WLT Application Guidelines
Before considering applying for support from World Land Trust (WLT), please read the following Guidelines and carefully assess if your project and organisation meet the criteria. If you feel they may be a good fit for World Land Trust funding, please submit a Project Concept Note by completing the form below.
Guidelines
WLT’s mission is to protect and sustainably manage natural ecosystems of the world; to conserve their biodiversity, with emphasis on threatened habitats and endangered species; and to develop partnerships with local individuals, communities and organisations to engage support and commitment among the people who live in project areas.
WLT generally supports projects that conserve threatened areas of high biodiversity value through the creation or expansion of protected reserves, restoration of degraded habitats, and conservation focused management of these areas.
WLT focuses on conservation work through an in-country partner organisation with a good track record of delivering conservation. Partners are typically non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and not for profit/charitable organisations, and with shared objectives around conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems.
WLT funding aims to create long-term and sustainable support for on-the-ground conservation activities, including land acquisition, protected area creation, reserve protection and ecosystem restoration.
The Type of Projects supported by WLT
The main project activities supported by WLT are the creation of protected areas and the protection and restoration of threatened habitats. As part of these objectives, project activities may include land acquisition through a range of mechanisms including land purchase, leases, community reserves and protection status declaration (gazetting); on the ground habitat and biodiversity protection (e.g. ranger salaries and patrol costs); habitat restoration; community support projects; and conservation investments.
Please note that these activities are unlikely to be funded separately and would only be considered if they form part of a wider conservation project. Research and community education/outreach activities are only supported when these contribute to a wider conservation goal. All WLT funded projects need to have clear benefits, and no net negative impact to biodiversity, communities and climate.
How to complete this form
The concept note will be used to initially evaluate the suitability of a project and organisation to apply to WLT for funding. The applicant should answer all sections and should clearly summarise the aim, importance and project activities while adhering to the word limit for the project synopsis (400 words). The form asks for estimates of the project duration (years) and project costs (in GBP): these should be your current best assessment of the time and funding required to complete the project. Concept notes with accompanying maps that illustrate the location and intended area to be protected are more likely to lead to a request for a full application from WLT.
Submissions that do not meet the above guidelines and which do not support WLT’s mission are unlikely to be supported. If a concept note looks suitable, then WLT staff will follow up and request that you submit a full Project Application form as well as respond to any further clarifications about the project and organisation applying.
Concept notes can be submitted at any time during the year and will be reviewed as soon as possible. Full applications, if requested, are reviewed on a quarterly basis. If you have not heard back directly from World Land Trust within three months of submitting a project concept then either your project has not fulfilled the criteria and will not be followed up, or we are unable to support it due to the high number of submissions and availability of funds.