What would you do if your future depended on the health of the forest around you? For many in the Amazon, that’s not a hypothetical—it’s daily life.

Across the rainforest, powerful stories are unfolding—stories of strength, hope, and courage. Indigenous communities and local leaders are working hard to protect the forest that sustains their life, food, and culture.

Thanks to your support, local communities are leading bold, transformative work to protect their forests. Their voices—full of wisdom and bravery—are guiding conservation in ways that respect tradition and shape sustainable futures.

At the heart of this movement are women. They are transforming forest-based resources into thriving livelihoods, passing down knowledge to future generations, and leading efforts to protect their forests and communities. Their stories remind us that protecting the Amazon is not just about preserving trees. It’s about uplifting people, cultures, and legacies.

“The Amazon represents something natural, something beautiful. [It] holds some value for each of us.”
— Elydanitza Yarari Monje

“[The Amazon] represents life for us, because [it] is what provides our needs for us as women and as rural communities.”
— Rosaldina Dumay Mocho

These women are shaping the future of the Amazon, one day at a time. They are passing down traditions of stewardship to their children. And thanks to donors like you, their impact can grow.

“What we always do as women is teach our children so that they can also get involved in taking care of the Amazon, in taking care of the environment and of the forest where we live. It is about passing this legacy on to our children.”
— Rosaldina Dumay Mocho

Your solidarity supports our work alongside our sister organization Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA in Bolivia that is creating opportunities and pathways for emerging leaders to thrive.

Hear directly from some of the women leading their communities in the Bolivian Amazon to protect the forest for future generations in this short video:

Your support matters now more than ever. Together, we can empower leaders and build resilient communities. 

Each and every day, these women are working hard to transform forest products like acai, Brazil nuts, and cacao into sustainable livelihoods—keeping trees standing and communities thriving. Their leadership proves a simple but powerful truth:

Conservation is strongest when led by those who call the forest home.

 

Your Support Amplifies Their Voices

Your generosity helps strengthen forest-based economies, empower women producers and Indigenous leaders, and safeguard one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. This year, your contribution directly supports the people whose lives and futures are intertwined with the Amazon.

When you give today, you’re investing in:

• Indigenous producers and women-led producer associations that turn forest resources into sustainable livelihoods, adding value to products like açaí berries, oils, and soaps.
• Local guardians and community-led conservation efforts to patrol, defend, and protect their territories, keeping forests standing for generations to come.
• Resources and workshops like Women Producing the Future, where Indigenous leaders share strategies to protect their forests.
• Youth engagement programs ensuring that the next generation of women and men will inherit a thriving forest and the knowledge to care for it.

Your gift doesn’t just protect trees—it uplifts families, strengthens communities, and advances long-term conservation solutions.

Act now: your gift before December 31 keeps this movement going strong into the new year.

 

 

Together, we can stand with local communities, protect critical forest resources, and secure a future where the Amazon thrives.

 

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Amazon Conservation is an international conservation nonprofit working for the past 25 years toward building a thriving Amazon. The organization’s holistic approach focuses on working with local partners and allies to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work for conservation. 

Our on-the-ground work, as part of Amazon Conservation Alliance, is carried out through our sister organizations Conservación Amazónica-ACCA in Peru and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA in Bolivia, are geographically focused on the headwaters of the Amazon basin. From this base, we incubate solutions and scale through building partnerships across the region, including in Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela, where we have been strengthening coverage of our real-time monitoring efforts to combat illegal deforestation through our flagship Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP).

 

✅ Trusted. Transparent. Top-Rated. (Again).

What are Charity Watchdogs?

Charity Watchdog organizations independently review a charity’s financial records, accountability practices, and results to help donors discern which organizations are the most effective and trustworthy.

 

The Major Players

There are many Charity Watchdog sites out there, but some of the most notable and reputable include Charity Navigator, Candid (formerly GuideStar), and GreatNonprofits. Each has a unique rating system— but Amazon Conservation is top-rated by all of them. 

Consult the chart below to see which Charity Watchdog site has the information that’s most important to you.

