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IFCAE's Mission

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve human and environmental conditions through applied research, education, and community improvement projects.  We are dedicated to helping communities, managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders understand the social complexities underlying natural resource problems.
History History

In the mid-1990s a small network of researchers began discussing the need for an independent organization that could provide critical social science insight into local and regional natural resource problems in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.  The concepts focus was soon expanded to include a National and International issues as well as interdisciplinary approaches.  In 1997 a core group of organizers began working out the formal structure of the organization.  In April 1999 we officially registered as an Oregon nonprofit and in December 1999 we were officially granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service.

Our Philosophy

Partners and Visitors

The core people in IFCAE who design and implement research and education projects are called Partners.  The Partner concept is central to our philosophy of operating in an egalitarian work environment.  The individual operates in a supportive, often collaborative environment to help her or him produce a higher quality work.  This approach is extended to visiting scholars and interns who periodically join us on projects.


Interdisciplinary Focus

IFCAE's Partners share the belief that solving natural resource problems requires paying attention to cultural and political systems, as well as an understanding of ecological systems and economics. Equally important, we believe  environmental problem solving demands better communication and forms of collaboration between natural and social scientists.  IFCAE thus takes an explicitly interdisciplinary approach in all our programs.


Participatory Processes

IFCAE works to understand and encourage environmental management and policy processes that are based on meaningful and inclusive public participation and which recognize the value of diverse epistemologies, including local and indigenous forms of knowledge.


Linking Theory and Practice

IFCAE Partners also share a belief that collaborative problem solving requires the construction of strong links between academic theorists and on-the-ground natural resource practitioners.  IFCAE activities thus are aimed at strengthening the middle ground between theory and practice in the field.  As such, IFCAE engages in a mix of education, outreach and applied research.  IFCAE's Partners believe that engaging in these diverse activities provides us a knowledge base that can contribute to the construction of social and ecological theory grounded in reality.  At the same time it also allows us to help in the development of socially just and environmentally sound natural resource policies and management frameworks.


Theoretical Background

IFCAE Partners have a broad theoretical background in the social and natural sciences. Our research and education is informed by theories such as political ecology, systems theory, critical pedagogy, land tenure, common property and ecological feminism.  Our Partners contribute to the development of these theoretical areas through scholarly writing and presentations.  Partners collectively belong and actively participate in many academic professional societies including the American Anthropological Association, Society for Conservation Biology, and the North American Association for Environmental Education.


Methods

IFCAE Partners have a broad range of quantitative and qualitative methods and statistical analyses they can draw from for research and education.  The following list provides a small sample of some common methods we use:
  • Ethnographic Interviewing
  • Participant Observation
  • Focus Groups
  • Survey Questionnaires
  • Participatory Mapping
  • Literature Searches
  • Visual Anthropology (production, dissemination and analysis of visual forms)


Funding Policy

We receive funds through grants, consulting, and donations from a broad range of sources including individuals, government and non governmental organizations, businesses, private foundations, and others.  We believe our broad funding base diminishes the possibility of inadvertent influence by any single funder.  We do not accept funds that could compromise our ability to act as an independent organization.  We openly disclose our donor sources except when the gift is anonymous.