Our approach to environmental conservation
Community-led solutions for people and nature
Why we’re different
Traditional conservation starts with protecting places. Rare starts with people.
Our differentiator isn’t just what we do; it’s how we do it. Rare is the only global conservation organization powered by local leadership and governance and built on behavioral science. It’s an approach we’ve refined over decades — one that puts people at the heart of climate and conservation solutions.
The result? Conservation that’s rooted in people, driven by communities, and effective across land and ocean.
Rare’s People-Powered Approach to Conservation
We invest in people-powered, community-led solutions to environmental challenges. Built on behavioral science and delivered through partners, our approach supports communities stewardhing nature across Latin America & the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia Pacific in some of the world’s most biodiverse and climate-vulnerable regions — where community-led conservation can make the greatest impact.
People-powered
We start with people — their leadership, rights, knowledge, and vision for their future.
Built on behavioral science
We use behavioral insights to spark and sustain the practices that restore nature and strengthen livelihoods.
Delivered through partnership
We work alongside communities, governments, and local institutions to build durable conservation systems.
The Foundations of Community-led Conservation
Based on decades of experience, we know community-led conservation succeeds when four conditions are in place. These elements form the foundation of lasting conservation and guide how we work.
Rights
Clear, secure authority for local communities to manage land, water, and resources.
Governance
Strong, inclusive local institutions capable of making and enforcing decisions.
Livelihoods
Sustainable food systems and financial resilience, and economic alternatives that support stewardship.
Culture
Norms, identity, and pride that reinforce long-term caretaking of nature
What drives community-led change
We work alongside communities to build the systems, resources, and support that help their leadership succeed and endure, and remove the barriers that stand in their way. Our work centers on a few core strategies:
Policy
Advance enabling policies and build coalitions of local leaders.
Behavioral Science & Technology
Apply behavioral insights and innovative tools to design and strengthen community-led solutions.
Sustainable Finance
Expand access to capital, markets, and financial services that reward sustainable practices.
Narrative Shift
Supporting shifting mindsets and cultural norms to make conservation the everyday default.
Rare brings together behavioral, social, and ecological science with local knowledge to strengthen community-led conservation. Together, these sources of insight help us understand what nature needs, what matters to people, and how conservation can support both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rare’s mission?
Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive.
Where does Rare work?
Rare’s work spans the globe. Our programs are centered in the Global South, while our training in behavior-centered design for community-led conservation has reached practitioners and communities in more than 100 countries.
We partner with fishers, farmers, and local leaders across Latin America, Africa, and Asia Pacific in some of the world’s most biodiverse and climate-vulnerable areas. Our flagship programs for sustainable fishing and farming are underway in Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mozambique, Honduras, Guatemala, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia, with work beginning in The Bahamas.
How can I support Rare’s mission?
Your support makes a difference!
Donate now to empower people creating real change.
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