Legado's Radical Approach
Legado is a global nonprofit that works alongside indigenous peoples and local communities in places important for biodiversity to ensure they have the tools, resources, and partnerships they need to create and lead solutions that benefit both their communities and landscapes—an outcome we call Thriving Futures™. The ultimate goal is to build a sustainable, locally-led system for collaborative problem solving that fosters adaptability and resilience in communities for meeting current and future challenges, such as those brought on by climate change.

What Sets Legado Apart?
Legacy as a Call to Action
“Legado” means legacy in Portuguese and Spanish, and legacy is foundational to our work. Legacy is not just something left behind, but something we all create every day. This simple concept acts as a call to action at a time when our planet and its people need it most.

Thriving Futures as the goal
Legado is not a conservation organization. Nor is it a development organization. We are a Thriving Futures organization and do not limit our focus to single sectors such as health or conservation. Instead, we work with local people to prioritize what their community and environment need to thrive together now and into the future – an ultimate goal we call Thriving Futures.

Iterative and responsive programming
To ensure our programs evolve to meet the unique and changing needs of communities, we prioritize monitoring and evaluation, JEDI, participatory methods, and innovative and flexible approaches to program delivery. This helps our team continuously improve our model while also ensuring communities get the impact they desire.

Individuals as the drivers of change
Legado then uses legacy to inspire individuals to be the drivers of change in their communities. Many projects only engage with traditional leaders or a single group of people (e.g., women or youth), but this leaves out many voices and perspectives. Legado instead believes that there’s a leader inside each of us and that we all have a responsibility to shape our future and the future of our communities. Our legacy programming is designed to unlock this potential.

Designed for scale
Our strategy is also thoughtfully designed to scale efficiently. Our partner organizations are chosen specifically for their ability to help replicate the Legado Model across their landscapes.

See Legado's Radical Approach in Action
In Legacy, Legado's 4-minute film, you will see Legado's radical approach of activating legacies in action. Shot in Mozambique and Kenya in 2021 by Roshni Lodhia, Legacy features community ambassadors Mayanae Lemojong and Inácio Josefe Napalacué as they pursue a Thriving Future for themselves, their families and their communities.
Want to know more about Legado's radical approach? Connect with Dr. Tita Alvira, Director, Thriving Futures here.