Global shifts conservation organizations need to know about
The entire development sector is changing, and things are moving fast. We’re seeing shifts in everything from global politics to funding flows, and these changes have major implications for conservation efforts across Africa and beyond. Understandably, the situation is overwhelming and confusing, as it’s a struggle just to keep up with daily headlines. There are sleepless nights, constant worry, and uncertainty about what comes next. There is no doubt that we’re facing hard and challenging times.
For this Reader, Dickson Njung’e, Maliasili East African Portfolio Manager, sat down with Fred Nelson, our CEO, to chat about the current global situation – politics, funding, societal shifts – and how this affects the conservation sector. Fred and Dickson attempt to unpack some of these shifts and challenges, trying to understand better what’s happening, what may be next, and how to best show up in this moment. Importantly, without downplaying the gravity of the immediate challenges faced, we want to recognize that amidst this chaotic change, there are opportunities for innovation, leadership, and growth.
Key Takeaways →
Global funding for conservation is shifting rapidly. International aid is declining due to political, economic, and security pressures (e.g., dissolution of USAID). Conservation organizations must understand these changes and explore new financing strategies.
Strategic plans are live tools. Organizations must be willing to adapt. Strategic planning isn’t a once-every-few-years exercise; it should be a continuous process of learning, adjusting, and staying prepared for what’s ahead.
Organizational resilience depends on people, partnerships, and communication. In moments of crisis, strong teams, trusted external partnerships, and clear communication can make the difference between surviving and thriving. Leaders must prioritize these foundational elements to stay steady and effective.
This is a pivotal moment for African-led conservation leadership. As the global system resets, there is a major opportunity for African organizations to lead boldly—shaping narratives, driving innovation, and advancing models that deliver real benefits for people and nature. Funders are increasingly ready to support this shift.
Dickson: There’s been a lot of news coming out of the US in the past few months, from changes in funding priorities to shifts in global philanthropy. How do these developments impact African conservation organizations, either directly or indirectly?
Fred: First, we need to really understand what’s happening and why – and that’s neither easy nor straightforward. There are complex political and social dynamics at play, and we’re in a period of change that has been accelerated over the past five months, especially within the development and aid sectors. USAID has now been dissolved, which was for many years a top funder for conservation and community conservation in Africa, and has had a significant long-term impact on the sector, such as supporting conservancies in Kenya and Namibia.
But this isn’t just a US issue. Some European governments had started cutting back their aid contributions even before the Trump administration. The Trump administration’s actions have simply sped up the pace for others making cuts, such as reductions due to European nations responding to insecurities related to the Russian-Ukrainian war or other countries reevaluating their national priorities. It’s not just about funding cuts; there are also growing concerns about democracy and civil society worldwide, which is shrinking the space for environmental or human rights organizations.
These shocks pose many questions for private foundations and philanthropies. Some big philanthropies, like the Marguerite Casey and MacArthur Foundations, have strategically raised their annual grantmaking amounts. The Gates Foundation, the world’s largest private foundation and a key player in global health, recently announced plans to spend down all of its assets, around $200 billion, over the next 20 years to address pressing global challenges. These shifts reflect the financial pressures on such foundations to step up their spending as governments phase down to keep their mission-level investments from collapsing and respond to current crises and challenges.
These political, social, and financial dynamics are all in flux, and organizations working on environmental conservation or any other social cause must remain aware of such trends and work to understand what they mean in order not only to respond but also to look for strategic opportunities for making new, positive change.
Dickson: The Gates Foundation’s recent announcement to reduce its funding is a great example of the kind of ripple effects we’re seeing from policy changes. What else should African conservation leaders be watching out for? It can be hard to see this stuff coming because these conversations are often happening outside of our typical spheres.
Fred:This is where an organization’s ability to think and operate strategically becomes more essential than ever. Every organization needs to be aware of the context in which it operates, how it is changing, and what that means for your organization when it thinks about its strategies. The strategic planning process is a key time to focus on those things, but it shouldn’t just happen when you’re writing your strategic plan.Strategies are and should be living tools for an organization.With so much shifting around us, leaders must prioritize carving out space to stay informed and reflect on what the changes mean and how to respond. The past five months have caught many of us off guard, including big philanthropies, with the abrupt end of USAID and broader funding cuts.
In hindsight, the signs were probably there, but the scale and speed of the changes surprised us all. The second Trump administration's more radical and aggressive approach is part of that shift. Good leadership means looking ahead, tracking trends, and positioning your organization to navigate both the risks and the opportunities that the situation presents. These are the two things you have to stay focused on every day.
