New England Biolabs Foundation

Grants for grassroots conservation and local livelihoods in selected countries of Central America, South America, and West Africa

Principal Office: USA

The New England Biolabs Foundation (NEBF) fosters community-based conservation of landscapes and seascapes, and the bio-cultural diversity found in these places.

The Foundation makes grants in selected countries of Central America, South America, and West Africa. Occasionally, it also makes grants in Tanzania and Papua New Guinea.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

Grants for community-based conservation. The Foundation’s thematic priorities in conservation are:

Conserving biological diversity;
Sustaining cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as traditional knowledge systems and practices;
Maintaining ecosystem services for water, soil, and carbon sequestration;
Supporting food security and economic vitality of local communities; and
Sustaining healthy marine environments and sustainable fisheries.

About funding priorities

The Foundation makes grants to grassroots and community-based organizations; other nonprofit charitable organizations; and emerging support groups. Grant recipients are locally based in the Foundation’s priority countries.

The maximum grant is US$12 thousand. Most grants are US$3 thousand to US$9 thousand.

APPLICATION: Potentially interested applicants should study the Foundation’s funding priorities, geographical interests, and grant restrictions.

Interested applicants make a preliminary inquiry to the Foundation to describe the proposed project; its relationship to NEBF’s interests and mission; the project team; and a budget summary.

The Foundation posts calendar deadlines for submitting these inquiries.

About how to apply

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

The Foundation is highly specific about where it will fund international projects. Priorities are limited to selected countries in the Gulf of Honduras; three Andean countries of South America; two countries of West Africa; and a few countries where NEBF has long experience.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Cameroon, Ghana

Latin America and Caribbean: Belize, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru

The Foundation’s website is available in English and Spanish.

In addition to its international grant making, NEBF also makes grants for artistic expression in Massachusetts, USA.

The New England Biolabs Foundation lists previous grant awards by year and program area.

The Foundation provides contact information.

September 2021

Nippon Foundation

Grants for grassroots development assistance and for maritime and marine issues

Principal Office: Japan

The Nippon Foundation grew from origins in the 1960s as an organization concerned with rebuilding Japan’s maritime industry.

The Foundation maintains its interest in maritime issues. It has added other grant-making programs to address basic human needs, human resources development, and leprosy control.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

Overseas Grant Programs. The Nippon Foundation provides grants to projects run by nonprofit organizations around the world.

Basic Human Needs — Past projects include several in small-scale agriculture, and the use of traditional medicines in primary health care.

Link to fields of activity

Human Resources Development — Grants fund professional education and training in a wide variety of fields, including in agriculture and natural resources (among others).

Link to past grantsThe Nippon Foundation makes its overseas grants to nonprofit organizations based outside of Japan. This refers to local, regional, and international NGOs and other nonprofit organizations, including educational and research institutions.

There is no minimum or maximum grant size. Many grants are over US$100 thousand.

APPLICATION: Applicants should study the Foundation’s guidelines for overseas grants.

Applications include a cover letter; an application summary; a project budget; and a project proposal. When available, applicants also submit annual and other documents which support their legal and financial status.

Application materials should be submitted in English. There is no application deadline.

About how to apply

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Worldwide

The Foundation’s website is available in Japanese and English.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) summarize the criteria and process of grant making.

The Foundation identifies projects across a wide range of interests in Japan and internationally.

The Foundation places major importance on education and training, offering substantial support to capacity-building programs.

Contact is an email address.

September 2021

Oak Foundation

Grants for climate change mitigation, wildlife conservation, and the conservation of marine resources

Principal Office: Switzerland

The Oak Foundation addresses issues of global social and environmental concern, particularly those that have impacts on the lives of the disadvantaged. The Foundation makes grants to organizations in approximately 40 countries.

Among several program areas funded by the Oak Foundation, the one of principal importance in the Terra Viva Grants Directory is Environment.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

Environment. The environment program has themes in marine conservation, climate change, and wildlife conservation.

Energy — Oak’s strategy in marine conservation focuses on six areas: oil, gas, plastics and petrochemicals, clean power, transport, and sustainable cities. Oak will fund efforts to catalyze the deployment of clean energy technologies, supporting the transition away from coal, oil, and gas

Food — Grants support the protection and stewardship of marine resources to meet the food security needs of coastal communities, changes in food consumption patterns, and a shift in the norms of acceptable food marketing, e. g., through promoting heathy and sustainable food in China; reducing the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry in Europe; and reducing pesticide use in Brazil.

