Environmental Funding Opportunities

1. Conservationist Photography Contest
Publication and recognition (no cash prize), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Deadline: 8 September 2026
Open to professional and amateur photographers for images taken in New York State across three categories (wildlife, landscapes, outdoor recreation), with winners featured in the December/January calendar issue of Conservationist magazine. A contest rather than a grant, and limited to New York, so worth including only if a recognition-and-exposure opportunity fits the slot.
Apply: https://dec.ny.gov/news/conservationist-magazine/photography-contest

2. Fund for Investigative Journalism
Up to US$10,000 (regular), up to US$2,500 (seed), Fund for Investigative Journalism
Deadline: 14 September 2026
Grants of up to $10,000 for full investigations and up to $2,500 for preliminary reporting, open to freelance journalists, staff reporters and media outlets across print, online, broadcast, books, documentaries and podcasts. International stories must come from US-based reporters or carry a strong US angle, and all work must be published in English in a US outlet. Environmental and climate accountability reporting is well within scope.
Apply: https://fij.org/apply-for-a-grant/

3. GEF SGP CSO Challenge Program
Up to US$300,000, Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, led by IUCN
Deadline: 15 September 2026
A new $10 million programme offering grants of up to $300,000 to civil society organisations with a proven environmental solution that is ready to scale or replicate, together with technical support and capacity building. Projects must fall under one of five priority areas: community-based management of threatened ecosystems and species, sustainable agriculture or fisheries and food security, low-carbon energy access, chemicals and waste management, or sustainable urban solutions. The current call opened on 1 August and covers organisations based in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Oceania, and Latin America and the Caribbean. It is aimed at organisations already delivering results rather than early-stage ideas, and concept notes go through the programme portal in English, French or Spanish.
Apply: https://csochallenge.org/

4. Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot Large Grants
US$50,000 to US$180,000, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
Deadline: 18 September 2026 (midnight EDT)
The call opened on 1 July 2026 and covers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestine and Tunisia, under strategic directions on traditional land use practices and preservation of threatened plant species. Letters of inquiry are submitted through the ConservationGrants portal in English or French. Eligible applicants are NGOs, universities, community groups and small private enterprises; individuals must apply through a civil society organisation.
Apply: https://www.cepf.net/grants/open-calls-for-proposals/2026-mediterranean-basin-call-for-letters-of-inquiry-for-large-grants

5. Primate Conservation, Inc. Field Research Grants
Up to US$5,000, Primate Conservation, Inc.
Deadline: 20 September 2026
Seed money and matching grants for graduate students, conservationists and primatologists studying rare and endangered primates and their conservation in the wild. Grants have averaged around $2,500, with a maximum of $5,000. Priority goes to the least known and most endangered species, the regions of current interest are Asia and West Africa, and involvement of nationals of the habitat country counts in an application’s favour. Proposals go by email as a Word or RTF file and by post, and the grant does not cover conferences, tuition, salaries or overheads.
Apply: https://www.primate.org/grant_in.htm

6. LIFE Programme 2026 Standard Action Projects
€173.5 million across the Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme (project budgets vary), European Commission, CINEA
Deadline: 22 September 2026
The EU’s environment and climate funding instrument opened its 2026 calls in April with more than €600 million available. Standard Action Projects close on 22 September across four strands: nature and biodiversity, environmental governance, circular economy and zero pollution, and climate mitigation and adaptation. The calls are open to companies, public authorities, universities, research organisations, NGOs and public-private partnerships. Applications go through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, and a European partner is normally required for organisations outside the EU.
Apply: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/life-calls-proposals-2026_en

7. Understanding Ecosystem Dynamics and the Ecology of the Okavango River Basin
Amount not stated on the public listing, National Geographic Society
Deadline: 23 September 2026
A request for proposals supporting scientific research on ecological dynamics (structure and function) in the Okavango River Basin across Angola, Namibia and Botswana. National Geographic has moved from open calls to targeted RFPs, so this is one of only two live opportunities and the only ecological one. Project start dates must be at least six months after the deadline, applicants must be 18 or over, and the Society prefers project leaders with strong local ties or a local collaborator on the team. Applications are submitted through the National Geographic Funding Portal.
Apply: https://funding.nationalgeographic.org/s/fundingopportunity/119Hr000000byRrIAI/understanding-ecosystem-dynamics-ecology-of-the-okavango-river-basin

8. Google Carbon Removal and Superpollutant Elimination R&D Awards
Up to US$350,000 to US$500,000 per project depending on research area, Google Research
Deadline: 25 September 2026 (23:59 BST)
Research and development awards for projects that advance the fundamental science of carbon dioxide removal and superpollutant abatement, or their ability to be implemented at scale. Priority areas include biochar from underutilised feedstocks, methane abatement in diffuse emission streams, landfill methane monitoring, perennial crop systems, land use in nature-based carbon removal, and several ocean alkalinity and coastal wetland topics, plus an open call for other carbon removal or superpollutant work. Applications are open to individuals at universities, research institutions, non-profits, social enterprises and businesses focused on research or innovation. Funds are disbursed as unrestricted gifts to universities and research institutions and as sponsorship agreements to other organisations.
Apply: https://research.google/programs-and-events/2026-google-carbon-removal-and-superpollutant-elimination-rd-awards/

