The RISE Grants Challenge is looking for groups who care about protecting nature and making life fairer for women and girls. If your work brings these two goals together, this is a chance to get support for your ideas.
The program is led by IUCN, with help from USAID and Norad. They want to fund projects that start from the ground up, led by communities.
This could be work in oceans, forests, indigenous lands, or other important places that communities manage and protect.
The goal is to support projects that protect nature, make communities stronger, and give women and girls an equal voice.
Your idea should show how it will help both people and the environment, and how the benefits will continue after the grant ends.
Funding
- There is a total of USD 600,000 available.
- Each project can get between USD 200,000 and USD 300,000.
- Projects can last 12 to 18 months. The money should be used for work that will have a clear and lasting impact.
Application criteria
- Your project must take place in one or more of these countries: Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines, Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, United Republic of Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia.
- You should focus on no more than two or three small local areas so the work can go deep.
Who can apply?
- Many kinds of groups can apply. These include local community groups, indigenous peoples’ organizations, women-led businesses, faith-based groups, NGOs, research and academic institutions, and even private companies if they are working only for non-profit purposes.
- All applications must include at least one partner who is either an IUCN member, a past RISE grantee, or a past Global EbA Fund grantee. This ensures the team has proven experience in this kind of work.
Application deadline
The application deadline is September 8, 2025. Click HERE to begin.
The RISE Grants Challenge seeks groups that focus on environmental protection and gender equality for women and girls.
Organized by IUCN with support from USAID and Norad, the challenge aims to fund community-led projects that enhance nature protection and community resilience, while promoting gender equality.
Eligible projects must demonstrate sustainable benefits for both the environment and local populations and should be situated in specified countries such as Brazil, Kenya, and Vietnam, among others.
The challenge offers a total of USD 600,000 in funding, with each project eligible to receive between USD 200,000 and USD 300,000 for a duration of 12 to 18 months.
Applications should target small, specific local areas for a deeper impact. Various organizations can apply, including community groups, NGOs, and women-led businesses, provided they collaborate with an IUCN member or a previous RISE or Global EbA Fund grantee.
The application deadline is September 8, 2025, with applications admitting a wide range of non-profit-driven entities.
