19.2. Develop innovative financing mechanisms to support the species conservation.
Primary tools and resources
Fonseca Species Conservation Fund (FSCF)
The Fonseca Species Conservation Fund (FSCF) was established in 2024 by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Re:wild to honor the passion of the late Gustavo Fonseca, long-standing GEF director of programs, for species conservation and building capacity of the next generation of conservationists.
The FSCF draws on the expertise of IUCN Species Survival Commission Specialist Groups and other key partners to ensure all funding goes toward priority projects. Through the FSCF, grantees will access funding support, the expertise of the selection committees, and connections with partner organizations.
The Terra Viva Grants Directory
The Terra Viva Grants Directory is an online information service on funding opportunities for the developing world in (1) Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry; (2) Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife; (3) Energy, Climate Change; (4) Water Resources; and (5) Cross-Cutting Subjects. The platform lists current grant opportunities and profiles of over 800 grant programs, including application deadlines by month, subject area, and form of grant support. Funding News is a blog of open calls for proposals that is updated regularly.
Basic access for project funding or scholarships is free resources. Full access requires a paid subscription.
Rufford Small Grants
The Rufford Foundation provides funding for nature conservation projects in developing countries. Grants start at £6,000 and increase to £15,000 for projects that successfully complete each stage. To be eligible, species must be considered threatened. Applicants
should be in the early stages of their conservation career.
UNDP BIOFIN Initiative
BIOFIN was initiated ten years ago at CBD COP 11 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the European Commission in response to the urgent global need to divert more finance from all possible sources towards global and national biodiversity goals. BIOFIN demonstrates how nature-positive economies can work for people and the planet. Now present in 40 countries, BIOFIN is working with governments, civil-society, vulnerable communities, and the private sector to catalyse investments in nature protect and promote biodiversity. The BIOFIN Report: How Can Biodiversity Finance Plans Support NBSAPs? assists countries to develop, update, and implement national Biodiversity Finance Plans (BFPs) in support of their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
BIOFIN does not provide funds directly. However, BIOFIN has partnered with several other organisations to set up the Finance Resources for Biodiversity (FIRE) platform to collate funding sources for all types of biodiversity projects, including for species. Over 300 funding opportunities for biodiversity conservation, both public and private, are listed. FIRE functions as a one-stop-shop, where a project leader can find a multitude of different opportunities matching specific criteria (country, range of funding, type of entity, etc.). Sources can be sorted using filters. Within the “ecosystems” filter there is an option to select Wildlife / Endangered Species.
How to use
Information on BIOFIN can be accessed at: https://www.biofin.org/
The BIOFIN brochure can be downloaded at: https://www.biofin.org/knowledge-product/biofin-brochure-0
The Report: How Can Biodiversity Finance Plans Support NBSAPs? can be downloaded at: https://www.biofin.org/knowledge-product/how-can-biodiversity-finance-plans-support-nbsaps
The FIRE platform can be accessed at: https://fire.biofin.org/
To obtain information on funding resources for species use the link: https://fire.biofin.org/?ecosystems=Wildlife++Endangered+Species&name=
EDGE Protected And Conserved Area Fund
The EDGE of Existence programme was the first global conservation initiative to focus specifically on threatened species that represent a significant amount of unique evolutionary history.
Using a scientific framework to identify the world’s most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species, the EDGE of Existence programme highlights and protects some of the most unique, extraordinary, and overlooked species on the planet. EDGE species have few close relatives on the Tree of Life and are often extremely unusual in the way they look, live and behave, as well as in their genetic makeup. They represent a unique and irreplaceable part of the world’s natural heritage, yet an alarming proportion are on the verge of extinction.
To safeguard these species, we are committed to supporting, strengthening, and diversifying conservation leadership in critical regions. The EDGE Fellowship exemplifies this commitment. It is a 28-month fellowship for local early-career conservationists from lower- and middle-income countries. We equip these emerging leaders—EDGE Fellows—with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities required to advance their careers and spearhead effective conservation efforts for the world’s most unique and extraordinary species.
The extinction of species is a call to action for all of us, and we stand ready to answer that call and contribute to a healthier and vibrant planet for all species.
