Subnational | PANORAMA

Using funds to improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations while promoting tree planting and ongoing maintenance in an integrated way

Crowdfunding raising funds for forest restoration

UNDP

Ana Lilliam Corrales, Association of Agro-industrial and Ecological Women of Zota El-Zota de la Rita-limon, Pococi.

UNDP Costa Rica

Funds raised were used both to cover reforestation costs and to create hundreds of green wages and jobs. On the one hand, Costa Rica aims to reach 60% of forest cover by 2030, and seedlings require ongoing care to ensure they survive and thrive. On the other hand, the socioeconomic conditions of already vulnerable communities in the northern region of the country worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Footprints4ourFuture addresses these two challenges in an integrated way. Each tree planted comes with a five-year maintenance plan to ensure its survival. This plan is implemented by local workers who plant and prune trees, improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations and providing a sustainable source of income beyond the period of the pandemic. This approach also contributes to raising local awareness and promoting community ownership of reforestation efforts.

Community interest and willingness to carry out green jobs, along with the long-term availability of funds for the five-year maintenance plan, are key factors for success.

Biodiversity conservation and restoration initiatives have a higher likelihood of success when combined with financial support for vulnerable participant populations. This approach allows initiatives to address both socioeconomic and environmental issues simultaneously, besides encouraging local community participation and fostering openness to environmental education.

Furthermore, reforestation and other environmental activities should prioritize ongoing maintenance, as it ensures that the initial investment yields long-term results.

https://www.biofin.org/news-and-media/how-crowdfunding-campaign-costa-rica-rais…

Combining a variety of donation options and marketing strategies to promote contributions

Donors can contribute to the campaign through different packages/amounts: “My Footprint” (one tree for 15 USD), “Family Footprint” (10 trees for USD 150), “Small Business Footprint” (100 trees for USD 1,500), and “Corporate Footprint” (1,000 trees for USD 15,000).

These packages can be purchased on the campaign’s website, that launch to a national account for FUNBAM. It is also possible to contribute by directly making bank transfers to an account in dollars or Costa Rican colones, or quickly donate using SINPE Móvil, the country’s instant mobile money transfer system. Companies and organizations, as well as Embassies made the transfer through this modality under a signed agreement with FUNBAM (the executing agency). Initially, it was also possible to donate through UNDP’s international platform, which was later removed since outreach activities were nationally focused.

Moreover, through a partnership with the corporate hardware store Ferretería EPA, customers in seven physical stores are invited to donate their spare change and complement to plant a tree, reaching those who may not have been initially aware of the campaign.

Finally, for the 1,000-tree corporate package, meetings were arranged with potential partner companies to encourage collaboration. Embassies such as Spain, Italy and others also used this modality.

The effective promotion of the campaign has gone hand in hand with the success of these various donation platforms. The marketing strategy has included social media, Google and TV ads, as well as support from the national television program Más que Notícias through specials and interviews.

The availability of technology, human expertise, and funding to sustain the online donation platform are other enabling factors.

It is important to align the campaign with larger impact, policy or institutional goals (in Costa Rica, to achieve 60% forest cover by 2030).
Engaging high-level champions, such as former Vice President of Costa Rica Epsy Campbell, fosters mobilization for the campaign.
Delivering with credible public organizations (FONAFIFO, UNDP) contributes to building public trust in the campaign.
It is fundamental to include measures for transparency and traceability of funds and results (georeferenced trees, and donor and results report).
Comms, comms, and more comms support campaign’s success:
- Clear graphic design throughout the campaign (logo, social media, life stories, press, presentations, face masks, videos, storyline, and alliances).
- Investment in a designer, a PR specialist, and dedicated time for campaign execution.
It is necessary to effectively mobilize resources through a diverse outreach and marketing strategy with target audiences:
- The donation page by itself is limited in mobilizing donations. It is more effective to engage funds, bilateral donors, and private and public companies through one-on-one meetings and interactions.

Campaign page on BIOFIN’s website