co-established by ASC, Shrimp Insights, and Contango. Donated to FCF for Jawai Tangaran Mangrove project in 2024 for second consecutive year.
- One Tree PlantedminorDonor supporting FCF projects including tree-planting events at HARP Forest school and abandoned mining sites.
- Starling Verification (Airbus Partnership)corePartnership with Airbus D&S integrating earth observation data and machine learning to identify deforestation risks in supply chains and verify conservation results.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Forest Conservation Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rainforest Alliance: Certification and supply-chain sustainability organization working in cocoa, palm oil, coffee, and other FCF-relevant commodities. Competes for corporate deforestation-free budgets via certification rather than insetting, but addresses the same buyer needs.
- The Nature Conservancy: Large global environmental non-profit with active forest programs, corporate partnerships, and on-the-ground conservation in the same geographies as FCF (Indonesia, Latin America). Overlaps as an alternative destination for corporate conservation dollars and on conservation science tools (FIAT, METT).
- Conservation International: Global environmental NGO with forest conservation, indigenous-led programs, and corporate nature-based solutions offerings that overlap with FCF's value proposition, particularly in commodity sourcing landscapes.
- South Pole: Large climate solutions provider offering carbon credits, insetting, and corporate sustainability services including forestry/REDD+ projects. Competes for the same corporate sustainability budgets and offers a broader portfolio that overlaps with FCF's insetting product.
Direct peers
- One Tree Planted: Non-profit that aggregates individual and corporate donations for reforestation and forest-protection projects globally. Direct comparable on the individual-donor and corporate 'adopt-a-hectare' model, and listed as a donor to FCF projects.
- Earthworm Foundation: Switzerland-based non-profit that connects companies to on-the-ground conservation in commodity supply chains, with shared leadership and overlapping donor base (Nestlé, PZ Cussons). FCF's founder Charlotte Opal and several Board/Grants Committee members came from Earthworm, and FCF explicitly positions itself as a complementary grant vehicle to Earthworm's engagement work.
- Cool Effect: Non-profit carbon marketplace that curates and sells verified forest-conservation and avoided-deforestation credits to companies and individuals. Closely comparable on the carbon-credit revenue stream FCF offers (e.g., Tanoé-Ehy at $10/tonne) and on individual/corporate giving UX.
Emerging players
- Pachama: Tech-enabled carbon-credit marketplace focused on nature-based solutions including avoided deforestation. Adjacent competitor for corporate forest-carbon budgets and verification-driven credits, with a stronger technology/ML brand.
- Sylvera: Independent carbon-credit ratings and verification provider for nature-based solutions. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but intersects with FCF's verification stack and competes for the same corporate decision-makers buying forest carbon and insetting services.
- Global Forest Generation: Forest conservation non-profit focused on avoided deforestation and indigenous-led protection in tropical landscapes. Comparable mission, smaller scale, and similar donor and partner ecosystem as FCF.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Forest Conservation Fund social profiles
Digital presenceForest Conservation Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forest Conservation Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Forest Conservation Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forest Conservation Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forest Conservation Fund
What does Forest Conservation Fund do?
FCF operates a result-based conservation grant platform that connects corporate and individual donors to community-led rainforest protection projects. Donors contribute $40 per hectare annually; funds are disbursed to local grantees only after satellite monitoring (Starling Verification) and biodiversity data confirm forests remain standing. Companies use the service to inset their commodity-driven forest footprint, while individuals fund protection based on dietary footprint tiers.
Is Forest Conservation Fund a public or private company?
Forest Conservation Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Forest Conservation Fund founded?
Forest Conservation Fund was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Forest Conservation Fund based?
Forest Conservation Fund is headquartered in Switzerland, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Forest Conservation Fund make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate Forest Footprint Insetting is the primary driver. The others are individual Donations and carbon Credits.
Who are Forest Conservation Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rainforest Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and South Pole. Direct peers are One Tree Planted, Earthworm Foundation and Cool Effect. Emerging players are Pachama, Sylvera and Global Forest Generation.
Does Forest Conservation Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forest Conservation Fund.
What industry is Forest Conservation Fund in?
Forest Conservation Fund's product category is Conservation Grant Funding and Forest Protection Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAD, Forestry & Reforestation. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 800.