The first socio-environmental fund launches in Uruguay

The Fondo Uruguay Socioambiental emerged from direct and sustained dialogue with feminists, social and political leaders, academics, media representatives and territorial organizations with many years of community activism. The Fund is the result of a collective learning process about what works in the Uruguayan context, where communities have tirelessly defended their spaces against extractivism, deforestation, agribusiness and the expansion of so-called “TikTok cities”, as well as many other threats.

In recent years, Uruguay has witnessed exponential growth in citizen empowerment, with ordinary people organizing and demonstrating that community participation is the only way to ensure that laws are upheld, rights are protected and ecosystems are preserved. These local struggles sustain life, the value of territory and the dignity of people.

An approach based on equity, diversity and territoriality

The ecological crisis does not affect everyone equally. It hits hardest those who already face other forms of inequality, in particular women, girls and Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations.

There are also no universal solutions or one-size-fits-all responses: each territory has its own history, challenges and people. Local communities are best placed to understand their problems and, above all, their potential to address them. No one is more invested in the well-being of a territory than its inhabitants.

Regional inspiration and principles

Under the guidance of the Fundo Casa Socioambiental (Brazil) and Fondo Acción Solidaria A.C. – FASOL (Mexico), the Fondo Uruguay Socioambiental promotes local leadership and collective responses to community challenges. The Fund’s strategies are grounded in the principles of ecofeminism and community philanthropy, which are based on trust. The Fund is also aligned with the global #ShiftThePower movement.

Prior to the Fund’s official launch, its founding members were already collaborating with feminist and socio-environmental leaders and groups across Uruguay and the wider Latin American region through their organizations. They supported organizational and technical development processes, forging alliances with territorial movements in the process.

The Fund was established through contributions from its operational and advisory teams, and it has received initial support from the GFCF. A significant goal for the Fund is to build a funding base of US $100,000 by 2026, a challenge given Uruguay’s limited philanthropic traditions.

The Fund’s three main areas of activity are financial support, a service bank and a national observatory of socio-environmental conflicts. These three pillars aim to strengthen and energize the socio-environmental movement in Uruguay.

As the Fund consolidates its work alongside local collectives, a stronger socio-environmental movement is emerging – one that connects local, regional and international networks. They all share the same goal: to strengthen the social fabric and participatory democracy. An informed, organized and mobilized citizenry is – and will continue to be – the only safeguard against authoritarianism and socio-environmental injustice.