 

Charity Watchdog	Evaluative Focus	Purpose
	Holistic view: Rating system analyzes program impact, cost efficiency, financial health, long-term stability, etc.	Helps donors quickly determine which nonprofits are strong, trustworthy choices (and which probably aren’t)
	Transparency: Whether and to what degree an organization publishes its data	Offers detailed public records (e.g., finances, governance) to shed light on behind-the-scenes operational practices
	Community Experience: Reviews from an organization’s donors, volunteers, partners, beneficiaries, etc.	Offers testimonials that demonstrate how people experience the organization beyond its metrics

Amazon Conservation’s 2025 Charity Watchdog Ratings: 

Charity Navigator: 4-Star Charity (Highest Rating), Score of 100 (Out of 100)

Meaning: A “Great” nonprofit (with a rating of 4 stars and a score of 90+) “exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across almost all areas. Likely to be a highly-effective charity.”

Read more about how Charity Navigator scores nonprofits.

➡️ Check out our Charity Navigator profile by clicking here, searching for Amazon Conservation Association on the Charity Navigator site, or by visiting this URL: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/522211305. 

Candid: Platinum (Highest-Level) Seal of Transparency – Renewed 2025

Meaning: Amazon Conservation has complied with rigorous public reporting standards, including with regard to financials, strategy, impact metrics, and governance. According to data released this July, only 6% of all U.S. nonprofits earned the Platinum Seal in 2021 and/or 2022.

Read more about Candid’s Seals of Transparency.

➡️ Check out our Candid profile by clicking here, searching for Amazon Conservation Association in Candid’s nonprofit database, or by visiting this URL: https://app.candid.org/profile/7790364/. 

GreatNonprofits: 5-Star Rating (Out of 5), Top-Rated Badge

Meaning: Dozens of people familiar with Amazon Conservation have left us five-star ratings alongside their public comments about the organization. To achieve a top-rated badge, an organization must maintain a rating of 3.5+ stars and receive 10 positive story-based reviews during one calendar year.

Want to share your positive experience with Amazon Conservation? Click here to sign up and tell your story today.

➡️ Check out our GreatNonprofits profile here or by searching for Amazon Conservation Association using the GreatNonprofits site.

Why Does It Matter? 

To those with whom we’ve already built a trusting and long-standing relationship, these ratings may not feel surprising—you’ve seen our commitment and results firsthand. But Charity Watchdogs play an important role in showing new supporters and the broader public that our work is both transparent and effective. 

Our strong ratings validate the quality and integrity of our work on the ground, showing that our programs truly deliver for forests, wildlife, and local communities. They also build the donor confidence that fuels long-term conservation, enabling us to protect more acres and strengthen more frontline partners. In short, trusted organizations can make the biggest impact—and that impact is what keeps the Amazon thriving.

P.S. If you’re considering a year-end donation, trust what the watchdogs — and your instincts — already tell you: Amazon Conservation will put your gift to work where it truly matters.

 

This time of year invites reflection—on what we’ve accomplished together in our 25 years of Amazon Conservation and on the impact we hope to make next. Protecting the Amazon is a collective effort, made possible by people committed conservationists like you who choose to give in ways that reflect what they value. Whether you’re exploring tax-smart options to make your annual gift or simply want to deepen your support for the Amazon with an extra gift, here are several giving pathways that can help.

Do You Know All the Ways You Can Give?

1. Become a Wild Keeper as a Monthly Donor: Our Wild Keeper Monthly Giving Program provides steady, reliable support that allows us to strengthen long-term conservation programs across the Amazon. When making your online gift, simply select the “Monthly” option to join.
2. Smart Giving with DAF or QCD Contributions: If you have resources already set aside in a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) or retirement account, consider making a charitable contribution this year to take advantage of current tax benefits. Learn more here.
3. Smart Giving with Non-Cash Assets: Donating non-cash assets–including stocks, securities, and cryptocurrency–often comes with greater tax benefits for you, thereby both increasing the overall value of your contribution and making a sizable impact on our mission. Learn more here.
4. Smart Giving with Planned Gifts: Include Amazon Conservation in your will, trust, or estate plan to create a lasting legacy. Find out how to make your planned gift for free.
5. Matching Gifts & Other Options: Many employers offer a match for gifts made by employees, sometimes even including retirees and spouses. Explore matching options and other ways to give here.

