The Biodiversity Program of the Overbrook Foundation supports programs in Latin America, with a specific geography of Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and, in certain cases, other parts of Meso-America. Within those areas, there is a special emphasis on projects that engage local communities and promote sustainable livelihoods.
Below is a list of the Foundation’s 2013 grantees through its biodiversity portfolio.
Root CapitalGeneral Operating Support for activities in Ecuador, Mexico, and Nicaragua – $75,000 (first payment of a two-year grant)Root Capital is a social investment fund that uses the tools of finance – including access to capital and financial management training – to support community-based enterprises that promote grassroots economic development and environmental stewardship in the developing world. It serves small and growing businesses (SGBs) rooted in rural, low-income communities in Latin America and Africa. These SGBs bring together hundreds and often thousands of farmers, creating sustainable livelihoods for them and their families. Root Capital plays an important role in unlocking SGBs’ potential to facilitate small-scale producers’ adoption of climate-smart practices that improve rural livelihoods and conserve natural resources. As of Q3 2012, Root Capital has disbursed more than $462 million in credit to 405 businesses. |
The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International JusticeEnvironmental Sustainability Program – $40,000Founded in 2003, the Vance Center is part of the New York City Bar Association, and mobilizes the global legal profession to promote social justice, human rights and the rule of law. The Vance Center established the Environmental Sustainability Program in 2011 to provide a range of legal resources in support of environmental protection in Latin America. The Working Group engages environmental lawyers from international firms in New York City and Latin America, in consultation with environmental organizations focusing on the region, to identify systemic, cross-border challenges, and design and implement multi-pronged strategies for addressing them. Regulatory reform, collaborative advocacy and private-public partnership are strategies that succeeded in the United States, and now can start in Latin America, to promote remediation, conservation and conscientious stewardship. |