Letter from Our CEO
2023 was the year the people of Brazil gave us one more chance to save the Amazon by returning President Lula to power . Our supporters rose to this challenge with unprecedented support for our ambitious strategy to protect 20 million acres of intact , undesignated forest during Lula ’ s term . As if to remind us why this work is so critical both locally and globally , record high temperatures worldwide spawned a terrible drought across the Amazon .
So in 2023 , we rushed to expand programs not only in the Amazon , the largest intact rainforest in the world , but also in the Congo and on the island of New Guinea , the second and third largest . We were spurred by the world ’ s commitment to protect 30 % of lands and waters by 2030 and by our commitment to protect 7 % of unprotected high-integrity tropical forest by 2025 . As a result , we now have over $ 50 million of projects under development across these three great forests .
After a record fundraising year in 2021 followed by a record grantmaking year in 2022 , we sought in 2023 to better align these numbers , raising $ 47 million , the second largest amount in our history , and granting $ 46 million . We are well on track to exceed the 2021-2025 target in our Strategic Plan of raising and granting a total of $ 200 million .
To fund our growing pipeline of projects and fulfill our conservation commitments , we need to continue to grow our income . So , last year , we recruited a new VP of Philanthropy and Marketing , Jodi Hubble , with wide experience including at The Nature Conservancy . Jodi began to recruit new staff , build stronger systems , and focus on growing our base of principal and major donors , bolstered by our growing reputation for impact and partnership .
We also welcomed a new Board member , Prof . Bernie Tershy of the University of California . Bernie is a long-standing Rainforest Trust council member , an expert on both preventing extinctions and supporting conservation entrepreneurs , and founder of many organizations including our partner Island Conservation . In June 2024 , Bernie became our Board Chair , replacing Eric Veach , who has contributed so much to every aspect of Rainforest Trust ’ s accomplishments over the past decade .
In August 2023 , another board member , Luiz Barroso , invited me to visit Brazil , his home country , with him . First I attended President Lula ’ s Amazon Summit and met many of our current and potential partners . Then Luiz hosted me in the Pantanal , the world ’ s largest wetland , which supports one of the most spectacular wildlife aggregations on Earth . In 2013 , Rainforest Trust ’ s donors helped to launch efforts to save the Pantanal , help ranchers to peacefully coexist with jaguars , and create a spectacular ecotourism destination by purchasing the Jofre Velho Conservation Ranch . Tragically , Luiz died a month after our visit . His efforts to reengage Rainforest Trust in the Pantanal , however , were not in vain , and in 2024 , we are launching a new project to save another , vast area of this incredible ecosystem .
To all of our supporters in 2023 , I would like to extend our sincere thanks . You make all our work possible , and you make us stronger by holding us to account . Fighting biodiversity loss and climate change has never been more urgent — thank you for your commitment to our mission .
Yours Faithfully ,
Dr . James C . Deutsch , CEO
4 Rainforest Trust 2023 Annual Report