Mongabay · Climate & nature

Home Planet Fund Prioritizes Direct Community Funding

The Home Planet Fund, an Indigenous-led nonprofit, provides direct funding to local communities for conservation projects. Founder Dilafruz Khonikboyeva emphasizes trust-based philanthropy and local knowledge, informed by her experiences in Tajikistan.

Khonikboyeva advocates for trust-based philanthropy, moving away from restrictive models. She notes that overly "satisfying" answers may hide challenges, as real-world projects face shifting needs.

The fund offers unrestricted giving, allowing communities flexibility to adapt to disasters or political changes. This approach fosters partnerships where communities can communicate challenges and adjust plans.

The fund focuses on four critical ecologies: Tongass Rainforest, Central Asian glaciers, East African grasslands, and the South Pacific. Funding goes directly to local communities via trusted networks.

A core principle is involving entire communities—elders, women, youth—in co-building conservation efforts for long-term sustainability.

Khonikboyeva also highlights "healing trauma" through conservation, suggesting that healing the land can also heal people.

Her upbringing in Tajikistan, where community resilience and unpaid essential work were common, informs her approach, challenging the need for monetary incentives.

The fund builds relationships patiently, co-building initiatives with communities to empower their existing conservation efforts and ensure sustainability.

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