Given its role as a regional coordinating and fundraising institution, the MAR Fund relies heavily on the four in-country founding members to provide the daily oversight, monitoring, and evaluation for the implementing organizations/grantees. The existing in-country funds, with minor exceptions, possess the skill and capacity to do so capably.
Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, A.C. (FMCN) – México
Protected Areas Conservation (PACT) – Belize
Although a small country by geography and population, Belize is immensely blessed with natural wonders. Recognizing the importance of its national heritage, Belize began establishing its protected areas system in the 1960s. The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) is Belize’s national conservation trust and provides funds for supporting conservation and promoting environmentally sound management of Belize’s natural and cultural resources to foster sustainable development. PACT offers project grants and capacity building grants for protected areas management, conservation, promotion and development; environmental education and awareness; and community development around protected areas. Since its inception in 1996, PACT has invested over $16.5 million USD in the protected areas system of Belize.
Fundación para la Conservación de los Recursos Naturales y de Ambiente en Guatemala (FCG)
Fundación para la Conservación en Guatemala. Created in 2000, FCG has managed funds for about $ 4 million USD in the last years, through its diverse structure of grants, small grants, and sub-accounts, to support initiatives on biodiversity and natural resources, environmental education, natural and cultural heritage, coastal marine resources, research and environmental law, among others. It also administrates the $24 million USD of the Tropical Forest Conservation Fund, product of a debt-for-nature swap with the United States. FCG’s team of six permanent staff and temporary consultants and external evaluators, administers, monitors, and evaluates projects in accordance with its general objective to promote the biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and use of natural resources, environmental management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Fundación Biosfera (FB) – Honduras
Established in 2003, Fundación Biosfera has managed and provided technical support to various projects under the Small Grants Program, funded by MAR Fund, aimed at co-managing organizations of marine-coastal protected areas in Honduras. It has also been part of the Marine Resources Conservation Project in Central America I and II. Likewise, strategic technical assistance and support in proposal development have been provided to at least 10 organizations for their submission to funding calls, contributing to the strengthening of their institutional capacities and improving access to financing opportunities.
As a founding member of MAR Fund, Fundación Biosfera actively participates in all activities pertaining to the Board of Directors, the Investment Committee, and the Governance Committee, including semiannual meetings, review of various documents, planning processes, and targeted support for actions related to project implementation in Honduras.