Important Year-End Tax Updates

As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tax laws will change starting January 1, 2026. Making your gift now can help you secure the most favorable benefits while supporting urgent conservation efforts. Here are a few notable upcoming changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

For donors who itemize (vs. taking the standard deduction):

• A new nondeductible threshold: The first portion of charitable giving will no longer be deductible for some donors, reducing the after-tax value of gifts.
  Many donors are choosing to ‘bunch’ multiple years of giving into 2025—often through a Donor-Advised Fund—to maximize deductions.
• A new cap on total deductible giving: This shift could significantly reduce tax benefits for some donors.
  Make any cash or stock gifts—and contributions to your DAF—by December 31 to take full advantage of 2025’s more favorable rules.

For Donors Aged 65+: Those aged 65 and older may now claim an additional charitable deduction of up to $6,000 per individual, on top of the existing senior deduction. This temporary benefit makes 2025 an especially advantageous year to give.

Make the Most of Your 2025 Giving

This year offers unique opportunities to make a powerful impact while maximizing current tax benefits. Whether you give monthly, donate stock, contribute through a DAF, or plan a legacy gift, your generosity strengthens our priorities to protect the core of the Amazon, halt illegal deforestation, and strengthen forest-based economies and community-driven conservation that keep the Amazon standing.

Your gift today can protect wildlife and forests and build a thriving future generations.

 

This Giving Tuesday, your support doesn’t just help— it transforms. Every gift powers on-the-ground action that keeps forests standing, wildlife thriving, and community leaders equipped with the tools they need to safeguard the future.

Why Your Gift Matters

The Amazon faces mounting pressures—from deforestation and illegal mining to climate change. Using cutting-edge science and technology, local teams are tracking and responding to threats in real time. Your gift today fuels solutions with measurable impact on both forests and the people who depend on them.

Your generosity makes it possible to:

• Halt illegal deforestation: real-time monitoring across 100% of the Amazon basin to detect deforestation and illegal activity as they happen, while equipping local partners with the tools to defend their territories.
  
• Strengthen sustainable livelihoods: supporting producers in building local economies based on sustainable forest resources such as Brazil nuts, açaí berries, and wild cacao.
• Expand innovation and research: providing the data, tools, and analyses that drive climate-smart conservation strategies.

 

Your Impact in Action

Because of the generosity of donors like you, our teams on the ground are able to:

• Protect vital ecosystems from growing pressures including agriculture, infrastructure, and resource extraction.

• Stop illegal deforestation through comprehensive real-time monitoring and analysis and coordinated on-the-ground response.

• Grow forest-based economies that provide sustainable livelihoods and keep forests standing.

• Drive regional policy change using the science and data your support makes possible.

Every donation, no matter the size, creates a ripple effect—strengthening forest protection, delivering actionable insights, empowering local leaders, and advancing conservation solutions that last.

This Giving Tuesday, Your Support Makes the Difference

Your gift today powers real action tomorrow. By standing with the local leaders, communities, and forest guardians who keep the Amazon thriving, you help ensure this vital ecosystem remains vibrant for generations to come.

 

Join us this Giving Tuesday. Be part of the solutions that keep the Amazon—and its people—strong and resilient.

 
 

Dear Supporters of Amazon Conservation,

As I begin my tenure as Board Chair, I am honored to build on the extraordinary legacy that has defined Amazon Conservation for nearly 25 years. This organization has always stood apart for one simple reason: its commitment to pairing world-class science and technology with the experience, leadership, and resilience of the people who depend on the forest. 

With your support, that combination continues to drive real impact. In 2024, our collective efforts:

• Expanded protection of the core of Amazon, establishing over 2.8 million acres and 4 new protected areas in Bolivia, for a total of over 11.5 million acres safeguarded to date.
• Advanced understanding of the impacts of illegal mining, with our Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program’s MAAP #196 using the first-ever “Illegal Gold Mining Impact Calculator” developed by Conservation Strategy Fund. This allowed us to quantify the true social and environmental costs of illegal gold mining and equipped national authorities, journalists, and civil society with vital data to drive informed action.
• Consolidated production of sustainable forest products to strengthen forest-based economies. Bolivian açaí producers achieved record sales of sustainable forest products and the Indigenous community of Infierno in Peru earned organic certification for wild cacao, connecting forest-friendly products to high-value markets.
• Supported groundbreaking science at our Manu Biological Station in Peru, where scientists discovered a new species of sandfly (Trichophoromyia macrisae), offering valuable insights into disease transmission and public health in tropical regions.

