Deadline: 31 October 2024
Registration is now open for the Whitley Awards 2025 for Grassroots Conservation Leaders . The Whitley Awards fund grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South and highlight the winners' work internationally.
Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a fundraising and grant-making charity for nature conservation. Founded in 1993, it has channelled £23 million to 200 conservation leaders in 80 countries in the Global South, benefiting wildlife, landscapes and people. They offer long-term, scaled-up support to courageous change agents who are leading local solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises; they are acting on the latest science and initiating projects with passion. Through these winners, they support work rooted in communities that creates lasting benefits for wildlife, landscapes and people.
Prize
- The Whitley Awards are worth £50,000 GBP in project funding over one year.
Eligibility
- The Whitley Awards are for dynamic mid-career conservationists leading wildlife conservation projects in the Global South.
- The winners are citizens of the country in which they work, who are looking to extend proven work that is integrated into the local community and would benefit from more funding, a higher profile and international support.
- To be eligible, projects must involve local communities and carry out practical actions based on science.
The WFN will finance:
- Countries that are not high-income economies - Wildlife conservation projects led by local leaders based in countries that are not defined as high-income economies by the World Bank. Exceptions to this criterion include Equatorial Guinea and certain island nations in the Caribbean.
- Locally supported citizens - The Whitley Awards support citizens of the country in which they work (i.e. you were born there or have lived there for a long time and have achieved national status). If you are not a national, but believe you have an exceptional case based on long-term residence (more than 15 years) and a demonstrable commitment to that country/region, please contact the WFN.
- They are looking for grassroots conservationists who are embedded in the communities where they work. Candidates should work for or lead locally incorporated NGOs in the Global South, rather than be local staff employed by NGOs based in the Global North.
- Good communicators and passionate people - people who will inspire others and, more importantly, who will collaborate and share results. Please note that candidates must be able to communicate in English.
- Leadership and teamwork - Whitley Awards are won by individuals supported by an appropriate team/organisation. Individuals working alone and team/joint applications are not eligible.
- Projects that are based on scientific evidence and understanding - this can be from the leader, team expertise or via partners/collaboration.
- Work that involves (and benefits) the local community and stakeholders is essential.
- Projects at ecosystem/landscape level are favoured. Genuine flagship initiatives are accepted, but not if the results are purely species-specific.
- Projects must be able to demonstrate previous successes and an evidence-based approach. They do not fund pilot projects or work that is in the start-up phase.
- Grassroots work, pragmatic, realistic, but also ambitious. They are looking for candidates on the verge of "something big" and work that is replicable or scalable.
- Actions that will have clear and measurable results - look for applications that have thought carefully about which indicators can be measured to show the impact.
- Sustainable projects - they want the work to continue into the future, far beyond the Whitley Award. Successful proposals will demonstrate long-term planning.
- Projects that demonstrate value for money and the ability to manage funding at Whitley Award level (£40,000). Organisations with audited accounts are preferred.
- Projects for which an award will make a big difference. Priority will be given to those that demonstrate a need.
- Jobs that need publicity - jobs that will perform well if "doors can be opened" through the media and greater recognition.
Application
