Applications Invited for Rainforest Trust Protected or Conserved Area Creation Awards

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About the Organization

Rainforest Trust supports non-profit organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and communities to protect ecosystems in the tropics and subtropics critical to endangered species and climate mitigation. We do this by providing funding and other support to create or expand protected and conserved areas that benefit Species, Climate, and People. Since 1988, we have awarded over $361M to approximately 315 partners toward the creation and management of over 400 new and expanded areas. Over 57.8M acres have been protected thus far, and our partners are now working on securing an additional 80M acres.

About the Grant

Rainforest Trust always welcomes new applications for protected and conserved area creation or expansion, with the following criteria and guidance designed to help streamline the process.

Types of Awards:

Broadly speaking, Rainforest Trust offers two types of funding support grants: Feasibility Awards and Protected or Conserved Area Creation Awards.

• Feasibility Awards: Rainforest Trust provides Feasibility Awards to assess the potential for creating or expanding protected or conserved areas. These awards are intended to address specific information gaps in conservation projects, as precursors to applying for a Protected or Conserved Area Creation Award. For instance, Feasibility Awards can support developing a legal pathway to protect a proposed site, or field surveys to determine the presence and abundance of Critically Endangered or Endangered species. The average size of Feasibility Awards is $10,000; in exceptional situations, amounts of greater than $20,000 may be considered.
• Protected or Conserved Area Creation Awards: Rainforest Trust’s primary awards support the creation and expansion of protected or conserved areas, on land or sea, be it through designation, land titling, purchase or any other recognized methodology (e.g. Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs)). The goal is to empower Project Implementers to facilitate new, lasting and sustainable protected or conserved areas that are in line with community and government needs and desires. There is no set maximum grant amount for these Awards, with applications assessed and awarded on an individual basis.

Eligibility

Required criteria for all projects:

• The primary objective must be the creation/expansion of a protected or conserved areas.
• The proposed area(s) must be currently unprotected. Please use the World Database of Protected Areas to help determine if formal protection is already afforded (IUCN category 1-6)
• The proposed protected or conserved area serves to:
• Protect globally significant populations of Critically Endangered and Endangered species (e.g. Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites); AND/OR
• Protect large areas of Tropical and Sub-tropical High Integrity Forests; AND/OR
• Protect Tropical and Sub-tropical habitat critical for mitigating global climate change (e.g. peat swamps, mangroves, páramo).
• The Project Implementer must be a legally registered non-government organization and authorized to conduct work in the country of the project.
• The project demonstrates support from relevant governments (including Indigenous governments) and Indigenous Peoples and/or Local Communities, and that relevant Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) has been or will be properly conducted.
• The protection mechanism, resulting in a change in legal status of the area during the course of the project, will mitigate critical threats to biodiversity and, where applicable, to carbon storage.
• A management system (management plan and committee) is, or will be, in place that ensures positive and sustained outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity.
• Resource extraction limits are, or will be, established to prevent unsustainable use.

Additional Required Criteria for Specific Project Types:

• Projects where Indigenous Peoples' and/or Local Communities' Land Tenure is the Primary Conservation Strategy
• Substantial management authority of the area will be led by the Indigenous Peoples or Local Communities.
• Land titles—or similar permanent land ownership or resource rights designations—and governance authority will be granted to the Indigenous Peoples and/or Local Communities with the customary right to the land in question; OR
• Lands and/or waters will be designated as a multiple-use territory with management (or co-management) by the Indigenous or Local Community.
• Projects where Land Purchase is the Primary Conservation Strategy
• Land is likely to be converted in the near future if purchase is not completed.
• An alternative protection strategy is not possible, more expensive, or significantly less effective.
• Conservation value is greater than expected based on the cost; OR
• Very high biodiversity value; OR
• Strategic value.
• Projects where Marine Protected Area Creation is the Primary Conservation Strategy
• Enabling conditions exist for Marine Protected Area (MPA) creation and effective management, including:
• Overlaps area of maximum biodiversity benefit from MPAs according to Sala et al. 2021; OR
• Stands out on other measures of biodiversity value; OR
• High carbon value.

How to Apply

Application Deadlines for Protected or Conserved Area Creation Awards of $250,000 and above are: March 1

We recommend submitting a concept note four months in advance of these deadlines.

Our application process is collaborative, and we work with applicants to ensure the necessary stages of successful protected or conserved area establishment are covered, e.g. subsequent area management, community engagement and long-term funding mechanisms. Our aim is to support the creation and expansion of areas that function for Species, Climate, and People, to be managed sustainably in perpetuity, with applications expected to demonstrate how this will be achieved.

• Confirm eligibility to receive Rainforest Trust support.
• Submit a Concept Note through our online form.
• Submit an Application

Please feel free to contact us at projects@rainforesttrust.org if you have questions about partnering with us.

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Others