Natural Security — The Oak Foundation supports the rich biodiversity in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia by funding local and regional projects that focus on wildlife management, contribute to the disruption and reduction of illegal wildlife trade, or strengthen rural collectives and improving the distribution of benefits from natural wealth
(e.g., nature-based tourism and sustainable harvesting of wild species).

About the program in Environment

The Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations that include foundations, institutes, NGOs, associations, educational organizations, and others.

Grants in the environment program generally range from US$25 thousand to US$7 million.

APPLICATION: Most grant applications are invited by the Foundation’s staff, but the Foundation does accept unsolicited Letters of Inquiry.

Grant seekers are requested to study the Foundation’s grant-making criteria, and to review previous grants in its grants database.

Applicants that meet the Foundation’s requirements can submit Letters of Inquiry according to the relevant guidelines. Letters of inquiry may be submitted at any time.

About how to apply

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Worldwide

The Oak Foundation maintains a grants database.

The Oak Foundation in Zimbabwe helps to maintain and develop non-governmental organizations that have social, health, and education aims. One part of the Zimbabwe program is support for rural water supplies.

The India Program aims to improve the lives of the most marginalized groups; institutionalize practices that address poverty and social injustice; and build strong organisations at the grassroots.

The Brazil Program focuses on child abuse, issues affecting women, homelessness, human rights and the environment in the Recife metropolitan area.

Contact Us provides information for the Foundation’s offices in Geneva and worldwide.

September 2021

Patagonia Environmental Grants Program

Grants for environmental conservation, alternative energy, sustainable agriculture, and management of natural resources

Principal Office: USA

Patagonia is a retailer of outdoor clothing and sports equipment, operating in the USA and several other countries.

The Patagonia Environmental Grants Program makes small grants to environmental organizations in the countries in which it operates. Most grants are for projects in industrialized countries, with the exception of Argentina and Chile – emblematic of the company’s name.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

Environmental Grants. Patagonia’s environmental grants support projects in the following subject areas:

Alternative energy;
Biodiversity;
Forests;
Resource extraction;
Social activism;
Sustainable agriculture;
Toxics and nuclear power;
Water and marine issues;

The current priority area for Patagonia’s grants is protecting and restoring native fish populations and the habitat on which they depend.

Patagonia makes grants to grassroots activist organizations that have direct-action agendas and campaigns for environmental protection over the long term. Grants are to nonprofit charitable organizations in the USA, and to organizations in other countries that have comparable charitable status — or that have a fiscal sponsor in the USA.

Most grants range from US$5 thousand to US$20 thousand.

Find grants guidelines

APPLICATION: Deadlines and funding amounts vary from region to region. Patagonia provides country-specific information about the international grant making program.

About the International Grants Program, and how to apply

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Latin America and Caribbean: Argentina, Chile

Note: Patagonia also supports campaigns in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

Each year, Patagonia provides at least 1% of its sales for environmental grants.

September 2021

Tiffany & Co. Foundation

Grants in support of responsible mining, coral conservation, and urban parks

Principal Office: USA

Tiffany & Co. is a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of jewelry, gemstones, and dress accessories in an international market.

The company’s philanthropic interests are managed by the Tiffany & Co. Foundation, which makes grants in the environment and the arts.

In the area of environment, Tiffany’s grant making is directed to responsible mining, and coral conservation.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

The Foundation funds activities in the USA and internationally in the following program areas.

1 — Responsible Mining. The Foundation supports governments, businesses, and civil society in the USA and internationally to establish and implement standards for responsible mining. Other areas of Foundation funding include support to reclaim and remediate mining sites, and to promote socioeconomic development of mining communities.

2 — Coral Conservation. Tiffany works to conserve corals and marine ecosystems through grants that promote awareness and education about marine environments, and that fund key elements of research on reef ecosystems.

About programs

Grants are made to nonprofit charitable organizations in the USA. Activities in developing countries are funded via grants to U.S. nonprofit organizations that have international programs or projects.

