Thousand Currents

Thousand Currents is a public foundation funding grassroots work that addresses the interdependent issues of food sovereignty, alternative economies, and climate justice in the Global South. We partner with an ecosystem of formations, including, but not limited to, movements, grassroots groups, and research institutions in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America. We prioritize supporting grassroots formations that are mainly led by women, youth, indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples.   

 For nearly 35 years, Thousand Currents has invested in and learned from more than 1,000 community-led initiatives in over 40 countries. Too often, resource and investment decisions are made without the input and participation of the people who contribute the least to – and are most impacted by - large-scale global problems like climate change, inequality, poverty, and corporate-based food systems. Thousand Currents has intentionally flipped this dynamic, choosing instead to build long-term partnerships with movements and organizations led by women, youth and Indigenous Peoples. This means honoring their leadership and wisdom, their right to self-determination, and their transformative solutions to global challenges. 

 In addition to long-term flexible partnership and financial resources, we support our partners in strengthening their impact by linking them with each other and with broader social change movements at regional, national, and global levels through convenings, learning exchanges, and conferences; facilitating the creation and sharing of knowledge practices and resources; and amplifying their solutions to redirect the flow of resources and relationships within philanthropy.  

 At the same time, we use our position and influence as a vocal and visible advocate for grassroots-led social change, bridging emerging approaches and learnings from the Global South with philanthropic models and practices from the Global North. We do this through our Philanthropic Partnerships program, where we work with donors to adopt transformative practices that dismantle injustice and inequity. Through trainings, workshops, tools, and resources, we help donors strengthen their relationships with grantee partners in alignment with their values and missions. And we bring them together to cultivate a just, equitable, and inclusive philanthropic and social impact investment sector through our practice communities: Thousand Currents Academy, Buen Vivir Fund, CLIMA Fund and Africans In The Diaspora.