Rainforest Ark Application Form
Check Website for Application Deadlines
Join the Rainforest Ark Initiative
The Rainforest Ark Initiative by Rainforest Trust seeks new conservation partners and organizations across the
tropics that are committed to establishing and/or expanding Protected Areas (PAs) for those species that are
most endangered with extinction. Our target is to protect a total of 20 million acres of the most threatened
tropical habitats by the year 2020.
To submit a proposal for the Rainforest Ark Initiative, please first review the criteria for writing a successful
proposal and follow the instructions on the form below.
Applicants should meet the following criteria:
1. The applicant should be a not-for-profit entity or a non-governmental organization based in, and able to
accept funds in the country where the project is located.
2. The applicant organization should have an autonomous and independent board.
3. The project should be located within the tropics.
How proposals are selected:
There are no funding request limits for applicants, but our average grant is $200,000. Examples of current and
past projects we have supported can be found on our website. We encourage applicants to contact us at
ark@RainforestTrust.org to discuss suitability of potential projects. Successful applicants will exhibit many or
all of the following points:
1. A well-established national or local non-governmental organization (NGO) with a track record of
implementing PAs.
2. The proposed PA has populations of IUCN Critically Endangered and/or Endangered species.
3. The project is cost effective with a reasonable cost per land area value (e.g., $1-100 per acre).
4. Matching support has already been secured or pledged.
5. The proposal has the support of project stakeholders including local environmental agencies,
government officials, local communities, etc.
6. Approval is contingent on the in-country partner organization being able to receive wire transfers
directly from Rainforest Trust.
Examples of what Rainforest Trust supports:
1. Land purchases including legal expenses.
2. Staff salaries for project managers and field coordinators directly involved in the establishment of the
PA.
3. Legal expenses or fees for PA establishment including designation documentation.
4. Demarcation of PAs including concession license fees.
5. Workshops and meetings related to (a) training and equipping staff to manage and protect the PA, and
(b) building local capacity in surrounding communities to declare the PA.
6. Salaries for rangers to patrol the new PA, and infrastructure for park protection (e.g. ranger stations).
7. We do not support (a) projects that elevate the protection status of an area that is already protected or
stand-alone requests for PA management costs, (b) overhead costs, (c) ecological monitoring or
research, (d) forest restoration/tree planting, (e) international travel, or (f) environmental education.
Please complete this form and submit to ark@RainforestTrust.org in Microsoft Word format together with the
requested attachments (e.g., maps, photos, reports, etc.). Other file formats such as pdf are not accepted. A
KMZ file or shapefile of the proposed PA is required. Limit each response to 300 words unless noted
otherwise. Please direct all questions to ark@RainforestTrust.org.
1. PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Title:
Name of Applicant Organization:
Country:
State/province:
Is this a land purchase proposal (YES or NO)?
Amount Requested:
Proposed PA Size (acres):
US$
Project Start Date:
District/town:
Is this a PA designation proposal (YES or NO)?
Cost per acre ($ / acre):
Name(s) of Proposed PA(s):
Current Ownership of Land:
Project End Date:
Project Summary (500 words maximum):
Project Objectives (Include overall goal of the project with clear objectives to achieve that goal):
Describe the area and biodiversity to be protected. (What is the ecosystem type? What elevations are covered
by the proposed PA? Other than threatened species (next question), how does the area rank in terms of overall
number of species and number of endemics?)
Please list IUCN Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable species (www.iucnredlist.org) that are
present in the proposed PA. The proposal will not be considered if IUCN Critically Endangered (CR) and
Endangered (EN) species are not confirmed to be present in the proposed PA.
Threats (List the most important threats to the area. Detail the need and urgency for the new PA):
Project Stakeholders (List the stakeholder groups and describe how they are involved in the project, e.g.
environmental agencies, government officials, local communities, other NGOs, land owners, etc.):
Are national / local environmental agencies and/or government officials supportive of this proposal? Please
explain and provide letters of support if available.
Please provide background information on any local communities involved in the project (e.g., livelihoods,
ethnicity. Are they indigenous? How are local communities participating in the project? What are the
challenges in gaining support for this proposal from local communities?
What is the proposed PA classification following IUCN’s Protected Areas Categories System:
How will the new PA be protected once established (e.g., fencing, patrols, forest guards)? In the case of
designations, how will the proposed PA be integrated with the government’s PA system?
What potential risks are present that may influence the long term success of the new PA?
Please detail if the proposed PA connects with other PAs or landscape-scale conservation initiatives?
2. PARTNER BACKGROUND
Name of NGO Applying:
Date Established:
List Board Members (or submit electronically below):
Legal Status:
List of Major Financial Supporters (max. 5):
Institutional Website: http://www
Are you an IUCN member (we strongly favor IUCN member organizations): YES / NO.
If NO, why not?
Mailing Address including postal code:
Executive Director Name and Contact Information:
Project Coordinator Name and Contact Information:
Mission:
Qualification of Organization (Provide details about why your organization is best qualified to implement this
project and list relevant experience (i.e. have you created PAs in the past?):
Please list the website link for the following (if unavailable on your website – please submit documents as
attachments together with this form):
Most Recent Annual Report: http://www.
List of Board Members:
http://www.
List of Staff:
http://www.
History & Accomplishments: http://www.
What was the prior year’s organizational budget?
Has the organization ever been audited (YES or NO, and how often)?
3. BUDGET
Request
Itemized Expenses in US$
Other
Donors
Total
Budget
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Project Total in US Dollars:
$
$
$
What is the cost per area protected ($ per acre)? (e.g. a $10,000 project for 10,000 acres is equivalent to $1/acre)
Budget Justification: (Please justify each category of expenses and each line that is >$10,000)
Can you accept wire transfers in the country where the project is located? YES / NO
From where else are you seeking funding? List the source, the amount requested, and if the funds are pending or
have been granted.
How do you plan to raise additional funds to manage the new PA, once established?
4. ACTIVITIES AND TIMEFRAME
List activities to be completed (be sure to
estimate when the new PA will be declared or
when the purchases will be completed)
Start date
End date
Outputs / Milestones to be
completed for each activity
Additional Information: Please include any additional clarifications.
Additional Information: (Please tick the boxes below and send files as attachments together with this form)
☐ Map(s) of the proposed PA in KMZ (Google Earth) OR shapefile (ArcGIS) format (required). The KMZ
or ArcGIS shapefile must be a polygon of the proposed PA, not points. If the polygon is sent in ArcGIS
format, all of the following files are required: (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj) and the following additional files are
preferred: (.sbn, .sbx, .cpg). The files should be labeled, clearly indicating which file is of the proposed PA.
☐ Map(s) of the proposed PA in JPEG or similar file type (optional)
☐ Letter(s) from relevant government officials/agencies that show the government approves of the project.
Such letters strengthen the case for proposed designations.
☐ If the following information is not available online, please detail the information below:
☐ Most Recent Annual Report
☐ List of Board Members
☐ List of Staff
☐ History & Accomplishments
☐ Website links or email any conservation or biodiversity reports of the project site (if available). For
example, maps showing occurrences of threatened species within proposed PAs strengthen applications.
At a later stage, we may request additional information, such as your most recent audited statements, a letter of
commitment from the relevant government officials for the project, and photos of the project site.