This goes beyond funding cuts to broader shifts and forces, and how those might ripple through the wider system. The entire aid and philanthropy ecosystem–international agencies, intermediaries, national, and civil society– that most African organizations operate within is being reshaped. The relationships, power dynamics, who influences decisions, and who has access, will shift with the scale of recent changes. For example, African governments' policies and financial decisions will play a much larger role in public health and conservation. That’s going to be crucial moving forward.
We also must recognize that African governments and social services like health and education are hit harder than conservation, because the truth is, conservation represents only a small portion of total development aid. African governments already face debt pressures and budget gaps. So, a big concern is how governments will manage competing priorities to invest in conservation, the environment, infrastructure, and the overall political and social dynamics in their countries. This is something we really need to think about.
But there’s also an opportunity. In many ways, community-led conservation, built on genuine local leadership and the sustainable management of valuable natural resources that generate economic benefits for communities, will become increasingly important. It’s going to be even more important that conservation generates livelihood and economic value for different groups of people.
Dickson: What shifts are we already seeing in African community conservation, whether in policy, power dynamics, or funding models, that are ripe to be brought forth during these disruptions?
Fred:The days when conservation in Africa was dominated by foreign actors and external interests, rooted in colonial and post-independence history, are coming to an end. Countries like Namibia have long charted their own course, with government-led and locally-led conservation efforts supported, but not directed, by international organizations. Kenya, too, has always had an exceptionally strong homegrown conservation movement and civil society, and in recent years, civil society has taken a bigger role in leading conservation.
Stronger partnerships between civil society and government in Africa will be critical for conservation success. Kenya’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic is an excellent example of this. The government provided direct support through discretionary funding to conservancy rangers, coordinated by groups like theKenya Wildlife Conservancies Association. Today, county governments are investing directly in conservancies and community conservation—something that would have seemed unlikely just a decade ago.
To build on this momentum, we need policy environments that enable conservation to thrive, deliver benefits to both communities and government, and achieve long-term outcomes. The role of government, alongside civil society, will only become more important in this. International organizations, in turn, can play a vital role by helping develop new conservation financing mechanisms, particularly in a time of shifting development aid priorities.
Long-term conservation financing has been an important positive trend over the past decade and will now be even more important. We’ve seen a surge in conservation trust funds, debt-for-nature swaps, and other innovative mechanisms. Initiatives likeEnduring Earthand organizations such as The Nature Conservancy are helping mobilize large-scale, impact-oriented funding. These tools offer a powerful way to advance durable conservation solutions across Africa.
Dickson: Do you think there are outdated assumptions about local conservation efforts or models that may hold back conservation progress?
Fred:Of course. But what we’ve seen, especially with many of Maliasili’s partners, is growing momentum for community-led conservation models across the region. Globally, there’s also rising recognition of Indigenous- and locally-led efforts. There’s a strong opportunity for African organizations to shape their own narratives and attract more support.
However, despite this progress, gaps remain, particularly for Indigenous and pastoralist-led conservation models, in places like Tanzania, where we’ve witnessed conflicts and abuses under the guise of “conservation” in the last several years. We need governments to see and support community conservation as an economic asset. Kenya offers a powerful case. Over the past five years, the national economic value of about 20 locally-owned conservancies around the Maasai Mara, which holds 25% of all the country’s wildlife and is so central to the global tourism brand, has become clear.
I’ve been excited by initiatives like the African Leadership University’s Wildlife Economy Series. They’ve been gathering data, meeting with governments, and holding workshops to make the case for the economic value of conservation. There’s also the African Wildlife Economy Institute in southern Africa. These are African-led initiatives with African voices, and we need more like them to make a strong economic case for conservation that is grounded in real examples, not just theoretical ideas.
Dickson: In terms of organizational resilience, what can local conservation organizations do to protect themselves and position themselves for growth in these disruptions?
Fred:Understanding and anticipating risk can help fuel your resilience. You're in a much stronger position if you can act before a problem arises. If you wait until you’re already facing a big problem, then you’re in trouble. You need to be adaptive. You can’t stick to the same growth plan if you're facing new types of pressure, whether from government taxation, a loss of funding, or any other external challenge. When that pressure comes, you’ll likely need to reprioritize.
Think about what’s absolutely critical to continue doing under pressure, and what can be put on hold. This often requires making hard decisions and standing by them. One of your most important assets is your team and your core infrastructure. They enable you to do the work, so they must remain a top priority.
