Moonjelly is a dynamic community of Indigenous ocean scientists and organizations dedicated to sustainable ecosystem management. We serve as a hub for philanthropic support, channeling funds directly to our frontline leaders in Indigenous communities.

Our US-based non-profit arm provides our members with essential fiscal and technical resources from the Global North, helping them to advance their vital work in their own communities.

The ocean is home to 80% of the worldʻs biodiversity.

And while Indigenous Peoples make up just 5% of the global population, they protect the vast majority of the world’s remaining biodiversity.

The vital role of Indigenous communities in the conservation of nature is increasingly recognized. Unfortunately, not enough funding finds its way into the hands of Indigenous communities who do this important work.

This is due, in large part, to the fact that traditional conservation funding mechanisms are not well-suited for Indigenous and local communities.

We need more and better ways for donors to connect with and fund the Indigenous and local scientists and communities working on the ground to protect our ocean.

Meet Moonjelly Foundation.

We work bottom up.

Support … community-driven solutions

Co-design … simplified funding mechanisms

Scale … by Paying It Forward

Amplify … through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing

Ensure long-term impact … through repeated and exponential funding

Indigenous-led
The Moonjelly Navigator Fund

Redefining Conservation Through Trust

Moonjelly Foundation supports ancestrally-informed ocean guardianship by securing the financial and technical resources our Indigenous network needs to do their work. These resources are managed through our Moonjelly Navigator Fund which is guided by a Circle of Indigenous ocean scientists, leaders, and knowledge holders.

Read our Declaration and learn more about how Moonjelly is redefining trust-based funding for Indigenous ocean action

Moonjelly Conservation
Impact Network

We are growing an international conservation impact network built on trust that benefits communities and the ocean environment. We are Indigenous and local communities around the world who know how to manage the ocean. We are scientists, business people, communicators, designers, and practitioners all working together to put the ocean first.