Nature Forward announces Crowder-Messersmith Fund

The Fund honors Orville Crowder and Don and Sherry Messersmith, leaders in nature tourism, as a means to further global nature conservation. The Crowder-Messersmith Conservation Fund, together with the Nature Forward, helps fund small, local conservation and education projects in developing countries by providing seed money to communities and individuals whose projects have not attracted major support from other sources.

Funding Information

• The maximum grant for 1 year is $3000 USD.

Time Frame

• Applications are accepted beginning September 1, 2023.
• Decisions will be announced in April 2024.
• Projects may begin in May and must be completed within twelve months of start date.

Eligibility Criteria

• Projects must:
  • Focus on nature conservation and education.
  • Benefit endangered or threatened species or habitat.
  • Include a public education component.
  • Involve the local population.
  • Have lasting significance for local residents.
  • Be completed within a year.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Projects in the United States or other advanced economies.
• Pure scientific research or data gathering with no obvious conservation benefit.
• Expeditions, particularly where the applicant has to raise funds in order to participate.
• Projects that focus on species listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red Book of Threatened Species.
• Projects that are a small part of a large-scale project that has major financial support.
• Funding for international travel, overhead expenses, taxes, utilities, or insurance.
• Money transfers to individual accounts.
• Preference is given to applicants who have a record of prior conservation action relevant to the proposed project. Applicants from countries other than the United States are especially encouraged to apply. United States researchers planning work in foreign countries must have at least one local collaborator and consider how the project will benefit the local communities.

For more information, visit Nature Forward.