Communications are more important than ever. You need to communicate not only one-on-one with key funders and partners but also in the broader space. Recently, I’ve seen so many incredible impact and annual reports with data and success stories from the conservation partners we work with, and they not only inform but also inspire.
Diversifying funding will also be essential going forward, and partnerships will play a huge role in resilience. Partnerships create opportunities. Everyone needs to be thinking about how they can leverage the support of others to help address the risks and challenges that may arise.
Dickson: Despite how gloomy things may seem now, we can hope for a silver lining. What opportunities do you see in this current crisis for community conservation leaders to lead more boldly?
Fred:There’s a real opportunity for African organizations to provide the leadership the sector will need. And it’s not going to come from anywhere else. In terms of leadership shifts and changes in power relations, it’s clear that it’s going to come from local and national civil society organizations that can work effectively in partnership with governments, international organizations, and funders. There will be a huge need for creativity.
Entrepreneurial, impact-driven organizations that think innovatively and help communities benefit from their natural resources will be well-positioned. These organizations need to document their impact and present it to external audiences, whether governments or funders. Those who can do this effectively will thrive.
There’s also an excellent opportunity to double down on conservation approaches that provide social and economic value and stronger rights over land and resources for communities. These strategies will align with the sector's economic and fiscal realities and will be in high demand moving forward. This is a real opportunity to scale these models and attract more support.
Additionally, there’s a growing conversation in the philanthropic and public aid funding space about addressing long-standing funding relationship issues. How can we reduce transaction costs in grant-making and make funding more efficient? We need to align funding with impact much more effectively. Many traditional structures, like high transaction costs, slow-moving funding practices, and the lack of unrestricted funding, are inefficient. There’s a big opportunity to advance more progressive structures that get funding directly to where it can create impact: the organizations doing the work on the ground. I hope funders will be more committed to this, especially given the scarcity we might face in the field.
Dickson: Partnerships and leaning towards each other: How can leaders unleash the power of community?
Fred: Communities are built through shared purpose and strong relationships. Leaders can tap into the power of community by building strong partnerships and networks and embracing collective action. Over the past several years, we've seen many organizations grow into influential national leaders and beyond, thanks to the connections they’ve made by working together with like-minded organizations across the continent. These types of partnerships have played a key role in the growth of some organizations.
At Maliasili, our various leadership programmes bring leaders together. And we hope these platforms are places where they feel they belong. They provide a space for leaders to learn from each other, inspire, and collaborate. When the USAID funding freeze happened, the leaders gathered, with our support, to share information and discuss and troubleshoot the challenges they face.
This kind of collaboration is more critical than ever in today’s world. Coming together, speaking with one voice, and working to address the challenges we face will lead to stronger outcomes and more lasting change.
Dickson: Dickson: What does clarity of purpose look like in moments like these for leaders?
Fred: In moments like this, your strategy becomes more critical than ever. You need to focus on it and focus on what matters most, your core work. Your results matter now more than ever, too. Clear, measurable outcomes.
Prioritize communications and keep your various stakeholders updated. It’s a tough time with a lot of uncertainty. So lead with purpose and bring your team along with you, as Angus Middleton, CEO of Namibia Nature Foundation, articulated in a previous reader.
Dickson: What keeps you hopeful about the future of African community-led conservation?
Fred: What keeps me hopeful is the positive impact I see so many organizations making, including those we work with. There’s real progress happening, not just for conservation, but also for local communities and livelihoods. Progress takes time, but it’s happening, and that’s something to be optimistic about.
We’re seeing better approaches in the long-term management of protected areas, along with stronger partnerships for conservation. Wildlife populations, like rhinos and elephants, are either stable or increasing across many countries, which is a huge success. There are many wins to celebrate, and these successes are the foundation we need to keep moving forward.
Where can leaders find information on what’s happening?
Mongabay - for conservation news and the changes in the conservation space
Devex - for what’s happening in the development space (note: many of Devex’s articles are pay-walled. They have non-profit rates that you can explore)
Alliance Magazine - This space offers (mostly free) opinion pieces and insights related to the development and philanthropy space.
Stanford Social Innovation Review - This resource offers a range of topics related to news and trends, organizational management, and development.
LinkedIn - This is a great space to track developments, find relevant sources of information, and engage in dialogue as well.
Peers, partners, funders - Reach out to your networks and find out what they’re hearing; likewise, share information when you get it with colleagues.