Lush Frontline Defenders Fund

Funding report – 2023 to 2024

It is with immense gratitude and respect that we acknowledge the tireless efforts of environmental stewards, First Nations communities and Indigenous-led organizations who are dedicating their lives to protect our planet’s precious lands, air and waters.

Lush launched the Frontline Defenders fund in 2023 in honour of those who put their lives at risk in order to protect our precious planet’s global commons. We must remember and honor those who have been tragically killed, and those who have been threatened and abused, due to violence against activists, frontline communities, ecosystem protectors, and those working in solidarity and partnership with frontline communities. The alarming rate of violence targeted at environmental defenders cannot go unnoticed or unchallenged.

We want to thank each recipient of the fund, and the extended community, for the tireless efforts in protecting our shared living planet.

USD $210,750 was donated to 14 trusted partner organisations.

The Lush Frontline Defenders Fund focussed on funding in areas of the world with the highest prevalence of violence against environmental defenders. We worked with trusted partners and sector leaders in distributing emergency grants to those who were most in need.

Through this fund, we have given small grants from $10,000 to $25,000 which organizations held as an emergency funding ready to be deployed quickly as the need arises. Frontline organisations know best how to respond, and this kind of funding should be done in trust, as it does not fit the usual philanthropy timelines and reporting requirements.

Although grant decisions were made by a team internal to Lush with a background in funding environmental defenders, partner organisations were free to decide how to deploy the money, as long as it is used to support defenders. Find out more about our grantee partners in a full report here.