Lasting Conservation. For Micronesia and Beyond. Landscape shot of island in Micronesia
150+

Protected areas supported

100

$Million Mobilized for Conservation

50

$ Million In conservation endowments managed

6+

1 of 6 regional conservation trust funds globally

OUR VISION
Thriving Micronesian Communities. Resilient Ecosystems. Global Leadership.​
OUR WORK
The Micronesia Conservation Trust works with communities, partners and governments to mobilize, steward, and deploy long-term financial resources for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.
FEATURED ARTICLE

MCT and the Micronesia Challenge

The Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) and the Micronesia Challenge are closely linked, but not the same. The Micronesia Challenge is the region’s shared conservation commitment, now led by the Micronesia Challenge Regional Office (MCRO). MCT manages the Challenge endowment, mobilizes resources to meet the goals of the Challenge, and supports its delivery.

The Micronesia Challenge

In 2006, the leaders of five Micronesian governments stood before the international community at the eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and did something almost no one expected. They declared that size didn’t matter, that intent wasn’t enough, and that bold action was owed regardless of population, land mass, or available funds, because their resources and their people were worth it.

 

The Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands together span an ocean territory the size of the continental United States. Together, they pledged to conserve at least 30% of their near-shore marine resources and 20% of their terrestrial resources by 2020.

Ariel shot of Palau islands

News & Insights

The Marshall Islands Conservation Society , in partnership with the MCT and The Nature Conservancy, officially launched the Kiwa Initiative Women’s Work Project in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Seychelles’ blue bond is often cited as the model for ocean finance in small island states. It should be studied. But its underlying conditions are country-specific.

The States of Aimeliik, Ngardmau, Ngatpang and Ngeremlengui have officially launched the Kiwa Initiative Women’s Work Project in Palau.

Twenty years ago five island governments stood before the global community and declared they would protect their own waters and lands.

The Kiwa Initiative’s Women’s Work project is building a model for women-led action on biodiversity conservation, food security, and coastal resilience.

Each International Women’s Day highlights women as frontline climate champions, project-level leaders, community advocates, and recipients of climate and conservation assistance.

Spanning more than 600 islands across 2.5 million square miles of ocean, the Micronesia region is one of the largest and most ecologically significant seascapes on Earth. Its coral reefs and forests help stabilize the global climate and anchor the resilience of an entire region.
GEOGRAPHIC REACH

Where we Work

MCT enables community-led conservation across across the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the US Territory of Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Worth Protecting

The Ocean Sustains Us

For Micronesia, the ocean is life. Its waters hold a rare abundance of species and provide the food, livelihoods, and heritage that communities have carried for generations.

20 Years of Conservation

KEY MILESTONES

2002
Established with one staff
2004
First grant awards
2006
Financial mechanism for the Micronesia Challenge
2015
Accredited to the Adaptation Fund
2015
Granted 501(c)(3) status as nonprofit organization by the US IRS
2017
Accredited to the Green Climate Fund
2018
Received first Adaptation Fund project
2019
Membership to the Community of Practice for Direct Access Entities
2021
Awarded first Green Climate Fund project
2022
Received McKenzie Scott award
2023
Second Green Climate Fund project awarded
2025
Received second MacKenzie Scott award
2026
Refreshed organizational mission and brand; reached 15 staff
NEWSLETTER

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