Our Approach

For more than 30 years, the Mott Foundation has partnered with Indigenous and traditional communities and their allies to strengthen their autonomy and foster environmental protection.

We also have supported initiatives that expand access to renewable energy and other essential infrastructure in Amazonian communities, reinforcing local autonomy and long-term sustainability.

Drawing on this history of deep partnerships and proven impact, the Foundation is well positioned to expand its support in the Amazon to advance forest protection, strengthen community governance and ensure that people, land and ecosystems can flourish together.

We have three strategies to achieve our goals:

Building land ownership by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities.

Our grant funding supports:

• Efforts to inform policies for securing IPTC territorial ownership.
• Capacity building of IPTC leaders and organizations working on land governance, advocacy and territorial management.
• Alliance building and networking to advance land rights and territorial protection.

Reducing forest threats.

Our grant funding supports:

• Territorial monitoring strategies to detect forest threats and guide rapid response.
• Efforts to inform policies and safeguards that strengthen forest protection.
• The safety and protection of environmental defenders at risk.

Promoting thriving, climate-resilient communities.

Our grant funding supports:

• Community-led models that expand access to sustainable infrastructure systems — including off-grid renewable energy, transportation and communications.
• Community-based model strategies that strengthen climate resilience.
• Small grant funds to build long-term community capacity for sustaining livelihoods in the forest.