Nyangeta Magesa
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Crowder-Messersmith Fund
The Fund honors Orville Crowder and Don and Sherry Messersmith, leaders in nature tourism, as a means to further global nature conservation. The Crowder-Messersmith Conservation Fund, together with the Nature Forward, helps fund small, local conservation and education projects in developing countries by providing seed money to communities and individuals whose projects have not attracted major support from other sources.
Grants have provided more than 160 projects in over 55 countries with start-up costs since 1974. NF has administered the Fund since 1999.
Preference is given to applicants who have a record of prior conservation action relevant
to the proposed project. Applicants from countries other than the United States are
especially encouraged to apply. United States researchers planning work in foreign
countries must have at least one local collaborator and consider how the project will
benefit the local communities.
General Criteria for all grants
Projects must:
• Focus on nature conservation and education.
• Benefit endangered or threatened species or habitat.
• Include a public education component.
• Involve the local population.
• Have lasting significance for local residents.
• Be completed within a year.
General Exclusions
• Projects in the United States or other advanced economies.
• Pure scientific research or data gathering with no obvious conservation benefit.
• Expeditions, particularly where the applicant has to raise funds in order to participate.
• Projects that focus on species listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red Book of
Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Projects that are a small part of a large-scale project that has major financial support.
• Funding for international travel, overhead expenses, taxes, utilities, or insurance.
• Money transfers to individual accounts.
Application Time Frame
Applications are accepted beginning September 1, 2024. Deadline for receipt is January
6, 2025. Decisions will be announced in May 2025. Projects may begin in June and must
be completed within twelve months of start date.
Maximum Grant Amount
The maximum grant for 1 year is $3000 USD.
Grant Acceptance
Upon Notification of a grant award, the Grantee must provide bank information for an
international bank transfer. The Grantee must also agree to provide a project status report
6 months after the project start date. Upon completion of the project, but no later than 12
months, a full project report is required unless an extension is requested due to
unforeseen circumstances. This report must include an accounting of funds, a description
of activities and populations receiving education and/or training, copies of any materials
or publications that have been developed, evaluation of the project’s success and failures,
and photos and videos of project activities
For more information visit Crowder-Messersmith Fund