These milestones remind us that protecting the Amazon is about more than conserving trees; it is about sustaining an entire system of life, culture, and climate stability that the world depends on.

As pressures on the forest grow more complex and interconnected, Amazon Conservation continues to evolve—working beyond borders, bridging science and policy, and uniting partners in a shared vision for a thriving Amazon. 

I am honored to be a part of this mission and honored to have committed supporters like you backing Amazon Conservation at this pivotal moment.

 

 

Sincerely,

Douglas Sarno
Chair
Amazon Conservation Board of Directors

 

While Black Friday often fuels overconsumption, its alternative Green Friday offers something different—a moment to pause, reflect, and choose impact over excess. It’s an opportunity to uplift businesses that intentionally center sustainability, community, and environmental stewardship in everything they do. These companies measure success not only in profit, but in the real, lasting good they generate for people and the planet.

At Amazon Conservation, we believe every choice matters. When you support businesses that prioritize responsibility and purpose, you help protect the Amazon rainforest, empower Indigenous and local communities, and invest in a healthier future for all.

This Green Friday, we’re proud to spotlight partners who embody these values, and share simple ways you can amplify your impact.

 

🌿 Meet Our Green Friday Business Partners

1. EcoWellness Journeys:   Earlier this month, EcoWellness Journeys, created by Heather Murata, partnered with Amazon Conservation to launch an 8-part Amazon Rainforest video series. The series blends EcoWellness Journeys’ commitment to wellness and mindful living with our mission to protect the Amazon. Viewers explore rainforest biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and the deep connections between human and planetary health.

EcoWellness Journeys invites audiences to learn, reflect, and embrace mindful lifestyle choices that honor both people and the planet. 👉 More on the video series here

2. Amazonia Concept: Founded in Amsterdam in 2022 by Raquel Fernandes da Silva, Amazonia Concept is more than a beauty salon—it’s a commitment to sustainability. Inspired by her Brazilian roots and lifelong dedication to protecting biodiversity, Raquel built her business to give back from day one. Through a partnership with Amazon Conservation, Amazonia Concept raises awareness among clients and contributes collective donations to reforestation efforts at the headwaters of the Amazon. 👉 Learn more about Amazonia Concept here

3. SPARKLiNUTS: SPARKLiNUTS is a newly-launched coconut water brand dedicated to giving back. By donating a portion of profits to wildlife conservation efforts in South America—including Amazon Conservation—SPARKLiNUTS ensures that every sip supports biodiversity and rainforest protection. 👉 Shop SPARKLiNUTS here

4. Marc Skid: Marc Skid is an underwear brand built with sustainability and generosity at its core. Made from organic Peruvian Pima cotton grown on family farms without GMOs, each waistband is crafted from a recycled plastic water bottle. With every purchase, $4 is donated to a charity of your choice—be sure to select Save The World / Amazon Conservation at checkout to directly support rainforest protection.  👉 Shop Marc Skid here

 

🌱 Other Ways to Support Sustainable Businesses on Green Friday

Beyond these inspiring business supporters, here are three other partner platforms that offer unique ways to align your values with intentional businesses:

• 1% for the Planet: Join a global network of businesses and individuals committed to tackling pressing environmental issues. By supporting companies that pledge 1% of sales to environmental causes, your purchases contribute to lasting change.
• Shopping Gives: This platform partners with retailers to align your purchases with causes you care about, making it easy to shop with impact.
• MyGivmo: A user-friendly app that enables passive fundraising by verifying blockchain transactions in the background, generating small rewards that can be directed to charities of your choice.

💚 This Green Friday, Choose Impact Over Excess

Green Friday is about more than shopping—it’s about supporting businesses that act with intention. By choosing partners who prioritize sustainability and platforms that make giving back easy, you’re helping protect the Amazon, strengthen local communities, and support a thriving, resilient planet for all.

If you’re a business looking to make a difference, we’d love to connect. Explore partnership opportunities and join the growing community of companies committed to protecting the Amazon and building a sustainable future.

This Green Friday, let’s stand with purpose-driven businesses and turn consumer power into conservation power.

 

 

 

On this day of giving thanks, we pause to honor the people who make meaningful work possible. For us, that includes you.

