What Tanzania Forest Conservation Group does

Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) is a Tanzanian non-governmental organization established in 1985 and headquartered in Dar es Salaam, registered as NGO No. 1760. It is the largest Tanzanian NGO focused on the conservation of natural forests, working to reduce poverty in forest-adjacent rural communities and to protect biodiversity in the country's Eastern Arc Mountain and Coastal Forests. TFCG operates as a portfolio of conservation programmes rather than a software or product company.

TFCG's core offerings centre on Participatory Forest Management (PFM) and Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM). The flagship PFM programme supports 111 villages across 12 districts managing 63 forests covering 120,000 hectares of globally important habitat. Complementary programmes include a Community Development Programme (tree planting of over one million seedlings annually, fuel-efficient stoves, honey production via a cooperative linked to ICIPE, butterfly farming, agroforestry, and village savings and loan associations), an Eco-Schools programme supporting 165 rural schools of which 48 have achieved the International Green Flag, a Research Programme with university partners, and Forest Justice advocacy work. Major active or recently completed projects include CoForEST (SDC-funded, 2019-2023), the Connecting Amani and Nilo forests (CAN) project (USAID/RTI, 2023-2025), IFBEST (EU-funded, 2023-2026) and the LONG FALLOWS project (UK FCDO via IIED, 2024-2027).

TFCG's business model is that of a grant-funded non-profit. Revenue is sourced from international development partners and foundations including the European Union, USAID, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, DANIDA, and the African Rainforest Conservancy (US) and African Rainforest Trust (UK), supplemented by individual donations via donorbox.org. The organization employs 49 staff and operates under a 2024-2028 Strategic Plan that extends its scope to Miombo and Mangrove Forests in addition to its traditional Eastern Arc and Coastal focus areas. It is led by Executive Director Charles Meshack and governed by a board of directors.

Name

Tanzania Forest Conservation Group

Legal name

Tanzania Forest Conservation Group

Website

https://tfcg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tanzania Forest Conservation Group is a Tanzanian non-governmental organization established in 1985 that supports 111 rural villages across 12 districts in managing 120,000 hectares of high-biodiversity forest in the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests through participatory forest management, community development, eco-schools, and research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM), Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) (EUABABAE)

Keywords

• Forest conservation services
• Community-based forest management
• Biodiversity conservation programs
• REDD+ carbon projects
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: TFCG operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through international development partners, foundations, and individual donations. Funding sources include Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, USAID, UK DfID/FCDO, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and various charitable foundations. Revenue is used to implement conservation projects rather than generate commercial profit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TFCG implements participatory forest management and community-based conservation across Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests, providing capacity building, sustainable livelihood support, environmental education, research, and policy advocacy to reduce poverty in forest-adjacent rural communities. Core program areas include participatory forest management (covering 120,000 hectares across 63 forests and 111 villages in 12 districts), sustainable forest-based enterprises, eco-schools program, REDD+ carbon projects, and forest governance advocacy. The organization does not sell products or services commercially; it delivers programs funded through grants and donations.

