Funding Organizations
This database lists organizations from the public and private sector that fund or invest in projects promoting wetland conservation, wise use and restoration. This database is not exhaustive, it serves as a directory for people searching for possible funders. Email ramsar@ramsar.org to suggest updates or additions to the Database.
| Name | Short Name | Organization type | Areas of support | Grant size | Geographic interest | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The World Bank Group | IBRD+IDA | NGO/INGO | The World Bank Group works in every major area of development. We provide a wide array of financial products and technical assistance, and we help countries share and apply innovative knowledge and solutions to the challenges they face. | No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| The International Coral Reef Initiative | ICRI | NGO/INGO | UNEP and ICRI jointly launched a small grants programme to support the conservation and restoration of coral reefs, mangroves and seagras in sdeveloping countries, least developed countries and small island developing states Grants will be awarded to projects aimed at protecting and restoring coastal marine ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on payment for ecosystem services, ecosystem restoration, blue carbon, marine protected areas, locally managed marine areas. |
$50-100K | Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| International Development Research Centre | IDRC Canada | Government | As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions to drive global change. | $100K-1M | Africa | Website |
| International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) | IFAD | NGO/INGO | IFAD grants, support agricultural research, innovation, institutional change and pro-poor technologies. Grant recipients include research organizations, centres of excellence involved in rural poverty reduction, NGOs, governments, private sector and civil society organizations. IFAD extends two types of grants, depending on the nature of the innovation and the scope of intervention: global or regional and country-specific. |
No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| International Climate Initiative | IKI | Government | The International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) finances climate and biodiversity projects in developing and newly industrialising countries, as well as in countries in transition. The IKI is a key element of Germany's climate financing and funds projects in the following areas; - Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions - Adapting to the impacts of climate change - Conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) - Conserving biological diversity |
$100K-1M | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) | JICA | JICA conducts various forms of cooperation in accordance with the development stage of each developing country or region. Within that assistance, JICA gives priority to preventive measures and emphasizes the establishment of environmental management system through a capacity development approach. JICA puts emphasis on enhancing the capacity of organizations and individuals for better environmental management. | Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website | ||
| German Development Bank KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) | KfW | Government | Budget are mainly allocated to poor and poorly developed countries. The funds are not repaid. However, to be eligible to receive this funding, development policy criteria must be met including the partner country's ownership and commitment. We mainly deploy grants and very low-interest standard loans in poor and poorly developed countries: in 2017, 41% of the German Federal Government's budget funds were dedicated to Sub-Saharan Africa. More developed countries are also eligible for grants for projects that contribute directly to reducing poverty or to protecting global public goods such as, e. g., tropical rainforests. | Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website | |
| Pentair | Kingspan | Company | Pentair and the Pentair Foundation engage in grant making that focuses on initiatives that provide sustainable access to water, education on water safety and addressing community needs, mainly in locations where the Company operates. | No Information | Website | |
| The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation | LDF | Foundation | The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation through collaborative partnerships, supports projects that protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, restore balance to threatened ecosystems and communities. The grant making program of the Foundation is focused on six main program areas namely; - Wildlands conservation - Oceans conservation - Climate change - Indigenous Rights. - Transforming California and innovative solutions. |
$1M+ | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| Legacy Landscape Fund | LLF | Foundation | Our mission is to safeguard outstanding biodiversity by promoting nature conservation and the preservation of ecosystem services in globally significant conservation areas, while working with local communities and respecting their rights and needs. In collaboration with a wide range of partners and funders, and acknowledging international best practices, the LLF provides long-term financial support to the management costs of globally significant legacy landscapes. | No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation | MacFound | Foundation | Conservation & Sustainable Development: Grantmaking supported preserving ecosystems and species, and promoting development that respects the environment | No Information | Africa, Asia, North America | Website |
