Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation

Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation

The Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (KEHATI) was founded in Jakarta in 1994 by Emil Salim, former Minister of Population and Environment, and Ismid Hadad, with seed capital from USAID and the Indonesian government. It was designed as a perpetual, independent endowment aimed at mobilizing resources for civil society groups working on biodiversity conservation, an unusual governance model for an Indonesian non-profit at the time. KEHATI channels its capital through small grants to local NGOs, community organizations, and academic researchers across the archipelago. Its deployment strategy covers marine and terrestrial conservation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem restoration. Known grant recipients include the Blue Abadi Fund, a dedicated vehicle for protecting the Bird's Head Seascape in West Papua, and TFCA Kalimantan, which funds forest and orangutan habitat preservation. In a distinct collaboration with the capital markets, KEHATI jointly developed the SRI-KEHATI Index with the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), a benchmark tracking publicly listed companies with strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. The index functions both as an awareness tool and a sustainable investment screening mechanism for Indonesian-listed equities. The foundation operates from its headquarters in South Jakarta under the leadership of Executive Director Riki Frindos, with co-founder Ismid Hadad serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Business figure Martha Tilaar, founder of the namesake cosmetics group, also sits on the board, reflecting a governance model that links Indonesian corporate leadership with conservation finance. The organization is a founding member of Perhimpunan Filantropi Indonesia, the national philanthropy association, and maintains official observer status at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Its team remains lean, relying on deep networks within Indonesian civil society rather than a large direct workforce. KEHATI's hybrid structure sets it apart from typical conservation donors. By coupling outright grant-making with the design of an ESG equity index on a national stock exchange, it operates simultaneously in philanthropic and market-based spheres. This dual-track approach relies on a permanent endowment to generate steady funding for field grants, while the SRI-KEHATI Index exerts influence on corporate behavior through capital markets. The governance structure, anchored by a board that includes both former ministers and active corporate founders, gives it a direct line into Indonesian policy and business circles that few environmental foundations can replicate.