Environmental Funding Opportunities

1. Voices for Climate Justice Storytelling Grants
Up to US$4,000, Africa No Filter, in partnership with Comic Relief
Deadline: 25 September 2026 (6:00pm GMT)
A 12-month programme supporting 15 to 20 journalists, content creators, podcasters, vloggers, muralists and data visualisers with training, mentorship, content amplification and grants. Proposed stories must connect climate justice, gender, debt and fossil fuels in Africa. Applicants must be 18 or over and based in Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, Malawi or Zambia, with a platform that has been active for more than a year; content creators and data visualisers need a combined social media following of at least 5,000, while journalists may show reach through publication circulation. Individuals only, and content is delivered in English or French.
Apply: https://africanofilter.org/what-we-do/community/voices-for-climate-justice/

2. 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/

3. North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) US Standard Grants
US$250,001 to US$3,000,000, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Deadline: 25 September 2026 (11:59pm ET)
Competitive matching grants for public-private partnerships carrying out long-term protection, restoration or enhancement of wetlands and associated upland habitats in the United States, for the benefit of wetland-associated migratory birds. A one-to-one match is required. Eligible applicants include non-profits, small businesses, tribal organisations and governments, and state, county and city governments. The round has US$46 million available and expects to make around 25 awards, with applications submitted through Grants.gov under opportunity number F27AS00008.
Apply: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/363306

4. Kensington Conservation Grant
US$10,000, The Explorers Club
Deadline: 28 September 2026 (6:00pm ET)
A $1 million initiative funded by Jeff Willner and Kensington through The Explorers Club, now accepting applications for the 2027 field season. It supports on-the-ground conservation fieldwork across a wide range of disciplines, and is open to graduate students, post-graduate researchers, early-career scientists and independent explorers aged 18 or over, with a stated interest in projects led by explorers from equity-deserving groups and projects focused on responsible or sustainable tourism. Applicants need a three-minute video statement, CVs for the whole team, two letters of recommendation, and must grant the Club first right of refusal on media coverage of the expedition. Fieldwork must fit within 12 months, salaries are not covered, and the Club cannot consider work in China or by Chinese citizens.
Apply: https://www.explorers.org/grants/kensington-explorers-club-grant/

5. 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/

6. 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/

7. 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/

8. Wege Prize 2027
US$65,000 in total cash prizes (US$30,000 first place), Wege Center for Sustainable Design, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
Deadline: 4 October 2026 (team applications)
An international student design competition in which transdisciplinary teams develop products or services that solve a real-world problem through the framework of the circular economy. Teams must have exactly five members representing at least three academic disciplines and at least two institutions, all enrolled full-time in undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate programmes anywhere in the world; students graduating before May 2027 must remain enrolled through at least 6 December 2026. Up to 90 teams are accepted at the application stage, then narrowed to 30, 15 and five finalists through feedback rounds running to May 2027. Prizes go to the top three teams plus two finalist awards of $2,500.
Apply: https://www.wegeprize.org/

9. WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program
US$50,000 to US$300,000, US Bureau of Reclamation
Deadline: 7 October 2026 (4:00pm Mountain Time; later rounds close 24 February 2027, 1 September 2027 and 15 February 2028)
Funding for watershed group development, watershed restoration planning, and watershed management project planning and design. Applicants must be an existing watershed group incorporated as a non-profit, or an eligible state, Tribe, local or special district, non-profit or university sponsoring a new watershed group. Projects must be in one of 19 western US states or in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico. No cost share is required, and around 100 awards are expected from a US$25 million pool across all rounds.
Apply: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/362755

10. GEF Small Grants Programme, Sri Lanka
Up to US$60,000, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and IUCN
Deadline: 9 October 2026
Letters of inquiry are invited from Sri Lankan NGOs, community-based organisations, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, women’s groups, youth groups and other civil society organisations for projects supporting community engagement in the management of threatened ecosystems and species. Work must take place in the Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Galle or Matara districts in central and southwestern Sri Lanka. Letters of inquiry can be submitted in English, Sinhala or Tamil, and applicants are encouraged to contact the programme’s national coordinator at IUCN to discuss project ideas.
Apply: https://www.cepf.net/grants/open-calls-for-proposals/2026-sri-lanka-gef-small-grants-program