Most grants range from US$50 thousand to US$400 thousand for projects of one to two years, with some grants that are larger.

APPLICATION (for 1-2 preceding): Applications are submitted online, beginning with a letter of inquiry (LOI). LOIs can be submitted at any time – there are no calendar deadlines.

The Foundation reviews the LOIs in order to invite additional information or to set up a meeting with applicants. The Foundation’s directors meet twice a year to make the grant awards.

Note: At the time of this update, the Foundation is not accepting LOIs.

About how to apply

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Worldwide

The Foundation’s grant making in relation to mining and coral reefs reflects Tiffany’s use of materials. The company defines its social responsibility in terms of opposing inappropriate extraction of diamonds and coral, and associated violations of human rights, e.g., the case of conflict diamonds from Africa.

Potential grant seekers can review Tiffany’s past grants.

Contact Us offers an email address and street address for the Foundation’s office in New York.

September 2021

Turing Foundation

Grants for marine conservation with emphasis on Asia-Pacific, and for sustainable land use in West Africa

Principal Office: Netherlands

The Turing Foundation was established in 2006 through a donation of €100 million by Pieter Geelen, among the founders of a Dutch company that produces navigation systems. The foundation’s name honors the British scientist Alan Turing for his contributions to modern computer science.

The Foundation has four program areas:

Art in the Netherlands;
Education of Children;
Leprosy Control; and
Nature Conservation.

With the exception of Art in the Netherlands, the Foundation’s grants are for programs and projects in the developing countries.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

Nature Conservation. The Turing Foundation’s interests in Nature Conservation (broadly defined) are as follows:

Marine ecosystems and marine protected areas (“nurseries of the sea”), and
Sustainable land use in West Africa.

Projects in marine conservation focus heavily on the Asia-Pacific Coral Triangle, but also include marine protected areas on the coasts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Foundation’s funding for sustainable land use in West Africa includes support for tree planting, conservation agriculture, protection of local water sources, and other greening activities.

About the program

Most grants in the program for marine conservation and sustainable land use are to Dutch and international organizations that work with local partners. Projects are generally over €30 thousand per year, and some are multi-million grants over several years.

APPLICATION: In its theme on Nature Conservation, the Turing Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

However, it invites brief project summaries for purposes of information. Turing’s website provides guidelines on what to include in the summaries, and where to send them.

About how to submit project summaries

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Turing’s grants for nature conservation and sustainable land use focus on two regions.

Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands

Sub-Saharan Africa

Note: The geographical priorities for projects in Africa are are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dem Rep Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

The Foundation’s website is available in Dutch and English.

The Foundation posts annual reports, as well as news items and press releases.

Contact Information provides complete details.

September 2021

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Grants in subject areas that include marine fisheries, marine birds, Pacific coastal ecosystems, and climate change

Principal Office: USA

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation aims to partner with innovative people and organizations to improve the lives of children; enable the creative pursuit of science; advance reproductive health; and conserve and restore the earth’s natural systems.

The program area of principal significance in the Terra Viva Grants Directory is Conservation and Science. This is among Packard’s largest programs.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

Conservation and Science. The program in Conservation and Science makes grants in the USA and internationally in several sub-programs.

Marine Fisheries — Grant making in marine fisheries is mainly for activities in the USA and Canada, but Packard also funds some projects which are global.

Marine Birds — The emphasis is conservation of species that rely on coastal and island habitats in the eastern and central Pacific.

Coastal Ecosystems — Grants in coastal ecosystems are for the California coast, Gulf of California (Mexico and USA), and selected areas of the western Pacific.

Climate Change — Grants for climate change focus on policies for low-carbon energy, and on land use in tropical forested regions.

Conservation in Western North America — Grants for conservation in western North American include coastal areas of northwestern Mexico.

Other Themes: The Foundation supports oceanography programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, as well as other programs in conservation and science.

About sub-programs in Conservation and Science

The Foundation makes grants to charitable, educational, and scientific organizations in the USA and other countries. Most grants range from US$20 thousand to US$500 thousand. A few grants reach multi-million dollars (usually over multiple years).

APPLICATION: Potential applicants should consult Packard’s website for the criteria, guidelines, and restrictions of grant making.