Across the Bolivian and Peruvian Amazon, our partners wanted to share something simple yet profound: their gratitude. Today, we bring you a short video with messages from forest stewards, Indigenous leaders, forest producers, and families whose daily efforts keep the Amazon resilient. Their words come directly from the field and speak for themselves.

Why Your Support Matters

Because of supporters like you, communities across the Amazon are building sustainable livelihoods that keep forests standing. You help ensure that local and Indigenous leaders have the tools needed to defend their territories. You help strengthen the technology and networks needed to confront the greatest threats to the forest. And you help safeguard one of the world’s most vital ecosystems for generations to come.

Your generosity doesn’t just protect trees—it protects opportunities, dignity, and dreams.

A Message From the Amazon to You

We invite you to take a moment to watch the video below and hear gratitude directly from our partners on the ground. Their voices say it better than we ever could.

From All of Us, With Thanks

As you gather with loved ones today, know that your compassion stretches far beyond your table. It reaches deep into the Amazon, where your support is helping build thriving and resilient communities and forests.

Thank you for standing with the Amazon—today and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Amazon Conservation.

 

 

 

When COP30 opened its doors in Belém, Brazil, the first United Nations climate summit ever held in the Amazon, it became clear that the world had arrived not only to negotiate but also to listen. With more than 190 countries represented, over 50,000 delegates gathered, and historic participation from more than 2,500 Indigenous leaders,  this COP took on a different tone: grounded in territory, science, and lived experience.

For Amazon Conservation, the summit reinforced a message we have carried for more than 25 years: the Amazon’s future depends on collaboration across borders and sectors. Throughout the week, our events at the Socioenvironmental Journalism House, the Center for Climate Crisis Analysis (CCCA) Climate Hub, and the Colombian Pavilion brought scientists, journalists, civil society and grassroots organizations, policymakers, and forest-based specialists together to discuss actionable solutions for the region.

Science, Monitoring, and Regional Leadership

 

Working alongside our sister organizations Conservación Amazónica-ACCA (Peru) and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA (Bolivia), we contributed to multiple science-driven discussions throughout COP30. At the session “Amazon Tipping Point at a Bay,” Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA’s Executive Director Marcos Terán emphasized that the tipping point is not only an ecological threshold but also a social one. He noted that “as climate impacts intensify, entire communities and even industries in the eastern Amazon may be forced to migrate westward, accelerating existing pressures. Financial mechanisms must also support this social dimension — including restoration and the needs of climate migrants.”

Building on this regional perspective, Luciana Gatti, from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) connected 46 years of atmospheric and climate data to the findings of our Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program’s (MAAP) findings on drying patterns and vulnerability. She emphasized that “the more deforested a region is, the more rainfall it loses and the more its temperature increases — especially during the dry season. The time for action is now.”

 

Amazon Mining Watch and Environmental Crime

 

Illegal gold mining was a notable common concern throughout discussions on governance and environmental crime. Amazon Mining Watch (AMW), which we developed with Earth Genome and the Pulitzer Center and implemented with partners such as Fundación EcoCiencia and Instituto Centro de Vida, became an essential tool for journalists, civil society, and Indigenous organizations to address these concerns.

Carmen Josse, Executive Director at Fundación EcoCiencia, highlighted AMW’s added value for cross-border collaboration. She noted that “the platform’s ability to compare legal, fiscal, and enforcement frameworks across countries using the same methodology is extremely valuable, and it helps promote dialogue between authorities in neighboring countries.”

Maria Franco Chuaire, Program Officer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, reinforced the need for basin-wide coordination: “We need basin-wide solutions, and this alliance with Amazon Conservation — which works with organizations across different countries — is essential to address both local challenges and shared challenges that require transboundary and connected responses.”

We also supported a civil society mapping effort in a working group at COP, for which we are now gathering information for the next steps of the World Bank’s Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program (ASL) to coordinate responses to environmental crime.

 

Forest-Based Economies and Local Leadership

Conversations about sustainable value chains of Amazon forest products, including Brazil nuts, açaí, cacao, and others, drew on more than a decade of work by our sister organizations Conservación Amazónica-ACCA and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA in the Madre de Dios–Acre–Pando (MAP) region that covers an overlapping intersection of forest in Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia. Their experience supporting community-led production, expanding market access, and building climate resilience helped guide discussions about expanding forest-based economies, including in Brazil.

Across all sessions, one message remained clear: sustainable livelihoods must be built with local people at the center.