Product overview

Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) is a Tanzanian NGO established in 1985 focused on reducing poverty and conserving globally important forests. TFCG operates as a portfolio of interconnected conservation programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the Participatory Forest Management Programme (supporting 111 villages across 12 districts managing 120,000 hectares), the Eco-Schools Programme (Tanzania's national eco-school partner with 48 Green Flag awarded schools), and the Community Development Programme (tree planting, fuel efficient stoves, honey production, butterfly farming). Major projects include the CoForEST Project (sustainable forest-based enterprises, 2019-2023), the Connecting Amani and Nilo Forests (CAN) Project (biodiversity corridor restoration), the LONG FALLOWS Project (integrating forests with agriculture, 2024-2027), the IFBEST Project (sustainable wood-fuel production in Tanga Region), and the Forest Justice in Tanzania initiative (governance and accountability). Research activities document biodiversity values and threats to Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests. The organization is a conservation NGO rather than a technology product company; its programs are service-based rather than software-based.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Participatory Forest Management Programme TFCG's flagship program providing direct support to communities in 12 districts for sustainable forest management, including training, capacity building, development of management plans, village by-laws, and joint management agreements. The program involves 111 villages managing 63 forests covering 120,000 hectares.
• Community Development Programme Livelihood improvement initiatives including tree planting (over one million trees annually), fuel-efficient stoves, butterfly farming (Amani Butterfly Project), honey production, improved agriculture, agroforestry, and microfinance through Village Savings and Loan Associations for forest-adjacent rural communities.
• Eco-Schools Programme TFCG is Tanzania's national eco-school partner, supporting 165 rural schools with environmental education through the seven-step Eco-School approach. The program provides teacher training, teaching materials, and integrates conservation learning into school curricula. 48 schools have received the International Green Flag award.
• Research Programme Active social and biological research program contributing knowledge to conservation of Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests, including biodiversity surveys, species discovery work, and participatory forest management assessments. Employs a full-time botanical collector trained by Missouri Botanical Gardens.
• Forest Justice in Tanzania Partnership project with MJUMITA promoting good governance and accountability in Tanzania's forestry sector through governance monitoring, enforcement promotion, research, and standards development across 6 MJUMITA zones in 13 regions.
• Making REDD Work for Communities and Forest Conservation in Tanzania REDD project supporting MJUMITA to aggregate and sell voluntary emission reductions under VCS and CCB standards, establishing community carbon enterprises in Kilosa and Lindi Rural Districts.
• CoForEST Project Sustainable forest-based enterprise support project (2019-2023) scaling up community-based forest management and sustainable natural forest-based enterprises including charcoal and timber production in 7 districts across Morogoro and Lindi regions, funded by Swiss SDC.
• Connecting Amani and Nilo Forests (CAN) Project 2023-2025 USAID-funded project improving management of the Amani-Nilo biodiversity corridor in East Usambara Mountains by restoring ecological connectivity, building community capacity, and developing a 10-year conservation strategy.
• LONG FALLOWS Project Lengthening Of swidden Natural-forest re-Growth cycles through Farmer Action, Learning and Leadership Opportunities (March 2024-December 2027), integrating sustainable forest management with long-fallow swidden agriculture in Lindi Region, funded by the REDAA programme through IIED.
• Integrated Forest and Biomass Energy Solutions for Tanzania (IFBEST) December 2023-November 2026 project conserving biodiversity by establishing 8 new protected areas and improving management of 4 national forest reserves through sustainable forest management and wood-fuel value chains in Tanga Region, funded by the EU with co-funding from ARC and ART.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000 hectares of globally important forest under management by 111 villages
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Research partner for the LONG FALLOWS project integrating forests and agriculture in Lindi Region. Also partner in Climate Change research in Tanga Region (CCCEP Legacy Project) with briefing notes on climate resilience, livelihood aspirations, women's empowerment, groups and cooperatives, and participatory research.
• MJUMITA (Community Forest Conservation Network of Tanzania)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011MJUMITA is a network of local community-based organizations involved in Participatory Forest Management. MJUMITA has 117 affiliated local area networks in 13 regions, 30 districts and 450 villages with more than 10,000 members. TFCG and MJUMITA implement joint projects including Forest Justice in Tanzania, CoForEST, and REDD initiatives.
• International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTFCG works closely with ICIPE in Nairobi, a world leader in research on bees, to train farmers on modern bee keeping and honey processing techniques. Farmers in East Usambara Mountains run a honey cooperative and own their own honey processing centre supplying honey to international market.
• Missouri Botanical GardenssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTFCG employs a full-time botanical collector trained by the Missouri Botanical Gardens who has made over 5,700 collections and discovered previously undescribed species.
• Zoological Museum of CopenhagensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for biodiversity surveys in Rubeho Mountains and other Eastern Arc sites.
• Trento Museum of Natural HistorysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for biodiversity surveys in Uzungwa Scarp and Rubeho Mountains.
• Reforest AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in implementation of Magombera Forest protection alongside TFCG and Tanzania Forest Services.
• University of Copenhagen, University of Cambridge, Sokoine University of Agriculture, University of Dar es Salaam, University of Florida, Oxford Brookes UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnerships for biodiversity surveys, social research, and forest conservation studies.
• ICRAF (World Agroforestry Centre)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner investigating biodiversity values of different land cover types within the East Usambara Mountains and linking these values with human resource use.
• Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvolved in monitoring for the IFBEST project documenting innovative techniques around natural forest regeneration and sustainable charcoal production.
• Muheza and Mkinga District CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTFCG works in close partnership with district councils in East Usambara Mountains for the Connecting Amani and Nilo forests Project.
• African Rainforest Conservancy (ARC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based partner that raises funds from individuals, foundations, and corporations to support TFCG's work.
• African Rainforest Trust (ART)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based partner that raises funds from individuals, foundations, and corporations to support TFCG's work.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Rainforest Trust: US-based conservation NGO that has directly funded TFCG for Magombera Forest protection. Comparable in mission focus on forest protection and partnership-driven model, though operates globally rather than only in Tanzania.
• IUCN Eastern Africa Regional Office: Global conservation union with active engagement in Tanzania on forest policy, protected area management, and biodiversity. Comparable in working on Tanzania forest policy and governance frameworks that TFCG's community programmes depend on.
• World Land Trust: International conservation charity that funded Magombera Forest protection alongside TFCG. Comparable in its focus on land purchase and protected area creation for biodiversity, but operating globally rather than as a single-country NGO.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Global conservation organization with active programmes in Tanzania on forest and wildlife management. Comparable in international donor-funded model and conservation science approach, though at substantially larger scale.
• WWF Tanzania: Tanzania country office of a global conservation giant. Operates at broader geographic and thematic scale than TFCG but addresses overlapping issues around forest governance, community livelihoods, and climate-related conservation in Tanzania.

Direct peers

• African Wildlife Foundation: Pan-African conservation NGO with active landscape programmes in Tanzania, including Eastern Arc Mountains. Comparable in mission (biodiversity conservation across East African forests) and engagement with communities and governments on landscape management.
• Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative: Tanzanian-focused NGO working on community-based natural forest management and sustainable timber trade in Kilwa and Lindi districts. Directly comparable to TFCG in mission, geographic focus, and community-led conservation approach.
• Fauna & Flora International: International conservation NGO working on species and habitat protection across Africa, including Tanzania. Comparable in grant-funded conservation delivery, community partnership approach, and focus on biodiversity hotspots.
• MJUMITA (Community Forest Conservation Network of Tanzania): TFCG's core implementation partner network covering 117 local area networks across 13 regions. Comparable as a Tanzanian community-based forest management organization with overlapping programmatic footprint and shared PFM methodology.
• Frankfurt Zoological Society: International conservation NGO with long-standing operations in Tanzania focused on protected area management and community-based conservation. Comparable in its reliance on European institutional donors and Tanzania field presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tanzania-forest-conservation-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tanzania Forest Conservation Group