Whitley Awards fund grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South and put an international spotlight on winners’ work.
The Whitley Awards are our flagship prizes, presented by our Patron HRH The Princess Royal at a ceremony in London. The Whitley Awards Ceremony will take place in Spring 2024, when winners will be announced during a live event, which will also be streamed online.
About Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising
Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising and grant-giving charity, which supports conservation leaders working in their home countries across the Global South. Over 29 years we have channelled £20 million to more than 200 conservationists in 80 countries. We offer long term, laddered support to courageous changemakers leading local solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises; they are acting on the latest science and igniting projects with passion. Through these award winners we support work rooted in communities that creates lasting benefits for wildlife
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Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising Contest
Aim and Benefits of Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising Contest
Whitley Awards are worth £40,000 GBP in project funding over one year.
Requirements for Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising Contest Qualification
- 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 – The Whitley Awards support nationals of the country in which they are working (i.e. you were born there or have lived there a long time and achieved national status.) If you are not a national but believe you have an exceptional case based on long term residency (15+ years) and a demonstrable commitment to that country/region, then please contact WFN.
- We seek grassroots conservationists who are embedded in and/or from the communities where they work. Applicants should work for or lead locally incorporated NGOs in the Global South, rather than be in-country staff employed by NGOs headquartered in the Global North.
- 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. We look for applicants on the cusp of ‘something big’ and work that is replicable or scalable.
- Actions that will have clear, measurable outcomes – we look for applications that have given careful thought to what indicators can be measured to evidence impact.
- Sustainable projects – we 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 WFN WILL NOT FUND
- Projects based in High Income Economies as defined by the World Bank. If your project is based in a country that has recently been re-classified as having a High Income Economy, please contact WFN.
- Expatriates – such leaders do excellent work around the world but are not the focus of this Awards scheme, which aims to champion local leaders.
- Pure academic research – winners need to have larger aims than ‘research and publish’. Any research should be applied research.
- MSc / PhD fieldwork – if students benefit from a project funded that is great, but we will not fund the fieldwork as an end to itself.
- Expeditions and conference attendance.
- ‘Start-up’ or pilot projects. Evidence of prior success is very important.
- Absentee leaders – especially if the leader is mid-PhD and will be absent from the project for long periods and/or based abroad.
- ‘One-person bands’ – people who will not reward emerging leadership on their team, train team members or who are reluctant to collaborate.
- Joint applications or nominations for someone else.
- Pure rural/ economic/ sustainable development where direct conservation benefits are hard to quantify.
- Land purchase or projects focused on construction of buildings.
- Animal welfare & rehabilitation of captive animals.
- Captive breeding – we recognise it as useful conservation tool, but at the level of funding we have available, we can’t make much impact. Therefore, we would only fund captive breeding where underlying causes of species decline in the wild have been fully addressed prior to breeding species in captivity.
- Government employees. However, we are aware that grey areas exist where conservationists will often be affiliated with government institutions in order to operate. If this is the case, please contact WFN.
- While WFN strive to fund projects in every country that meets our eligibility criteria, it is occasionally necessary to restrict support in a particular country. We are regrettably unable to consider ANY applications for projects in Russia. We keep this list under constant review and any changes in policy will be advertised on our website.
Interview date, Process and Venue for Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising Contest
Applications for the 2024 Whitley Awards are currently open and close at midnight GMT on 31 October 2023.
Application Deadline
October 31, 2023
How to Apply
Go to Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) on wfn.eformsolutions.com to apply
You do not need to be invited or nominated to apply for a Whitley Award.
Please read our eligibility criteria to find out what WFN do and do not fund.
Whitley Awards are for dynamic, mid-career conservationists who are leading wildlife conservation projects in the Global South. Winners are nationals of the country in which they are working who are seeking to scale up proven work, that is embedded in the local community and would benefit from further funding, a profile boost and international support. To be eligible, projects must involve communities at the grassroots level and deliver practical action that is founded on science.
- Register for our application portal
To register for our application portal, click here. Once you have received your unique login details you will be able to complete and submit your application online.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about the application portal.
- Complete your application online
It is essential to follow our application guidelines.
Once registered for the application portal, you will be able to login and complete the form online at your convenience. Remember to save as you go! If you close the portal without saving your progress, you will lose your information. Please refer to our FAQs for further information.
As part of the application process you will need to download two documents from the portal: a Microsoft Word template for your logical framework/timeline, and a Microsoft Excel template for your budget. Once you have saved these to your computer, you can work on them in your own time then upload your completed versions to the portal.
Please note that the application guidelines, application form, logical framework/timeline and budget templates are only available until midnight GMT on 31 October 2023. Applications made on out-of-date forms from previous years will not be considered.
You need to ask three referees to submit references to WFN in support of your application. Check who is eligible to be a referee in our FAQs, and read the application guidelines to find out what is required of them.
You will be asked to submit your referees’ details in the application portal, and they will receive an automated email requesting their submissions independently before the deadline of midnight GMT on 31 October 2023.
We recommend approaching your referees with plenty of time in advance. Please remember it is your responsibility to ensure your referees meet the deadline of midnight GMT on 31 October 2023.