About how to apply

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Packard’s grants in Conservation and Science fund activities in the developing regions indicated below.

Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands

East Asia

Eastern Europe and Russia (i.e., referring to Russia’s Pacific coast)

Latin America and Caribbean

Packard has a grants database that can be searched by program, year, and grant amount.

Some of Packard’s funding for climate change is through the ClimateWorks Foundation.

In addition to making grants, Packard makes program-related investments to support its goals and objectives. This refers to loans, guarantees, social deposits, lines of credit, and equity investments. With rare exceptions, this assistance is available only to organizations that are Foundation grantees.

The Foundation posts contact information.

February 2016

Conservation Strategy Fund

Analysis and training in environmental economics, focusing on conservation strategies for the benefit of developing countries

Principal Office: USA

The Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) provides analysis and training in environmental economics, focusing on conservation strategies for the benefit of developing countries.

The Fund relies on principles and tools from the discipline of economics to value ecosystem services; to examine costs and benefits of extracting natural resources; to propose how to build infrastructure (e.g., roads, dams, etc.) that reduces environmental damage; and to explore other conservation topics from the perspective of economics.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

1 — Economic Analysis of Programs and Projects. CSF works with local conservationists in developing countries to use economic tools for analysis of environmental questions across a wide range of sectors and subjects: agriculture, fisheries, forests, water resources, climate change, protected areas, ecosystem services, coastal and marine management, infrastructure for transportation and energy, and others.

About the program

APPLICATION: CSF is not a grant maker. However, CSF is open to discussing ideas for joint proposals in economic analysis. Interested persons and organizations should contact CSF.

Link to contact information

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2 — Training in Economics for Environmental Leadership. CSF offers intensive courses in cost-benefit analysis, fisheries economics, forest economics, valuation of ecosystem services, and other topics in environmental and conservation economics.

In addition, CSF offers custom in-house training and tailored short courses in collaboration with other organizations, including universities and governments. CSF welcomes requests and ideas for tailored training from interested organizations.

About the program

APPLICATION: CSF does not financially support participants for its training courses. However, it publishes a list of sources regarding possible financial aid.

Link to funding sources

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Worldwide

Note: CSF does not define geographical priorities, although most of its work to date has focused in Latin America.

CSF’s website is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Interested individuals can subscribe to CSF’s training announcements.

CSF posts video courses in conservation economics.

With funding provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CSF annually selects Conservation Economics Fellows from the Andes region of Latin America.

June 2021

United States of America — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Grants to support international programs related to coral reef conservation, climate change, and other topics related to the Earth’s environmental systems

Principal Office: USA

The mission of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere.

International collaboration takes place through NOAA’s Office of International Affairs and at the level of NOAA’s line offices.

Services of the agency include weather forecasts, storm warnings, climate monitoring, fisheries management, coastal conservation and restoration, and the support of marine commerce.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

1 — Coral Reef Conservation Program. The Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) aims for a multidisciplinary approach to manage and understand coral reefs and coral ecosystems in the U.S. and internationally. CRCP makes grants through several sub-programs, including through the Coral Reef Conservation Fund, co-managed with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Grants support research, capacity building, community outreach, and related activities in support of marine protected areas in the USA and internationally.

About funding in the Coral Reef Conservation Program

2 — International Research and Applications Program. NOAA’s Climate Program Office administers the International Research and Application Program (IRAP) as a program to use climate science as the basis for developing policy, planning, and capacity building for climate adaptation and risk management. The geographical scope is defined by world regions vulnerable to social disruptions caused by climate change such as the Caribbean Basin, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and West Africa.

About the International Research and Applications Program

APPLICATION (for 1-2 preceding): Calls for proposals in the Coral Reef Conservation Program, the International Research and Applications Program, and other NOAA programs are posted in the USA’s federal government website for grants. Grant seekers should search by “NOAA” or “international” and/or other key words.

Grant announcements normally indicate program purpose, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, criteria for reviewing proposals, grant and program size, application materials, and contact information.

Link to U.S. Government Grants

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

Worldwide

NOAA’s website is available in English.

NOAA is a complex federation of many sub-organizations. Although NOAA makes hundreds of grants each year, it does not have a centralized system to announce them. Grant seekers need to explore NOAA’s program areas of their interest, and learn the grant-making programs at this decentralized level. Key offices for international activities include the following:

NOAA provides contact information for its Office of International Affairs.

