Applications open for Seeds of Sustainability Fund Program 2025

Applications open for Seeds of Sustainability Fund Program 2025

Post Date: March 05, 2025
Deadline Date: April 18, 2025
Donor Name: Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Reference URL: https://ceiba.org/partners/#seedsofsust

The Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation is accepting applications for the Seeds of Sustainability Fund Program to stimulate or catalyze projects that address biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental inequality.

Non-profit organizations, community organizations or associations, small businesses, and individuals from developing countries in the tropics are eligible to apply.  

Focus Areas

• Proposals for Seeds of Sustainability funding should link to one of the following focus areas:
  • Habitat and species protection, both terrestrial and marine:
    • ex: establishing protected areas, conservation easements, species recovery projects, management activities (e.g., signs, trails, park guards, invasive species removal, waste management, population monitoring), projects to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, and no-take zone implementation.
  • Restoration, corridors and habitat connectivity:
    • tree planting, assisted regeneration, riparian and streamside restoration; coral reef, mangrove forest, or seagrass restoration, urban/suburban greenways and parks.
  • Improvements to agriculture that reduce habitat loss and carbon emissions, or improve biodiversity and water quality:
    • agroforestry and silviculture, fencing and watering tanks to keep livestock out of natural areas, organic production systems, fencerow restoration
  • Environmental entrepreneurships that emphasize environmental conservation, particularly those led by women, indigenous people, or marginalized groups:
    • ecotourism, beekeeping, agrotourism, sustainable packaging or production
  • Technical training or education related to environment, biodiversity and sustainability:
    • Communication materials and media, equipment or supplies, honoraria for experts to provide training, development of course materials

Funding Information

• First-time applicants:  Anyone applying for the first time to for a Seeds of Sustainability grant may request up to $5,000 maximum.
• Conservation Partners:  First-time grant recipients who demonstrate successful completion of their project, may be invited to join the Conservation Partner network and be eligible to apply for $10,000 (or more) annually. 

Eligible Projects

• They support the following kinds of applicants and projects:
  • small to medium-sized organizations
  • community-led programs, or occasionally projects led by a single person
  • conservation that emphasizes equitable community involvement
  • projects that connect with UN Development Goals and CBD Biodiversity Targets
  • bottom-up over top-down approaches
  • projects in the tropics, in areas of high and/or threatened biodiversity
  • projects where a small amount of funding can make a big difference

Eligibility Criteria

• Only organizations that meet the following eligibility criteria may apply for a Seeds of Sustainability grant:
  • Small non-profit organizations, indigenous community groups, schools or small universities, individuals, and other types of local organizations/associations, except those engaged primarily in religious or political activities, are eligible to apply.
  • Projects must be carried out in a country within the tropics, and align with at least one of Ceiba’s Conservation Priorities.
  • Non-profits must be able to provide documentation of their non-profit status. Other types of applicants including individuals must be able to provide a letter of support from a community leader, government entity, supervisor, or other person not directly involved in the project.
  • Individual applicants must demonstrate that they have already committed some resources (funds, labor, materials) to initiate their project.
  • Only small organizations are eligible (with total annual budgets <$500,000).

For more information, visit Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation.