Deadline: 15 March 2017
The New England Biolabs Foundation is currently seeking letter of inquiry (LOI) for its grant program to provide financial support in the form of small project grants to grassroots organizations and other NGOs in selected countries in Central America, Andean South America, and West Africa.
Foundation’s mission is to foster community-based conservation of landscapes and seascapes and the bio-cultural diversity found in these places. The foundation believes that their natural and cultural values are inextricably linked, and that indigenous and local communities should play a fundamental role in their stewardship.
Thematic Areas
The foundation support communities in the stewardship of their landscapes and seascapes and the associated bio-cultural diversity, ecosystem services, and food-ways. The foundation welcome inquiries from community-based nonprofit organizations working toward:
- Conserving biological diversity (terrestrial and marine).
- Sustaining cultural diversity (linguistic diversity, as well as traditional knowledge systems and practices).
- Maintaining ecosystem services (water, soil, and carbon sequestration).
- Supporting food sovereignty and economic vitality of local communities.
- In the marine environment, sustaining healthy reefs and fisheries.
Funding Information
- Maximum international grant size is $10,000, with grants typically ranging from $3,000 to $8,000.
- Local grants range from $2,500 to $5,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- New England Biolabs Foundation grants are limited to organizations that hold charitable status in their country.
- Eligible organizations must operate on a not-for-profit basis and stand by a mission to benefit local communities.
Geographic Focus
Central America
- In Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras:
- Coastal landscapes/seascapes within the Gulf of Honduras
- In Nicaragua:
- Southern Pacific coast of Nicaragua, including Lake Nicaragua
- Northern Caribbean coast within Nicaragua’s North Atlantic Autonomous Region
Andean South America
- Sacred Valley of the Incas, extending from Ollantaytambo to Pisac in the Southern Andes of Peru
- In Bolivia, that portion of the Altiplano extending from Lake Titicaca to Lake Poopó, and beyond to Sucre
- Andes-Amazon Basin of Ecuador and Peru (with more specific landscapes within that region to be identified in 2017)
West Africa
- In Ghana:
- Weto Landscape in the southern part of the Togo-Atakora Mountains in Ghana
- Black Volta Basin in the Upper West region of Ghana
- In Cameroon:
- Highland landscapes of Southwest Cameroon
Please note that the foundation are no longer actively funding in Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, or El Salvador. The foundation will occasionally consider, by invitation only, proposals for projects in these countries.
U.S. Grants
While the foundation’s emphasis is on working internationally, the foundation does fund a limited number of local projects in coastal communities along the North Shore of Massachusetts.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
Eligible Countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon, United States.
For more information, please visit New England Biolabs Foundation.