9. Patagonia Environmental Grants (Europe cycle)
US$5,000 to US$20,000, Patagonia
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Patagonia funds grassroots groups with direct-action agendas, accepting one proposal per group per fiscal year, with grant sizes generally between $5,000 and $20,000. It supports small organisations working on local habitats, frontline communities and the root causes of environmental problems. Applicants need charitable status or a fiscal sponsor in an eligible country.
Apply: https://www.patagonia.com/how-we-fund/

10. Alicia Patterson Fellowships
US$20,000 (six months) or US$40,000 (twelve months), Fund for Investigative Journalism
Deadline: 1 October 2026 (for 2027 fellowships)
These fellowships support significant, in-depth written reporting, paying $20,000 for six months or $40,000 for twelve months. The programme is now managed by the Fund for Investigative Journalism following the Alicia Patterson Foundation’s merger. Reporters can propose sustained environmental reporting projects.
Apply: https://fij.org/

11. Rainforest Trust Protected or Conserved Area Creation Awards
US$250,000 and above (no set maximum), Rainforest Trust
Deadline: 1 October 2026
Rainforest Trust funds NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and communities to create or expand protected and conserved areas in the tropics and subtropics, whether by designation, land titling or purchase, with no set maximum grant amount and each application assessed individually. Awards of $250,000 and above have fixed deadlines of 1 March, 1 July and 1 October; smaller awards and feasibility grants are rolling. The process starts with a concept note, and the Trust recommends submitting it four months ahead of the deadline, so 1 October realistically suits groups already in conversation with them. The project implementer must be a legally registered non-governmental organisation authorised to work in the project country.
Apply: https://www.rainforesttrust.org/get-involved/apply-for-funding/

12. NEF Research Grant Programme
Up to ¥1,000,000, Nagao Natural Environment Foundation
Deadline: 14 October 2026 (10:00 Japan Standard Time)
Supports academic and scientific research that deepens knowledge of nature conservation in developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Applicants must be nationals of those countries carrying out the research in their home country, and the programme is aimed at early-career researchers. Individuals only, not groups or organisations. This round covers projects starting from or after February 2027, and late submissions are not accepted even by one minute.
Apply: https://www.nagaofoundation.or.jp/e/research/research.html

13. California Watershed Protection Fund
Up to US$40,000, Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment
Deadline: 15 October 2026 (5pm PT)
Supports projects that improve surface water quality and protect watersheds in California, with a maximum grant of $40,000 and most awards expected between $10,000 and $30,000. For this cycle funding is limited to the San Francisco Bay Delta watershed and the Los Angeles watersheds (Los Angeles River, San Gabriel River, Santa Clara River, Dominguez Channel and San Pedro Bay), with eligible work including community water quality monitoring, riparian restoration, green stormwater infrastructure and work on emerging toxic threats. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3), fiscally sponsored by one, or a governmental or tribal entity. Decisions are expected in December 2026.
Apply: https://rosefdn.org/environmental-grants/california-watershed-protection-fund/

14. Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
Up to US$25,000, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
Deadline: 15 October 2026 (December cycle; the window opens 15 September 2026)
The December cycle opens on 15 September 2026 and closes on 15 October 2026, with decisions expected by late December. It awards small grants to individuals and organisations worldwide working on field-based conservation of threatened plant, animal or fungus species, prioritising those that are endangered, critically endangered or data deficient.
Apply: https://application.speciesconservation.org/

15. Whitley Awards 2027
£50,000, Whitley Fund for Nature
Deadline: 30 October 2026 (23:59 GMT)
Annual awards for grassroots conservation leaders, each worth £50,000 in project funding over one year to scale up proven, science-based work that benefits both people and nature. They are aimed at mid-career conservationists who are nationals of the country where they work, employed by a locally incorporated NGO, charity or university, and leading projects embedded in local communities. Applicants must be able to communicate in English and apply as individuals rather than teams. Winners are announced at the awards ceremony in London in spring 2027.
Apply: https://whitleyaward.org/apply-for-conservation-funding/apply-for-a-whitley-award/

16. Turtle Conservation Fund Grant Program
Up to US$5,000, Turtle Conservation Fund
Deadline: 1 December 2026 (two cycles a year, 1 June and 1 December)
Supports conservation and research on highly threatened tortoises and freshwater turtles, with priority for species listed Critically Endangered or Endangered. Smaller requests of US$3,000 or less are encouraged, particularly from emerging turtle conservationists in developing countries. The fund does not support work on marine turtles. Proposals are submitted by email using the fund’s own template.
Apply: https://turtleconservationfund.org/grant-application-guidelines/