WWF-India’s Small Grants Program

WWF-India is one of the largest organisations engaged in wildlife and nature conservation in the country. Established as a Charitable Trust in 1969, the organization has been working for over four decades on various aspects of conservation and environmental management. Starting as a wildlife conservation organization, WWF-India today works on a range of issues including species and habitat conservation, climate change, sustainable livelihoods, wetlands, marine and forest conservation, river basin and water management and environmental education.

SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM (SGP)
With the aim of encouraging young Indians to respond innovatively and independently to the conservation issues which affect the country, WWF-India is offering eligible individuals a one-time grant of up to Rs. 200,000 for carrying out conservation research or undertaking a conservation project. The primary objective of this grant is to provide financial capacity to individuals based in India, who have developed and wish to implement short-term conservation research or initiatives that can contribute to larger conservation goals.

The SGP will provide grants to individuals for activities and/or research that address issues and offer solutions or insights towards:

• Species and habitat related problems and concerns – with a focus on immediate threats and issues (e.g. vulture conservation)
• Enabling communities and other stakeholders to address local environmental concerns
• Improving local livelihoods through conservation and natural resources management or promoting livelihoods that reduce impacts on biodiversity
• Aspects of trade involving wildlife species
• Increasing understanding on the status of lesser known or lesser studied species of wildlife
• Innovative approaches to awareness raising regarding environmental concerns
• Demonstrating individual or collective action towards conservation outcomes

Applicants must demonstrate a mature breadth and depth of knowledge on the area of environmental conservation and the particular geographical area or issue that they wish to contribute to through their project. The duration of the project should be between 6 to 12 months and the scale of the project should be such that funding awarded covers the total or the majority of the requirements.

Funds will be provided to the successful individual in a phased manner – 50% on acceptance, 30% on a successful mid-term review and 20% on approval of a satisfactory final report submitted by the project leader on or near the completion of the project. The final reports should also include a full financial report on expenditures made as part of the project. Acknowledgement of support provided by WWF should be mentioned on related publications or communications.

CRITERIA
Proposals meeting some or all of the following criteria will receive priority consideration:

• Contribute to WWF’s mission of conservation. Priority will be given to initiatives located in WWF India’s priority landscapes or geographies (see www.wwfindia.org)
• Achieve a clear outcome within the project timeframe that can be scaled up or replicated
• Encourage participatory or community-based conservation and natural resource management  
• Introduce innovative approaches that can demonstrate conservation impact
• Have a clearly articulated rationale that demonstrates urgency and need for the work

Funds should be utilized primarily for field activities and not administrative expenditures or capital assets

The program does not support the following types of activities:

• Cash payments for direct budgetary support to an organization.  
• Payment for ongoing projects and for expenses of recurring nature.
• Organization of seminars, meetings and conferences, except where it can be demonstrated that the organization of such a meeting is critical to achieving the larger objectives of this grant
• Sponsorship to attend conferences, workshops, training programs in India or abroad.
• Large scale construction, and high capital costs
• Purchase of vehicles

APPLICATION PROCESS
All grants are considered for funding on a competitive merit basis. A screening committee at WWF-India will evaluate the selection of grantees based on the above mentioned criteria along with the technical strength of the applicant to ensure a successful and sustainable project.

Applications will be reviewed internally by the Small Grant manager and a wider team of experts within WWF India. Finalists will be interviewed by the team, who will also help fine-tune and lend resources toward the project, where appropriate, such that its direction and conclusions are clearly focused.

 Applications will be reviewed and grants provided twice a year: in June and in December. The deadline for receiving the third round of applications is 31st October 2011. Please submit your proposals in the format below to sgp@wwfindia.net or to

The Small Grants Programme Coordinator,
WWF India, 172-B
Lodi Estate,
New Delhi 110003.

The decision of the WWF team reviewing the applications will be final. In some cases, where there are exceptional reasons for initiating work immediately, the review committee may decide to offer a grant on a discretionary basis.

FORMAT
To be considered for a Small Grant, interested candidates must submit the following documents:

• a completed project proposal
• a current curriculum vitae
• at least two professional references

The proposals should follow the format provided as download and should be limited to four pages excluding maps or photographs that are considered essential for a complete appraisal of the project.