More than 200 participants joined us for six events we co-hosted, while another 60 partners gathered at our networking reception focused on halting illegal deforestation. Leaders from the Norwegian Development Agency (NICFI), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and others emphasized long-term collaboration and trust. At the reception, Amazon Conservation President John Beavers reflected on how our approach is resonating across the basin, noting that “the great take-home is that there is great enthusiasm for the work we’re doing.Really, it’s about people; it’s about keeping those forests standing — whether it is applying the law or building a forest-based economy. We feel there is a lot of echo for what we’ve been saying in the region, and we feel great about the new partnerships we’re building and what the future holds for the Amazon.”

Outcomes of COP30

According to the United Nations, countries committed to mobilizing a collective $1.3 trillion annually by 2035; doubling adaptation finance by 2025 to build climate resilience, then tripling it by 2035; operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund; launching the Global Implementation Accelerator; and establishing the Belém Mission to 1.5°C (34.7°F). Countries also pledged for the first time to counter climate disinformation.

However, the absence of a commitment to phase out fossil fuels — an objective supported by more than 80 countries — highlighted a major gap. Brazil announced plans for two new roadmaps: one to halt and reverse Amazon deforestation, and another to guide a just transition away from fossil fuels.

Looking Ahead

From science and monitoring to community-led economies and coordinated action on environmental crime, Amazon Conservation and our partners brought a unified, regionally grounded perspective to COP30. As the world moves on from negotiation towards implementation, we will continue working alongside the people who protect the Amazon every day.

Also, check out the InfoAmazonia story “At COP30, Researchers Call for Expansion of Brazil’s Zero Deforestation Target by 2030″ produced with Amazon Conservation scientific support by clicking here. 

 

What is National Philanthropy Day?

National Philanthropy Day, celebrated annually on November 15th since the 1980s, is dedicated to recognizing and reflecting on the impact of philanthropists like you, who selflessly share their resources to make the world a better place.

Why Do You Give?

National Philanthropy Day is a time to reflect on what motivates us to give and on the good that can come from giving. Amazon Conservation Board Member Jim Brumm shares why he has been supporting our mission for nearly a decade:

When visiting our biological research stations in 2016, Jim was inspired by the great work he saw on the ground from Amazon Conservation, both in better understanding the Amazon through science and in preventing illegal deforestation from logging and gold mining. 

But we can’t do it alone! We hope that the spirit of National Philanthropy Day has you even more inspired to join us today in our fight to keep the Amazon standing. Each gift helps protect the Amazon’s forests for people, wildlife, and the planet. 

Donate Today

Celebrating All the Ways You Give

The result is a strategic collaboration that blends Murata’s concept, storytelling, and production with Amazon Conservation’s field-based knowledge to produce a visually rich, educational, and emotionally compelling series. Viewers are taken from Waimea Valley to the heart of the Amazon, exploring its biodiversity, learning from Indigenous stewards, and understanding the urgent need for action to protect this irreplaceable ecosystem for future generations.

National Philanthropy Day is meant to serve as a thank-you for all forms of giving; whether it’s an annual contribution, a sustained, monthly gift, engaging your community by starting your own fundraiser, or naming Amazon Conservation as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan, your support motivates our work.

Don’t forget to check whether your impact can be doubled– your workplace may offer matches!

Plus, did you know that non-cash giving can actually save you money while making a greater impact in the Amazon? For example, a direct gift of appreciated stock can avoid capital gains taxes and be deducted from your taxable annual income! And without the additional step of liquidating your stock and donating cash, the transfer is not taxed, so the full market value of your stock goes right to the rainforest! You can expect to see similar benefits from other tax-smart giving options like Qualified Charitable Distributions, Donor-Advised Funds, and even cryptocurrency! Learn more by visiting our Ways to Give webpage.

⚠️In case you missed it: tax laws will change starting January 1, 2026. 

Make your gift today to maximize your tax benefits before these changes go into effect! Here are a few changes we can expect from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

1. For donors who itemize rather than claim the standard deduction:  

• Under the new rules, the first portion of charitable giving won’t be deductible for some donors, thereby reducing the after-tax value of gifts. To maximize their deductions, many donors are preemptively ‘bunching’ multiple years of gifts into 2025 to maximize their deductions– often via Donor-Advised Funds. 
• In addition to this ‘floor,’ new provisions will also add a cap that limits how much of your gift is deductible. This could significantly lower the tax benefits of giving, making 2025 a critical year to act. If you’re considering a substantial cash or stock gift, or planning to contribute to a Donor-Advised Fund, completing that gift by December 31 ensures that you can deduct under the current, more favorable rules.

