Applications Invited for the Rainforest Trust Protected or Conserved Area Creation Awards

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About the Organization

Rainforest Trust has been uniquely focused on creating protected areas. Our success is based in our approach.

We establish strategic partnerships with the world’s most experienced and committed conservationists. Our partners’ know this land best––their expert knowledge of their regions’ ecosystems and local communities is key to achieving long-term land and species protection.

Together with our partners, we identify critical sites that provide a permanent refuge for endangered species and store vast amounts of carbon. These biodiverse areas face immediate and direct threats, typically from loggers, miners or ranchers.

About the Grant

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 $302M to approximately 277 partners toward the creation and management of over 400 new and expanded areas. Over 52.2M acres have been protected thus far, and our partners are now working on securing an additional 64M acres. 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 area.
• 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.

How to Apply

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

Applications of any Award Type of less than $250,000 may be submitted and granted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Submit a Concept Note through our online form.

For more information please check the Link

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