Rainmatter Foundation
A little more forest, everywhere
Nature takes centrestage in development pathways.
We’re a non-profit that supports organisations working with local communities to protect India’s ecosystems faster, and to make better trade-offs between competing needs.
What is a place?
Not a site to intervene in. A living whole to understand, with its natural assets at the centre and its people as their custodians.
I · How we started
Six years ago, with a simple aim: a little more forest, everywhere.
II · What we saw
Too often the solutions fade once the project ends. They were shaped for people and places, not with them.
III · What we do now
One guiding principle: nurturing custodians of a place. We call it place‑ownership.
In partnership with
86
organisations over five years. We think of ourselves as ecosystem weavers: connecting people, organisations and ideas so change has a chance to last.
Meet every partner →- Asar
- Climate Trends
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS)
- Sattva Consulting
- Youth Conservation Action Network (YouCAN)
- Akshayakalpa Foundation
- B.PAC (Bangalore Political Action Committee)
- Bridgespan India
- CoRE Stack (CommonsTech Foundation)
- Ethos Foundation
- Kalpavriksh
- Malabar Awareness and Rescue Center for Wildlife (MARC)
- Paani Foundation
- Praja
- Saath Charitable Trust
- Shakti Foundation
- The Climate Narrative Hub
- The Local Food Project (Locavore)
- The Timbaktu Collective
- Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF)
- Living Landscapes
- Platform for Commons
- Sahjeevan
- Shivganga Samagra Gramvikas Parishad
- Shola Trust
- Sustainable Futures Collective
- Udyam Foundation
- Vidhi – Center for Legal Policy
- WCS, India
- A Rocha India
- All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF)
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)
- Biodiversity Collaborative
- Climate RISE Alliance
- ComMutiny
- Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)
- Goonj
- Gram Vikas
- Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary
- India climate collaborative
- India Development Review (IDR)
- Jagriti Seva Sansthan
- M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
- Nature Conservation Foundation
- Palluyir Trust
- Rang De
- Socratus
- Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM)
- Vaagdhara
- WELL Lab
- Wetlands International South Asia
- WRI India
- ACT Grants
- Biome Environmental Trust
- Buzz Women
- Civis
- CSTEP
- Energy Swaraj Foundation
- Farmers for Forests
- Himalaya Unnati Mission
- Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology
- IndusTree
- Lipok Social Foundation (LSF)
- PARI
- PRADAN
- RCRC
- Saahas
- SlamOutLoud
- Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT)
- Tech4Good Community
- Veditum
- Wassan
- Dakshin Foundation
- Fields of View
- GROW+
- India Civic Summit (Oorvani Foundation)
- Janaagraha
- Nrityagram
- Punarchith
- ReapBenefit
- Sauramandala Foundation
- SayTrees
- Technology for Wildlife Foundation
- Uttarayan
- Waste Warriors
- Wild Shaale @ Centre for Wildlife Studies
Three kinds of capital
- SocialEnable shifts in narratives that increase attention to the nation's wealth, our natural assets.
- NetworkEnable thriving places through cooperative action that can solve for intersectional issues.
- FinancialEnable place-based organisations to enhance natural assets with financial support.
Rainmatter Foundation Nature Awards 2027. Nominations close on 27 November.
Who protects yourlake?forest?coastline?seeds?river?
Tell us about the people and groups doing grounded nature work where you live. ₹5 lakh per award, to use as they see fit. Nominate in any Indian language.
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