Application criteria and guidelines

The Fund intends to be as flexible and accommodating as possible when reviewing applications, and to take into account as many different factors as is reasonable when assessing the merit of a suggested project. To support this and to try to streamline the application process, the review process is kept comparatively simple.

However, the Fund does receive many more applications for support than grants could possibly be provided, so please find below some criteria and guidelines which would be useful to bear in mind when submitting an application.

Language: Applications must be submitted in English.

Conservation status: The Fund will use the IUCN Redlist (www.iucnredlist.org) as the primary guide to the conservation status of a given species, although documented variations for sub-species, distinct populations and sub-populations will be taken into account. For those species not assessed through the IUCN Redlist we welcome other methods of assessment and the submission of quantative data to confirm a species status. Generally the Fund gives priority to those species facing a hight threat of extinction (with an emphasis on Endangered and Critically Endangered species), as well as those which are listed as Data Deficient or unlisted but are suspected as highly threatened. Please ensure that the conservation status mentioned in the application is correct and cross-referenced to a website or publication.

Content: Text provided in an application should be kept concise and clear, with clearly stated quantative goals, aims and methods. When writing an application, please bear in mind that there is only so much text which the Review Panel and the Fund's board are capable of reading. Priority will be given to those projects that support the professional development of young conservationists.

In situ conservation: Generally the Fund is primarily interested in providing support to in situ conservation work in the field (such as survey work and data gathering, direct action, recovery management, training and the like), focusing on the species in its natural habitat. However, the importance of ex situ work (genetic analysis, workshops, ex situ populations etc) is also recognised, and so a few grants may be given to projects which focus on ex situ conservation work in certain circumstances.

Core costs: The Fund will not contribute to the core running costs of an organisation or administrative overheads, and yet does recognise that salaries, stipends, per diems and project related living costs can be a vital part of in situ conservation work.

Species: Generally the Fund would prefer to support projects which focus on a single species, but it also recognises that in some geographic and taxonomic circumstances it makes more sense to group a number of species.

Grant amount: The Fund will not provide a grant of more than $25,000, so please do not submit an application asking for more.

Grants for continuation: The Fund is happy to provide continuation support for a project which had previously been supported, which is now completed and for which the Fund has received all required reporting by the time of the respective submission deadline.

External review: In some cases the Review Panel and/or the Fund's board may ask for an application to be passed on for additional review, which may add to the response time.

Online: Starting from December 1st, 2011 only applications submitted through the Fund's online, web-based system will be considered. Supporting documents can be sent as email attachments, but the application itself must be online.

For more information, please also check our Frequently Asked Questions page.