Our first project in 1995; a running water system for Nanga Juoi village in West Kalimantan.
Co-founders Marla D. Potess and Fernando Potess with Bapak Udat and other villagers (Photo PRCF).
Who we are
People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) is a US-based 501(c)3 non-profit, non-government, and non-membership organisation. We promote biodiversity conservation, protection and wise use of natural resources, and sound social and economic development. PRCF works with rural people in developing countries, particularly with local communities and ethnic minorities living nearby protected areas, remnant forests, and degraded forest lands.
Our mission
To conserve biodiversity, ecosystem services, and local cultural identities through participatory solutions that protect and promote the wise use of natural resources, support socioeconomic development of communities, and enable effective adaptation to climate change.
Our strategic priorities
- Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions
- Sustainable management and use of natural resources
- Community-based conservation initiatives
- Cultural arts revitalization and ethnic minority livelihoods
Working with local communities
PRCF directors and staff realize that local communities are integral to the success of nature conservation and community development programs. We advocate community participation and environmental conservation, and reject and discourage activities that change the cultural identity or social structure of local populations or negatively affect the natural environment.
Through our field programs, PRCF motivates local people to preserve and enhance their traditional self-respect and identity. We encourage communities to be active and responsible in all development activities, including participation in needs assessments, planning, implementation, and progress monitoring. To reinforce this participation premise, active members in PRCF community development programs are regarded as ‘project owners’. Collectively, they share the responsibility of labor inputs and most of the materials needed to complete their projects. PRCF provides technical assistance through training and extension, and facilitates initial funds to purchase project materials and establish village-level institutions.
Mode of operation
PRCF works as a federation of country programs that initiates member organizations in host countries. Our goal is that member organizations will eventually become independent non-governmental organizations in the country of operation, with qualified nationals in charge of their management and administration. A shared vision of PRCF Federation members is local biodiversity management that supports ecosystem functions and enables a sustained form of resource use. Local, self-reliant communities with stable cultural identities and socioeconomic conditions promote this vision.
We provide technical advice and financial support to members of the PRCF Federation. Members share the PRCF insignia, philosophy, vision, and mission statement. No PRCF Federation member acquires operational funding through provision of consultancy services.