Accelerating community-led conservation impact across Africa

Across Africa, local communities and the organizations that support them are delivering critical conservation, climate and livelihood outcomes – safeguarding forests, savannas, mangroves, wildlife and community land rights at scale. Yet these organizations remain chronically underfunded, constrained by short-term, project-based grants that limit their ability to plan, adapt, grow, and, ultimately, scale their impact. As climate shocks intensify and land conversion accelerates, proven local solutions are struggling to scale fast enough.

Vuma is the response.

Vuma is a $65 million pooled fund providing multi-year, unrestricted core funding to Africa’s leading community-led conservation organisations.

Maliasili is the host and manager of the Fund, providing grantmaking and customized organizational development support so partners can focus on what they do best: delivering impact.

Vuma builds on Maliasili’s experience managing pooled funds for African conservation organizations. Earlier funds demonstrated that long-term, flexible capital – combined with organizational support – enables local organisations to become more resilient and more effective, even in volatile political, climate, and funding contexts.

The model is designed for high efficiency, big impact, and low risk. It includes built-in organizational development support alongside direct grants.

For funders, Vuma means low transaction costs, reduced risk, and durable outcomes – not fragmented projects, but a mutually reinforcing system that strengthens the institutions behind conservation, climate and livelihood impact.