2. For donors aged 65+: The Bill also created a new tax deduction this year for which only those aged 65+ are eligible. In addition to the pre-existing additional standard deduction for seniors, seniors may now claim an additional charitable deduction of up to $6,000 per individual. Make sure to take advantage of this change while it is in effect!

Donate Today

New platform reveals the expansion of mining fronts across protected areas and Indigenous territories as gold prices soar, but partnerships put science to work for enforcement and accountability. 

Belém, Brazil, November 2025 — Amazon Mining Watch confirms widespread gold mining-related deforestation impacting 222 protected areas and Indigenous territories across all nine Amazonian countries, marking the first time this activity has been mapped basin-wide with an AI tool in near-real time.

The findings, being launched at COP 30, are based on the first quarterly update of the Amazon Mining Watch, an AI-based monitoring platform developed through a partnership between Amazon Conservation Association, Earth Genome, and the Rainforest Investigations Network of the Pulitzer Center, with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

As gold prices shatter records, small-scale mining is driving forest loss across the Amazon Rainforest. Many new mining fronts are advancing into areas with legal protection where this type of deforestation is illegal, with 83 protected areas and 139 Indigenous territories already impacted.

“This shows that gold mining is not a local problem; it’s an Amazon-wide crisis that demands coordinated monitoring, enforcement, and accountability,” said Andrés Santana, Senior Manager for Combating Illegal Deforestation at Amazon Conservation. He adds that “uncontrolled gold mining deforestation is contributing to the factors pushing the Amazon closer to its tipping point. It’s paramount that we address this crisis with a comprehensive, regional response focused on dismantling organized crime, strengthening law enforcement, and empowering Indigenous and local peoples to defend their lands.”

 

Mining Fronts Expanding Across the Basin

The newest Amazon Mining Watch data confirms the expansion of gold-mining deforestation across the entire Amazon, with significant new fronts emerging in Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. In Peru, recent activity has intensified within Indigenous territories and along key tributaries of the Amazon River. In Brazil, deforestation linked to gold mining continues to advance inside protected areas such as Tapajós and Jamanxim. It has now reached regions in the northeast for the first time. In Venezuela, satellite data shows growing mining pressure along the Orinoco River, near its border with Brazil. 

Additional cases of new gold mining fronts were also detected in other Amazonian countries, underscoring how this activity is spreading across borders and into ecosystems once considered intact.

 

Turning Detection Into Action

Amazon Mining Watch is advancing transparent and effective governance of gold mining across the region. Evolving into a one-stop shop for data and policy information, the platform integrates timely detection of new mining areas with land designation data to help users assess whether an activity is likely unauthorized or illegal. It also combines an economic impact assessment tool, developed by the Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF), that estimates the socio-environmental costs of mining damage. 

An upcoming policy tracker and governance scorecard that presents a comparative analysis of policy frameworks and regulations across countries will further enhance the Amazon Mining Watch.

Updated quarterly and enriched with case studies and policy briefs, the initiative counts on more than 10 partner organizations across the Amazon to strengthen on-the-ground vetting of data, advocacy campaigns, and enforcement efforts.

“We’re turning information into action,” said John Beavers, President of Amazon Conservation. “By combining cutting-edge technology, local knowledge, and cross-border collaboration, we’re helping governments and communities protect their forests and their future.”

 

Amazon Mining Watch at COP30

Amazon Conservation and its partners will showcase firsthand how AI, data, and collaboration are transforming conservation across the region at COP30 in Belém, Brazil—the first UN Climate Conference ever held in the Amazon. Learn more at: www.amazonconservation.org/cop30

——-

 

About Amazon Conservation Association

Amazon Conservation is an international conservation nonprofit working for the past 25 years toward building a thriving Amazon. The organization’s holistic approach focuses on working with local partners and allies to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work for conservation. Visit amazonconservation.org for more information.

 

Press Contacts

Priscila Steffen, Communications & Public Relations Manager: info@amazonconservation.org.