How Grants and Collaboration Help Conservation Nonprofits Fulfill Their Mission
The Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation’s (TDARFAC) mission is to empower local communities with scientific research and advancements through education and support of the next generation of environmental stewards.
How do we accomplish this mission? With a little help from grant funding — and one of our nonprofit friends!
Conservation nonprofit organizations like ours rely on grant funding to aid in fulfilling our mission. However, it can sometimes be challenging for one organization to procure needed grant funding on their own. Because of that, there can be mutual benefits to teaming up with another nonprofit to secure some grants.
That’s why TDARFAC and The Mad Dog Initiative (MDI) joined forces to apply for a grant from leading national environmental conservation organization Re:Wild in an effort to support the reforestation corridor objective in Madagascar. The $19,980 joint grant was recently awarded to both organizations, and so far it has enabled us to accomplish the following objectives in support of our respective missions:
Replant 30 hectares (approximately 74 acres) of forest in Madagascar, equaling nearly 34,000 seedlings!
Leverage the joint funding for reforesting an additional 63 hectares (about 155.5 acres) of Malagasy forest.
Additionally, both organizations are still working together to obtain funding for an added 87 hectares (about 215 acres) to complete the forest wildlife corridor reforestation project, which would be approximately 150 hectares (approximately 370.5 acres) in total.
Nonprofits Can Collaborate to Secure Grants! Partnering with another nonprofit organization was key to the success of securing this round of grant funding – and it’s a strategy that other nonprofits can also follow.
Here’s how:
Research appropriate grants to apply for: Not all grants are the best fits for all nonprofits. Research which ones would be the best fit to accomplish your organization’s objectives.
Determine whether to apply with a partner organization: If you’re working with other nonprofits, ascertain whether the grants you’d like to apply for could be mutually beneficial for both of your organizations. Doing so can not only help strengthen the relationship between two nonprofits, it can also increase the chances of securing grant funding!
Collaborate on distribution and use of grant funding: Once the grant is awarded, work together with the partner organization to equitably distribute funds to accomplish both of your respective missions.
Want to learn more about how grant funding and collaboration between nonprofits can help these types of organizations fulfill their missions? Visit TDARFAC’s Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more and track our collaborative efforts – including the ReWild joint grant recently awarded to TDARFAC and MDI – toward achieving our mission!
