Conservation is about people. For more than 25 years, Rare has empowered local communities in over 50 countries to shift from being resource users to environmental stewards. Rare’s unique approach appeals to hearts and minds through proven marketing techniques. Rare trains local leaders to lead change, leaving a legacy of increased capacity and a sense of ownership, responsibility and pride in conservation. The change lasts. That’s Rare.

Their Vision

Rare envisions a world in which conservation is not an issue, but a way of life. 

They believe that conservation movements, once solely the domain of nature lovers and scientists, now must become human movements, for the solutions their planet requires transcend biological health and preservation and, as such, they must integrate social, economic and political interventions.

For over 40 years and across more than 50 countries and 350 campaigns, they have leveraged their behavior change expertise to have enduring impact for both people and nature alike.

What makes them rare?

What is the one variable that is central and essential to any possible enduring conservation solution? People. So, if they agree that people are the “must have” answer to their global conservation crisis, then the question is: How do they change human behavior? And, more to the point, how do they change human behavior on a scale sufficient to make a difference in communities nationally, and globally?

That’s Rare’s ambition. And, behavior change is their secret sauce. In fact, they are the leading behavior change experts in conservation. They intentionally work with people first to ensure conservation solutions will last. You might say their unique approach is 100% people-powered.

They tap into humans’ intrinsic desire to cooperate and empower communities to solve their own natural resource management challenges. With their help, communities become avid fans and staunch protectors of the environment around them, creating good jobs, reliable food sources and improving lives along the way. Notable victories include preserving the Amazonian parrot species, creating national parks and improving water, forest and coral reef ecosystems around the world.

All of this starts with Rare training and supporting local conservation champions to design, execute and lead behavior change campaigns within their communities.

Their programs hope to accomplish change for good

Over the next five years, they will take their behavior change formula for impact from local to national levels, keeping their community work at the core but also engaging governments and creating economic incentives to increase and accelerate solution adoption. With this as their guiding approach, they are taking on some of the world’s most critical challenges.

Oceans

They are addressing the single greatest near-term threat to oceans through coastal fishery restoration.

Climate

They are globalizing community-based climate mitigation and adaptation practices.

Fresh Water

They are protecting and sustaining the world’s most biodiverse watersheds.

Clean Agriculture

They are piloting sustainable agricultural approaches to help transform a chronically “dirty” industry. 

At the same time, they are also upping their innovation in:

Behavior Change

They are bringing in new academic and private sector thought partners to keep them at the top of their game.

Impact Investing

They are actively seeking investment opportunities for the Meloy Fund, the first fisheries-focused impact investment fund in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Where they work:

The developing world holds the richest remaining biodiversity. And, developing countries will ultimately play a huge role in determining just how radically their climate will change, how many species will become extinct and to what extent food and water supplies will be exhausted or contaminated. To this end, the developing world is where they focus the majority of their work. 

Diving one level deeper, they are invite only and solely work in places in which there is demand and in regions in which communities have outsized influence on how natural resources are managed.