April 2021

Sweden — Swedish International Development Agency

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Grants in Sweden and developing countries in themes of environment and natural resources

Principal Office: Sweden

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) reports to Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sida’s defining goal is to make it possible for poor people in the developing world to improve their living conditions.

Sweden strongly supports the environment on the international agenda, and the country is active in the global environmental debate. Leading themes for Sida include biodiversity and ecosystems; agriculture, forestry, and land management; water supply and sanitation; fishing, coastal development, and marine environments; and climate change.

Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources

1 — Support for Civil Society Organizations in Sweden and Developing Countries. Sida funds Swedish civil society organizations that have programs and projects in the developing world. The largest of these are Swedish framework (“umbrella”) organizations that in turn make grants to member organizations, including partners in developing countries. Sweden’s framework organizations include several that are active in environment and natural resources.

About cooperation with civil society

APPLICATION: Sida explains how interventions is developing countries are chosen.

Explanation how an intervention comes about

2 — Support for Private Enterprise. Sida co-finances private businesses to launch or expand social enterprise projects in and for the developing world.

The programs include public-private partnerships; Sida’s guarantee instrument; land-related investments in Africa; and others

About collaboration with the private sector

APPLICATION: The private sector partner contributes with financial and in-kind support (usually 50%) to match Sida’s contribution. Interested private sector partners submit a concept note for an initial assessment.

Link to guidelines for concept notes

3 — Challenge Programs. Sida supports challenge funds in different subject areas in order to find innovative solutions to high-risk development challenges. Subject areas include agriculture, water, and energy – among others.

The challenge programs support innovations in their early stages where there are few or no other sources of finance. The contribution by Sida and its partners to the challenge funds usually must be matched by a certain percent of self-funding.

APPLICATION: The challenge funds operate through Sida’s calls for proposals. Each call provides application guidelines, supporting materials, and a calendar of deadlines.

Link to calls for proposals

4 — International Training Programs. Sida offers training for participants from developing countries in priority themes and regions. Many courses are structured for training in Sweden and in one or more developing countries. Climate change, renewable energy, coastal development, plant breeding and seed production, forest certification, water management, etc., are prominent among the themes.

About international training programs

APPLICATION: Sida’s website posts training courses by year, region, and theme. Each course is separately profiled to identify objectives, eligibility criteria, dates, and how and when to apply.

Link to the calendar of training courses

5 — Research for Development. Sida’s support for research related to development has several components. Sida makes grants to research organizations, universities and research institutes in partner countries; regional research networks; and international research programs. Sida also supports research activities in Sweden relevant to developing countries.

About Sida’s support for research programs

APPLICATION: Grants in several research programs are made through competitive calls for proposals. Other grants (e.g., to global and regional organizations) are made internally by Sida.

Potentially interested applicants should consult the details of each competitive program area in order to learn how and when to apply. Some grants are offered in collaboration with the Swedish Research Council.

About guidelines for research partners, and link to grants calendar of Swedish Research Council

Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries

The priority countries for Sida’s development cooperation are identified below, applying the regional framework of the Terra Viva Grants Directory.

Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands: Cambodia, Myanmar

South Asia: Bangladesh

Eurasia and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Georgia, Turkey

Eastern Europe and Russia: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine

North Africa and Middle East: Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Syria

Sub-Saharan Africa: Burkina Faso, Dem Rep Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Latin America and Caribbean: Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala

Sida’s website is available in Swedish and English.

Sweden is consistently among the world’s most generous providers of development assistance.

Two of Sweden’s “green” framework organizations are the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Sweden). Additionally, several other Swedish framework organizations support activities in rural development and the green sectors.

Sida does not fund international students for education programs in Sweden. Instead, interested individuals should consult the website Study in Sweden.

Sida posts contact information for its offices in Sweden.

Some Swedish embassies and consulates may fund projects locally. Interested persons should inquire for information through Sweden’s diplomatic missions.

Grant seekers may find useful information and guidance from Forum Syd. This is an umbrella group of 160 Swedish organizations active in international development. Forum Syd has field offices in several world regions.

April 2021

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