Who can apply for a grant from the Fund?
Anyone directly involved in species conservation can apply to the Fund for a grant.
Does the Fund consider grants for all species?
The Fund will consider grants for the conservation of any threatened or poorly known animal, plant or fungus species.
How much money will the Fund give me?
The Fund will provide grants up to a maximum of $25,000 per project.
Will the Fund award any grants above $25,000?
It is the intention of the Fund to provide small, targeted grants to local and grassroots projects, but applications for larger grants will occasionally be considered at the invitation of the board.
Is there a deadline or time cycle for submitting applications?
The Fund will receive and consider applications at any time, but please note that applications will be reviewed at regular review panel and board meetings. For more information on the timetable for the submission of applications, please refer to the applications timetable page. Please ensure that you submit your application in good time as the Fund cannot be held responsible for applications which are recieved after the deadline. Applications which are received late will automatically be reviewed in the following round.
How soon after submitting my application will I know whether I have been successful or not?
Every applicant will receive an email from the Fund about their application once the review process is complete (three times per year - usually in April, September and December) within the timetable mentioned above.
Would the Fund cover salary or travel expenses?
Depending on the type of conservation project and the work involved, the Fund will consider covering salary expenses or travel costs for a specific project. This would usually be for support staff in developing countries. However this can only be as part of the overall grant as officially applied for. The Fund will not consider applications for grants which only cover salary or travel expenses.
Would the Fund cover the costs of study courses or workshops?
Generally the Fund will not provide a grant to cover any of the costs of a study course. In the case of a workshop, any such application will be carefully reviewed by the Fund's board on a case by case basis, to ensure that the workshop closely addresses the needs of species conservation in line with the aims of the Fund.
Would the Fund cover genetic analayis and related lab analysis costs?
The Fund recognises the important role which genetic anlaysis and lab-based work can play in species conservation, but also intends to support and promote field conservation work and the connection with Nature. Thus the Fund will generally not provide grants for work which is primarly lab-based.
Can I apply for more than one grant at a time if I am applying on behalf of different projects to help different species?
This is possible, but a separate application is required for each species/project.
Can I reapply for a continuing project/activity which requires long-term funding?
It is possible to apply for continuation funding, but currently this requires a new application. This will be assessed according to the project and the long-term benefit to the species in question. Please note that reporting and results from the first project will be taken into account.
Can I apply for funding that would help conserve several species in a single project?
It is intended that the Fund will support projects that focus on the conservation needs of a single species, but multi-species applications would be considered and there is a chance to highlight a "primary species" as well as additional species in the online application form.
Is the funding mainly available for in situ or ex situ conservation work?
The Fund is primarily interested in in situ species conservation work, but will consider applications for an ex situ project where it is demonstrated to be critical to the survival of the species concerned.
Can I apply for funding if the grant would be used in conjunction with other funding?
Yes. The other funding sources and amounts should be mentioned in the application.
Can I resubmit an improved application if I do not receive a grant?
Yes, each application will be reviewed, although it is the quality of the species conservation project, not the quality of the application, which is taken into consideration by the Fund's board.
If I do not receive a grant, can I appeal to the board, and will I receive feedback on why my application was unsuccessful?
The decision by the Fund's board is final, and any decision to award full or partial grants is at its discretion. Unfortunately the Fund is not able to provide extensive feedback on why a given application was not successful in receiving a grant - usually the reason would be that there are only limited funds available for a very large demand.
If I receive a grant do I need to report back to the Fund on the progress of my project?
Yes, this is a requirement of all the projects which the Fund supports, and is done through the website every six months. Details of what is required will be passed on to successful applicants, and the material would be used to highlight the project's activities. As well as reporting, it is also expected that successful applicants would publish material about their work for public viewing on the part of the Fund's website which highlights projects supported. Non-reporting will count very negatively against an applicant who asks for another grant.
What happens if I do not hear back from the Fund about my application?
If you have not received an email from the Fund and you submitted your application very close to the deadline, it could be that it is included in the following funding round. Please also check your junk mail folder in your email.