Whitley Fund for Nature: Awards

Overview

The Whitley Fund for Nature has given £20 million to support the work of more than 200 grassroots conservationists benefiting wildlife and communities in 80 countries across the Global South, benefiting wildlie, landscapes and people.

They aim to:

• Find and fund effective local conservationist from biodiversity-rich, resource-poor countries spearheading work to deliver lasting impact on the ground.
• Support the scale-up of successful projects based on science and community involvement.
• Boost the nation and international profile of winners and encourage action to address the serious challenges facing biodiversity worldwide.

WFN gives funding, training and recognition to local conservation leaders working in resource-poor, biodiversity-rich countries.They offer three types of grant to enable conservationists to scale up their vital work and make a real and measurable difference to wildlife and local communities.

Three types of grant enable grassroots conservationists to scale up their work and make a global impact.

Whitley Awards

The charity’s flagship prizes – often referred to by others as ‘Green Oscars’ – are won competitively each year. Following a worldwide search, applications are assessed by an expert judging panel. In addition to £40,000 in project funding over one year, the awards provide profile and training.

Continuation Funding

Available to Whitley Award alumni, these follow-on grants enable winners to expand effective projects, respond to changing needs, and collaborate with other conservationists. Applications are invited annually and applied for competitively, with grants worth up to £35,000 over one year or £70,000 over two years. In 2020 WFN introduced a new strand of Continuation Funding for nature-based solutions that will help secure a sustainable future for wildlife, ecosystems and people; nature-based solutions funding is worth up to £100,000 over two years.

The Whitley Gold Award

Each year, they recognise a Whitley Award alumnus for their outstanding contribution to conservation. Whitley Gold Award winners are international advocates for biodiversity, pioneering large scale projects and acting as a mentor to new Whitley Award winners. Their most prestigious prize, the Whitley Gold Award is worth £100,000.

What projects will WFN fund?

• Not High Income Economy countries – Wildlife conservation projects led by local leaders based in countries that are not defined as a High Income Economy by the World Bank. Exceptions to this criterion include Equatorial Guinea and certain island nations in the Caribbean. If you have any questions about eligible countries, please contact WFN.
• Nationals with local support – a key focus of the Whitley Award is to boost the profile of leaders who are nationals of the country in which they are working. There are some exceptions, for example long term residency (15+ years) or commitment to country/region/ building capacity of local team members for future leadership.
• They seek grassroots conservationists from locally incorporated NGOs in developing countries, rather than in-country staff employed by NGOs headquartered in developed countries – but if you are in doubt please contact them.
• Good communicators and passionate people – people who will inspire others and importantly, who will collaborate and share results. Please note applicants must be able to communicate in English.
• Leadership and teamwork – Whitley Awards are won by individuals backed by an appropriate team/organisation. Individuals working in isolation and team/joint entries are not eligible.
• Projects that are based on scientific evidence and understanding – this can be in the leader, expertise on the team, or via partners/collaboration.
• Work involving (and benefitting) the local community and stakeholders is essential.
• Ecosystem / landscape level projects are preferred. Genuine flagships are accepted, but not if results are purely species-specific.
• Projects must be able to demonstrate past success and an evidence-based approach. We do not fund pilot projects or work that is at the start-up stage.
• Grassroots, pragmatic work that is realistic, but ambitious too. They look for applicants on the cusp of ‘something big’ and work that is replicable or scalable.
• Actions that will have clear, measurable outcomes – they look for applications that have given careful thought to what indicators can be measured to evidence impact.
• Sustainable projects – they want the work to continue into the future, well past the Whitley Award. Successful proposals will demonstrate long-term planning.
• Projects that demonstrate value for money and ability to manage funding at the 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 can demonstrate need.
• Work that needs publicity – ones that will do well if ‘doors can be opened’ via the media and enhanced recognition.

What kind of conservation work does WFN fund?

• Ecosystem landscape level approach – WFN has a broad scope of interest but projects must be focused on nature conservation. Threatened habitat conservation; projects utilising flagship species as a focal point for mobilising local communities; biodiversity conservation and linked livelihood development projects which reduce pressure on wild resources or utilise wild resources sustainably; human-wildlife conflict resolution; anti-poaching; in-situ conservation of endangered species – all would be projects they are interested in. In all cases, measurable biodiversity conservation impact is essential. Projects that take an ecosystem approach are generally favoured over a purely species specific approach. Take a look at our past winners in the Winners’ Projects section of our website to get a better idea of what WFN fund.
• Local stakeholder involvement – WFN look for projects which actively involve and genuinely engage the local community and build capacity. Community and stakeholder education is considered very important to successful nature conservation projects. But winning projects will have an explicit biodiversity conservation focus. Purely or predominantly rural/development projects will not be eligible.
• Evidence of prior success of proposed activities is essential, with appropriate metrics.
• Pragmatic, replicable and scalable – Pragmatic, grassroots initiatives will be given priority over purely scientific or academic activities. WFN is keen to support those who have started on a smaller scale and now want to expand, replicate or scale up their activities. WFN value the experience and strong local knowledge project leaders acquire on a small scale, and their enthusiasm to apply this on a larger scale. They do not fund pilot or start up projects.
• Measureable outcomes – They seek projects that deliver real change and include actions that will have clear, measurable outcomes. It is important to demonstrate that careful thought has been given to determine what indicators can be measured to evidence impact. For example, where training is undertaken – how will you measure actual change in behaviour, what will be the actual change delivered as a result of workshops; how will you know if the anti-poaching patrols have been effective or if the protected area is having the desired results?

For more details see the website.

For answers to FAQ's visit the website here

If you have any questions or require further information please email info@whitleyaward.org