We finance our work and sustainability programs through diverse sources of income. The largest sources are participation royalties from certification, grants from governments and foundations, and individual donations.
Revenue, Support by Source, and Expenses
Participation royalties
Participation royalties[1] are paid by companies that buy and sell goods produced on Rainforest Alliance Certified or UTZ certified farms. The Rainforest Alliance uses the royalties to support and sustain our certification programs. We invest these royalties in developing standards and policies, training farmers and auditors, managing a quality control system for auditors, tracing certified products throughout the supply chain, measuring impact, and more.
Grants and contracts (foundations, governments, corporations)
Foundation, bi-lateral government, and multi-lateral government agency grants as well as corporate grants and contracts fund a variety of our on-the-ground landscape and community programs to accelerate the adoption of more sustainable agricultural and forestry practices throughout the world.
These grants also fund global partnership initiatives designed to advance new solutions to systemic sustainability challenges. These partnerships demonstrate the power of working as an alliance. Examples include the Accountability Framework initiative, LandScale, and 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People.
Grants and contracts cover direct project costs as well as operating costs.
Donations (major donors and individuals)
The Rainforest Alliance has a long and robust history of individual philanthropic relationships. Individual donations to the Rainforest Alliance range from $5 to more than $1,000,000. These contributions come from people committed to taking action on some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges of today. They play a critical role in making our work possible as they fund a spectrum of the Rainforest Alliance’s organizational needs—from general operations to distinct sustainability programs in agriculture and forestry.
Other contract revenue
We work with international companies in agriculture and forestry on tailored programs to make their supply chains more sustainable. Each of these programs is funded by the company that the program is for.
In-kind contributions
We also receive donations of goods and services such as legal advice, space, and consulting.
More detailed financial summary and our funders list are available in our annual reports and financial statements here.
[1] The equivalent of “participation royalties” in the UTZ program is “volume-based fees.”
Data accurate as of December 2022