Bilateral donors
Bilateral funds are mainly channelled through special assistance agencies in donor countries. Additional official assistance is channelled from donor to recipient countries through multilateral organizations and through international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In the 1990s, bilateral assistance represented approximately 60% of total aid - 81% of total aid being in the form of grants.
Some bilateral donors have a regional focus while others prefer regional networks, for example the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The interest of some donors is also confined to specific aspects of forestry. This regional and subject focus means that some countries or regions may receive limited amounts of assistance compared to others.
Increasingly donor policies on forests are concentrating on the globalization of forestry and increased awareness of social and environmental issues.
Development agencies
International non-governmental organizations
A large number of NGOs provide support to sustainable forest management in specific fields and based on funds raised from public and private sources. Each body has its own priorities and programmes, usually based on the needs of targeted recipients.
| Austria | The International Union of Forest Research (IUFRO) | |
| Costa Rica | Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) | |
| France | Interrnational Associations for Mediterranean Forests (IAMF) | |
| Indonesia | Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) | |
| Kenya | World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) | |
| Nepal | International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) | |
| Switzerland | The World Conservation Union (IUCN) | |
| World Wide Fund for Nature International (WWF) |
Foundations
Philanthropic foundations offer grants and loans for a wide range of purposes and applications. Few foundations specifically target forests and sustainable forest management, but these topics are often accommodated under more general headings related to the environment.
Foundations exist in many parts of the world and there are often national registers listing contact and eligibility details. The United States, for example, had some 57 000 foundations in 2002, and a number of organizations specialize in providing summary information and advice on how to tap into these funds.
The Sourcebook database on funding sources contains details of many foundations that have been identified as being potential sources of funds for sustainable forest management projects. Some of these foundations have a very specific subject or geographic focus, whereas others have a more general international remit.
A number of online resources exist to help in both locating the right foundation and how to approach it for funding. These are based in North America but provide valuable reference points. Useful examples are the Council on Foundations and the Foundation Center.
If you have information on appropriate foundations that are not yet in the Sourcebook funding database please share it with us by sending an e-mail to CPF-Sourcebook@fao.org.