Deadline: October 23rd | Whitley Awards for Global South Grassroots Conservation Leaders 2024
The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is accepting submissions for the Whitley Awards, which will encourage ambitious conservationists in the middle of their careers who are in charge of initiatives to conserve species in the developing world.
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Receiving financial assistance is only one aspect of winning a Whitley Award. By introducing conservationists to the global stage, WFN also helps them further their careers. Greater visibility fosters local pride in and involvement in programs on the ground. In addition to connecting with other conservationists to discuss achievements, challenges, and resources, it helps winners motivate more philanthropic assistance from new sources. Conservationists are then more likely to have an impact on environmental policy at the regional, national, and worldwide levels as a result of their increased credibility.
Awards
Whitley Awards provide project financing of £40,000 GBP over the course of a year.
Benefits
- Winners receive PR instruction, social media counsel, and speech coaching throughout the week of the Whitley Awards event in London. This enables them to take advantage of the media attention that follows their victory and successfully communicate their efforts to a global audience.
- Additionally, they host gatherings where winners can network with donors, media, and NGOs.
- Some of the fundamental abilities required for the delivery of successful projects on the ground are also offered in overseas and online training settings where the agenda is chosen by graduates and centered on peer-to-peer exchange. Additionally, winners get access to free legal assistance.
- Each cohort also becomes a member of a global network of peers with whom they can exchange information, advice, and support.
What will the WFN fund?
- Not High Income Economy Countries – Wildlife conservation initiatives spearheaded by local authorities in nations that the World Bank does not classify as High Income Economy. Equatorial Guinea and a few Caribbean island states are exceptions to this rule.
- Nationals with local support – The Whitley Awards provide assistance to nationals of the country in which they are employed (i.e., those who were born there or who have attained national status there via extended residence). Please get in touch with WFN if you are not a citizen but believe you have a unique circumstance based on extended residence (15+ years) and a clear commitment to the nation or region.
- They are looking for local conservationists who are part of the communities they operate in or are native to those communities. Instead of being in-country employees of NGOs with headquarters in the Global North, applicants should work for or lead locally established NGOs in the Global South.
- People that are passionate and effective communicators will inspire others and, more importantly, will work together and share their results. Please be aware that applicants must be able to speak English.
- Whitley Awards are given out for leadership and teamwork and are won by those who are supported by the right group or organization. Teams and collaborative entries as well as individuals working alone are not eligible.
- Projects that are grounded in scientific knowledge and evidence; this may be from the project manager, the team members’ experience, or partners/collaboration.
- Projects at the ecosystem/landscape level are preferred. Genuine flagships are acceptable, but not if the results are only observable in a single species.
- sustainable initiatives.
What types of conservation initiatives does WFN support?
- Although WFN has a wide range of interests, projects must be centered on nature protection. Ecosystem landscape level approach. Threatened habitat preservation, initiatives using flagship species as a focal point to mobilize local communities, biodiversity preservation and related livelihood development projects that lessen pressure on wild resources or use wild resources sustainably, conflict resolution between people and wildlife, anti-poaching efforts, and in-situ conservation of endangered species are just a few examples.
- Local stakeholder engagement: WFN seek for initiatives that actively involve, really engage, and strengthen the local community. Education of the community and stakeholders is thought to be crucial for the success of nature conservation efforts. However, winning proposals will specifically emphasize biodiversity conservation. Projects that are purely or mostly related to rural development will not be eligible.
- It is crucial to provide evidence of the planned activity’ past success using the proper metrics.
- Grassroots projects that are pragmatic, reproducible, and scaleable will be given priority over strictly academic or scientific pursuits. WFN is eager to assist people whose activities were first conducted on a smaller scale but who now wish to scale them up.
- Measureable results – They look for initiatives that bring about genuine change and incorporate steps that will provide observable, quantifiable results. It is crucial to show that significant consideration was paid to selecting the metrics that can be used to quantify impact.
What won’t WFN fund?
- Projects based in high-income nations, as the World Bank defines them.
- MSc/PhD fieldwork: Students will only pay fieldwork if they directly profit from a project; otherwise, they won’t.
- participation in conferences and expeditions.
- Pilot or “start-up” projects. It is crucial to have proof of past achievement.
- Absentee leaders, particularly if they are in the middle of their PhD and will be away from the project for an extended amount of time or are stationed abroad. “One-person bands” are individuals who are unable to cooperate, train team members, or recognize rising leadership on their team.
- joint nominations or applications for another person.
- Pure rural, economic, and sustainable development, when it is difficult to evaluate the direct conservation advantages.
- projects including the purchase of land or the construction of structures.
- Animal rehabilitation & welfare in captivity.
- Regrettably, they are unable to take into account ANY proposals for projects in Russia.
Visit Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) for additional details.
