Philanthropy plays an important but often invisible role in conserving rivers. We examine the influence of philanthropy on collective action and collaborative governance within the Colorado River Basin, a region where philanthropic support has been growing to achieve conservation objectives. Our short communication combines financial data, interviews, and documentary evidence to capture the opportunities and risks associated with philanthropy's increasing role. Financial expenditures are substantial, averaging $30.8 million USD per year from six large foundations (2013-2019). This funding has enabled collective action, particularly at the basin level, by strengthening or creating new forums for collaboration and investing in technical expertise to equip a broader range of voices in decision-making. It has also favoured market-based strategies and discourses, created dependencies for smaller organisations, and, in some instances, reinforced structural barriers to participation. We recommend transparent reporting of philanthropic spending related to collective action and conservation governance, and argue that foundations should explicitly consider and address legacies of exclusion for marginalised actors and groups.

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慈善事业能否促成集体行动来保护河流？科罗拉多河流域十年合作的见解

慈善事业在保护河流方面发挥着重要但往往无形的作用。我们研究了慈善事业对科罗拉多河流域内集体行动和协作治理的影响，该地区的慈善支持一直在增长，以实现保护目标。我们的简短交流结合了财务数据、采访和文件证据，以捕捉与慈善事业日益重要的作用相关的机遇和风险。财务支出巨大，平均每年来自六个大型基金会（2013-2019 年）的 3080 万美元。这笔资金通过加强或创建新的合作论坛以及投资于技术专长以在决策中提供更广泛的声音，从而促成了集体行动，特别是在流域层面。它还支持以市场为基础的战略和话语，为较小的组织创造了依赖性，并且在某些情况下，强化了参与的结构性障碍。我们建议透明地报告与集体行动和保护治理相关的慈善支出，并认为基金会应明确考虑和解决边缘化行为者和群体的排斥遗留问题。