11. 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

12. 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/

13. 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 opened 15 September 2026)
The December cycle opened 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/

14. Colorado Environmental Film Festival 2027, Call for Films
Festival awards (recognition), entry fees apply, Colorado Environmental Film Festival
Deadline: 16 October 2026 (final deadline)
The festival considers films that explore the natural or built environment and humanity’s relationship to it, including climate change, conservation, wildlife, environmental justice, food and agriculture, energy, water and land use. Films of any format or genre completed within the last two calendar years are eligible, in short, feature and youth (filmmakers under 19) categories. Selected films screen in Golden, Colorado, from 19 to 21 February 2027 and online from 22 to 28 February 2027, competing for five awards including Best of Festival and Spirit of Activism. Final-deadline fees are US$65 for shorts and features and US$10 for youth entries, and submissions go through FilmFreeway.
Apply: https://filmfreeway.com/ColoradoEnvironmentalFilmFestival

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. Bat Conservation International Student Research Scholarship
US$5,000, Bat Conservation International
Deadline: 31 October 2026 (11:59pm CDT; applications open 1 October 2026)
An annual scholarship for MSc and PhD students, registered and in good standing at a recognised academic institution anywhere in the world, conducting bat conservation research. Proposals must fit one of three priority categories: the effects of human-caused environmental change on bat biodiversity, bat and human conflict, or ecological and behavioural questions essential to the conservation of a bat species listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered or Data Deficient. One letter of recommendation is required, projects must begin within six months of the award, and funds may only be used for direct project costs with no institutional overhead. BCI expects to make 10 to 15 awards, with decisions by February 2027, and previous recipients may only reapply for a new degree.
Apply: https://www.batcon.org/our-work/research-and-scalable-solutions/student-scholars/

17. Environmental Photography Award 2027
€5,000 grand prize and €1,000 per category winner, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
Deadline: 1 November 2026 (23:59 CET)
An annual award for photographers whose work raises awareness of environmental protection, open to photographers of all nationalities aged 18 or over on 1 November 2026. Entry is free, with up to five images in each of five categories: Polar Regions, Forests, Ocean, Changemakers, and Humanity versus Nature. Images must have been taken no earlier than 1 September 2021, and AI-generated, composited or staged images are not accepted. The 36 shortlisted images are exhibited in Monaco and on an international tour and published in the award book, and a €500 Public Award and €500 Students’ Choice Award are also presented.
Apply: https://www.fpa2photoaward.org/en/index

18. Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research
Several hundred dollars up to about US$5,400, American Philosophical Society
Deadline: 16 November 2026 (letters of support due 13 November 2026)
Small grants for doctoral students to carry out exploratory field studies that collect specimens and data, in disciplines with a heavy dependence on fieldwork such as biology, ecology, geography, geology and paleontology. Budgets are limited to travel and related field expenses, and the work should be directed toward the dissertation as far as the applicant’s stage allows. The competition is open to US citizens and residents working anywhere in the world; foreign applicants must be based at a US institution or plan to work in the United States. One of the two recommendation letters must come from the academic advisor, and notification comes in April 2027 for work taking place from May onward.
Apply: https://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/lewis-and-clark-fund-exploration-and-field-research

19. Vital Impacts Environmental Photography Fellowships and Mentorships 2027
One US$20,000 fellowship, six US$5,000 fellowships and ten mentorships, Vital Impacts
Deadline: 1 December 2026
Supports long-term documentary photography projects on environmental and conservation challenges and the people and communities working towards solutions. The US$20,000 fellowship goes to an established photographer and the six US$5,000 fellowships to emerging photographers worldwide, with applications strongly encouraged from photographers documenting their own communities or with a sustained relationship to the issue. Prior publication is not required, and fellows are expected to make substantial progress on their project over 12 months with guidance from the Vital Impacts mentorship community. One fellow will be invited to exhibit at the 2027 Festival of Ethical Photography in Lodi, Italy, with production, travel and accommodation covered.
Apply: https://site.picter.com/vital-impacts-environmental-photography-fellowship-2027

20. Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund Grants
US$75,000, Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund
Deadline: 1 December 2026 (sixth grant round)
Grants for teams preparing field tests of climate intervention technologies, to be spent on environmental impact assessment, predictive impact modelling, or engagement with potentially affected stakeholders from local communities to government agencies. Applications must focus on at least one of those three elements and answer ten set questions, including evidence that the technology is ready for field testing, the permits required and willingness to publish results. There is no standard form: applicants contact the fund’s manager before sending, applications are kept confidential, and any found to be written with AI are rejected. Decisions are expected by 1 February 2027.
Apply: https://cieif.org/guidelines-for-grant-applicants/

21. 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/

22. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 63
£10,000 grand title prize plus category awards (recognition and exhibition), Natural History Museum, London
Deadline: 3 December 2026 (11:30am GMT; entries open 19 October 2026)
The sixty-third edition of the Natural History Museum’s wildlife photography competition opens for entries on 19 October 2026 and closes on 3 December 2026. It is open to amateur and professional photographers of any age, with an adult competition across categories covering animal behaviour, plants and fungi, urban wildlife, photojournalism and portfolio awards, and a free young competition for those aged 17 and under. Adults may enter up to 25 images for a single £35 fee, which is waived for entrants aged 18 to 26 and for residents of 114 countries across Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. Images must have been taken within the past five years, and the 100 winning images are exhibited in London and toured internationally.
Apply: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/competition

23. Roger Conant Grants in Herpetology
US$500 per award, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Deadline: 15 December 2026
Fourteen awards a year for herpetological research, education and conservation, across categories covering conservation, field research, laboratory research, travel, international students, herpetological education and undergraduate research. Most categories are for students who are SSAR members, but the international category is open to non-member students at institutions outside the United States, and the education category is open to anyone. Proposals are limited to 1,200 words, need a letter of support and a signed liability waiver, and are submitted as a single PDF. Awards are announced in March.
Apply: https://ssarherps.org/ssar-awards/grants-in-herpetology/

24. Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund
Recent awards of about US$1,000 each, Roger Williams Park Zoo
Deadline: 1 January 2027
Supports field studies and other projects that take a multidisciplinary approach to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, including techniques for use in natural environments, environmental education and integrated breeding programmes, with the highest priority for projects involving in-country collaborators. Funds go to organisations such as NGOs and universities rather than individuals, and there are no nationality restrictions. Applications need a completed form with a detailed budget, a two-page CV, two recommendation letters and a tax form, submitted by email in English. Applications containing AI-generated material are ineligible, and awards are announced on 15 April 2027.
Apply: https://www.rwpzoo.org/danforth-conservation-grants/

25. National Geographic Slingshot Challenge
Up to US$10,000, National Geographic Society
Deadline: 5 February 2027
A challenge for 13 to 18-year-olds to submit a one-minute video describing their idea for solving an environmental issue, with selected entrants receiving up to US$10,000 to put it into practice. Participants register on the Videos for Change platform, and those under 18 need a guardian’s email and consent. The challenge offers resources and virtual sessions for developing ideas, and is supported by the National Geographic Society and Allen Family Philanthropies.
Apply: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/explore/programs/slingshot

26. European Invasive Alien Species Rapid-Response Fund
€10,000 to €50,000, IUCN Save Our Species, funded by the European Union
Deadline: 10 February 2027 (14:00 CEST), or earlier if funds are fully allocated
Fast-track grants for urgent action against recent incursions of invasive alien species in the European Union, aimed at stopping small invasions before they become established. Projects run for up to 12 months and must focus primarily on physical eradication or management, with a small share of the budget allowed for monitoring effectiveness. The call is open to civil society organisations, NGOs, research institutions and public authorities operating in the EU, including the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira, but not other overseas territories. Land purchase, firearms and activities affecting cultural heritage are excluded, and IUCN has said the call closes early once the money is committed.
Apply: https://iucnsos.org/initiative/european-invasive-alien-species-rapid-response-fund/