PART THREE: ROOTED IN TRUST

Value-centred
impact

Photo: Diego Perez/SPDA

At Tenure Facility, trust isn’t just a value — it’s the foundation of how we work.

 

We were established to support Indigenous Peoples and other traditional local communities to secure effective and legal tenure over their traditional lands, territories, and resources. We partner with the organisations that represent these groups across the regions where we work. Most of them are grassroots, member-based, and accountable to their people. In areas where there are limited representative organisations with the capacity and scale to implement the kinds of large, long-term projects we fund, we collaborate with trusted allied NGOs that work in deep partnership with communities.

“When I joined the Tenure Facility board, I had some doubts about the operating model of handing substantial resources to communities and giving them the freedom to direct them. It was fascinating to me as a human rights activist to see an organisation that believed in self-determination and really trusted people. It was also a bit of a gamble! However, it soon became clear that the model was working — and it sent waves into the donor ecosystem. You can’t provide someone with the right to self-determination unless you take a risk.”

Dr. Albert Barume, outgoing Tenure Facility Board Member and Special Rapporteur on the rights on Indigenous Peoples

Guided by our Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ policy, we are committed to supporting each of these groups while acknowledging and being guided by their distinct identities and statuses under national and international laws.    

A fit-for-purpose funding approach

Our funding model is designed by and for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, making it uniquely suited to their needs by

  • using simplified grant agreements and partner-centric financial systems,
  • developing a shared approach to complying with national legislation and donor requirements,
  • working with them to develop their capacities according to their own priorities and needs,
  • helping them unlock greater financial independence for their movements.

Our shared path to scale

Scaling tenure rights is also about investing in leadership, systems, and long-term vision. At Tenure Facility, we support partners through all stages of their individual journeys, whether they are developing a proposal, accessing large-scale funding for the first time, or sharing their expertise globally. This is grounded in a deep belief that trust and flexibility enable true growth.

Starting the journey with trust at the centre: How Saamaka youth crafted a project proposal in Suriname 

The Saamaka, one of six tribal peoples in Suriname, have long fought to protect their Amazonian territory. In 2023, when it came time to prepare a Tenure Facility proposal, the tribe’s youth stepped up to lead — marking a first in the VSG’s history. A team of ten young Saamaka people, aged 22–30, spent 10 days in Tutubuka village developing a collective Theory of Change, mapping out solutions, and consulting elders and women to ensure alignment. They then conducted a thorough free, prior, and informed consent process, consulting and receiving consent from 375 community members across 55 villages — ensuring full community understanding and ownership.

This hands-on approach didn’t just result in a successful proposal thoroughly grounded in the Samaaka’s needs and priorities — it also seeded the next generation of Saamaka leaders.

Navigating challenges

While continuing to nurture relationships and deepen trust with communities, our partners also navigate complex and compounding threats. From forest fires in Belize to political disruption in Indonesia, elections in India and armed conflict in the DRC, each challenge tests not only the resilience of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, but our partners’ and The Tenure Facility’s approach to support them.
Across all these contexts, our response is grounded in trust and guidance on governance: we adapt funding, timelines, and support to meet partners where they are, enabling them to lead with adaptability, creativity, and resilience. For example, when fires swept through Belize’s Maya villages, our partners paused planned work and pivoted to co-develop emergency response and fire management systems.

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