The Global Permanence Fund
ZOMA LAB’s Global Permanence Fund supports economic development in rural communities through partnerships with large-scale nature conservation initiatives. Conservation provides an ideal platform to help hard-to-reach communities thrive, thereby ensuring durable results for people and nature
What we do
Encourage more ambitious and effective practices
of rural community economic development through nature conservation
Help unlock promising opportunities to scale financing
for community economic development and durable conservation
Support collaboration
within and across the community economic development and nature conservation sectors
How we do it
Catalyzing new initiatives to fill gaps in the nature conservation and community development ecosystem
Facilitating new partnerships that enable collective action
Acting as a convener support solving problems
About the Global Permanence Fund
Following ZOMA LAB’s approach, the GPF partners with a full ecosystem of conservation actors – leading NGOs, philanthropies, governments, and the private sector – to incubate new initiatives that scale financing to protect nature and benefit rural communities.
Our Work
Click each logo to learn more
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Our Journey
1988
Ben's first trip to Kenya and Tanzania. This trip shifts his worldview and plant the seed of the relationship between conservation and community economic development
2008
Ben visits Costa Rica for Forever Costa Rica PFP with Walton Family Foundation
2019
Ben and Brian McPeek visit Southern Chile for exploration of a PFP opportunity - Learn more
2020
Ben Walton, Tom Dillion, Jeff Parrish and Brian McPeek workshop preliminary design for Enduring Earth
2021
Global Permanence Fund and Enduring Earth launch 11 months later - Learn more
2022
Duko Hopman and Brian begin thinking about a potential project in Panama using McKinsey’s transformation methodology
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Heritage Colombia PFP launched - Learn More
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The first SPACES phase 1 project begins in Panama
2023
​​​Boulder carbon market convening #1
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LEAF Coalition by Emergent announces the advanced payment facility - Learn More
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SPACES pitched to Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and merged with their existing projects; funding established and Campaign for Nature hired
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​SPACES projects in Dominican Republic and Paraguay begin
2024
Eternal Mongolia PFP launched - Learn More​​
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Symbiosis Coalition launched - Learn More
Great Bear Sea PFP launched - Learn More
Debt for Nature Coalition launched at the COP16 UN Biodiversity Conference - Learn More
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Enosis Capital launched - Learn More
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Northwest Territories (NWT) PFP launched - Learn More
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Enosis Capital supports Ecuador on a debt conversion - Learn More
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SPACES project in Sri Lanka begins
2025
Boulder carbon market convening #2
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SINAA Qikiqtani PFP launched - Learn More
30x30 collaboration workshop with SPACES, Debt for Nature Coalition, and Enduring Earth
VCM+ Roadmap published ​
Task Force for Corporate Action Transparency (TCAT) established and launched (Sept) - Learn More​
ARPA Communities PFP launched - Learn More
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SPACES projects in Kazakhstan, Suriname, Sierra Leone, OECS, Angola, ARPA Communities, Madagascar, and Para begin​​​
2026
Enduring Earth Phase II begins
SPACES Phase II begins, with 20+ potential projects in the pipeline