The Rufford Foundation
The Rufford Foundation is a UK registered charity which funds nature conservation projects across the developing world.
The flagship Rufford Small Grants Programme gives funding to individuals working in developing countries who are starting on the ladder of conservation research and establishing pilot programmes. In some cases, if their work progresses well, these individuals may apply for one of the further grants from the Foundation. Since the Rufford Small Grants Programme was set up over 20 years ago, it has given in excess of £30 million through more than 5100 grants to projects in over 150 countries. The programme identifies scientists at the very early stages of their careers and provides targeted support to enable them to achieve their goal of making a difference in terms of conservation. Many recipients have gone on to be key influencers at a national and sometimes global level
Darwin Initiative
The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that helps conserve biodiversity and support the communities that live alongside it through locally led projects worldwide. It is one of the Biodiversity Challenge Funds (BCFs) – the collective name for three of the UK Government’s competitive grants that also includes the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus, aimed at conserving biodiversity and safeguarding the environment for local people.
Successful Darwin Initiative projects are likely to include:
- delivering outputs that will achieve both biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction
- demonstrated an understanding of GESI within their context, and effectively reflected this in their approach to deliver sustained outcomes
- enhancing the capability and capacity of national and local partners and stakeholders, to help ensure a project’s long-term legacy
- strengthening, promotion and use of evidence to inform and scale the action
- the implementation of a novel or significantly improved approach
- scalable approaches that have the potential to deliver greater impact
Since 1993, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £230m to more than 1,275 projects across 159 countries.
Whitley Fund for Nature
Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity.
Three types of WFN grant enable grassroots conservationists to scale up their work and make a global impact. Whitley Awards provide £40,000 in project funding over one year as well as profile and training. Follow-on grants enable previous winners to expand effective projects, respond to changing needs, and collaborate with other conservationists, with grants worth up to £100,000 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. The Whitley Gold Award is worth £100,000.
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund The Fund was established in 2008 with an initial endowment of €25,000,000 to: Provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives; Recognize leaders in the field of species conservation; and Elevate the importance of species in the broader conservation debate. The Fund provides small grants to boots-on-the-ground, in-the-field species conservation projects for the world’s most threatened species.
The Fund is open to applications for funding support from all parts of the world for direct conservation projects focused on threatened plant, animal, and fungus species. Grants are awarded according to criteria set by the Species Fund, and are for a maximum of $25,000.
IUCN Save Our Species
Through the hard work of our grantees, advice from IUCN’s many species experts and the support of our incredible donors and partners, we are able to deliver great impact for species threatened with extinction.
Why protect species
The alarm has been raised repeatedly about the decline in biodiversity across the planet. By allowing this decline to continue, we erode the very foundations of our existence.
Current initiatives
IUCN Save Our Species’ current portfolio is made up of almost 90 projects from all over the world. They are integrated into region-focused or species-focused initiatives.
Global Environmental Facility
We support developing countries’ work to address the world’s most pressing environmental issues. We organize our work around five focal areas – biodiversity loss, chemicals and waste, climate change, international waters, and land degradation – and take an integrated approach to support more sustainable food systems, forest management, and cities.
Other tools and resources
IWC Whale Watching Handbook
Whale watching is a rapidly growing activity, and the Whale Watching Handbook was designed to help the industry develop in a way that is sustainable in the long-term, for both the whale populations that are observed and the economies that depend on their presence.
As the inter-governmental organisation charged with conservation of whale stocks, the IWC is well-placed to provide the expertise needed to understand and manage the potential impacts of whale watching on the whales. These foundations have been strengthened by a partnership with the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) and the result is a comprehensive, living and evolving resource on whale watching, available in three languages.
Solutions and case studies
Public-private partnership to develop a climate-proof PA network
Fifteen percent of the Western Cape is formally protected. Unfortunately, this network is unrepresentative of the biodiversity contained within the province and does not adequately buffer the province against the impacts of climate change. In an endeavor to supplement the existing network, priority areas, which have been identified through systematic biodiversity plans, are being safeguarded through elaborate public private partnership agreements and mainstreaming avenues.