| Mangroves for the Future | MFF | NGO/INGO | Mangroves for the Future (MFF) promotes investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development. MFF offers small, medium and large size grants to initiatives that address long-term sustainable coastal ecosystem management in its member countries. Focus areas include; - Climate change adaptation and mitigation, - Disaster risk reduction - Promotion of ecosystem health - Development of sustainable livelihoods - Active engagement of the private sector in developing sustainable business practices. |
$100K-1M | Asia | Website |
| Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation | Moore | Foundation | The Environmental Conservation Program, of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation focusses on protecting critical ecosystems, establishing models for collaboration that can be replicated and creating lasting change in how land, freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems are managed. | $50-100K | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| Charles Stewart Mott Foundation | Mott | Foundation | We support programs around the world that protect communities and the ecosystems upon which they depend. | No Information | North America | Website |
| The Nagao Natural Environment Foundation | NEF | NGO/INGO | Dedicated to promoting nature conservation in developing countries. | Less than $10K | Asia | Website |
| The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation | NORAD | Government | Norad grants funding to organisations within civil society, research, higher education and industry that work with partners in poor countries. Eligible organisations can apply by responding to the calls for proposals. | Website | ||
| Oak Foundation | OAK | Foundation | The Oak Foundation through its Environment Programme, offers grants that support innovative solutions to climate change, marine conservation, wildlife conservation and trade. | No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| French Biodiversity Agency | OFB | Government | The French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) is a public institution dedicated to the protection and restoration of biodiversity. A public institution under the authority of the ministries responsible for Ecology and Agriculture & Food. | $50-100K | Europe | Website |
| Patagonia International | Patagonia | Company | Patagonia’s Grants Programme supports grassroots organizations working on mulit-pronged campaigns to protect the environment. | No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| The Environmental Portfolio at the The Pew Charitable Trusts | Pew | Foundation | Pew’s conservation work in the United States and abroad helps preserve wilderness, restore biodiversity and increase understanding of ocean ecology. It’s conservation portfolio includes a project on protecting coastal wetlands and coral reefs. The Foundation is building partnerships with countries to help them integrate coastal wetlands and coral reefs into their commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. | No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust | PONT | Foundation | PONT enables protected areas in the Wider Prespa-Ohrid region to develop and implement their management plans and to conserve the environment through sustainable co-financing of operational costs. PONT supports the development and use of standard operational planning and reporting systems for the implementation of proprietary protected area programmes. Standardised biodiversity monitoring systems are developed in which data collection, data analysis and data sharing are supported for habitat management, with an efficient division of what can be done by the protected area staff themselves, local people and what to outsource to third parties. Enabling the protected area staff to increasingly use scientific data in managing the area must be included in the third-party contracts. The inclusion of minimum Natura 2000 requirements will gain importance in the coming years. The protected area authorities are supported with their operations and organisational development to make the organisations more robust and capable of sourcing third party funding. | Europe | Website | |
| Ramsar Regional Center - East Asia | RRC-EA | Other | The RRC-EA Wetland Fund is a small grant program that provides complementary support to ongoing and planned national wetland initiatives as a contribution of participating Contracting Parties to the implementation of the Ramsar Convention. The Fund provides small grants for initiatives that can influence policy development and for national, subnational and site level measures related to wetland management, conservation and restoration. | Less than $10K | Asia | Website |
| The GEF Small Grants Programme | SGP | The programme is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). | $10-50K | Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website | |
| Skoll Foundation | Skoll | NGO/INGO | Our vision is to live in a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all. The Skoll Foundation catalyzes transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and other social innovators who together advance bold and equitable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. |
No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |
| International Ecotourism Society | TIES | NGO/INGO | The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ecotourism. Founded in 1990, TIES has been on the forefront of the development of ecotourism, providing guidelines and standards, training, technical assistance, and educational resources. TIES global network of ecotourism professionals and travelers is leading efforts to make tourism a viable tool for conservation, protection of bio-cultural diversity, and sustainable community development. | No Information | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean | Website |