Deadline: 11 October 2019

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – New Zealand is currently accepting applications for its Community Conservation Fund (CCF) to support communities to run projects that conserve and restore New Zealand’s natural environment – freshwater, coastal, wetlands, forest and dunelands.

WWF-New Zealand believes that providing assistance to communities to take conservation action is vital to conserving biodiversity in New Zealand. WWF-New Zealand runs the CCF with the support of the Tindall Foundation and is the Foundation’s Environmental Funding Manager.

Scope of the CCF

The CCF is open to community groups carrying out habitat protection and restoration projects in New Zealand across a range of land tenures.

Aims of the CCF

• To support community groups delivering local habitat protection and restoration projects protecting and restoring New Zealand’s most vulnerable habitats
• To protect and restore habitats that WWF-New Zealand identifies as a priority
• To promote increased coordination of habitat protection and ecological restoration on a catchment or landscape scale
• To raise awareness of biodiversity and conservation in the wider community
• To encourage communities to become guardians of their environment, becoming active partners in protecting, sustaining and restoring our biodiversity for present and future generations
• To increase the scale and effectiveness of community-led conservation action to achieve this.

Funding Information

A maximum of NZ$15,000. Projects can be funded for up to three consecutive years, but new applications will need to be made for each successive year.

CCF Priorities

The priorities for CCF funding are

• Projects working in areas of lowland biodiversity including:
  • Freshwater environments and their catchments
  • Coastal and dune systems
  • Wetlands and estuarine systems
  • Lowland and coastal forest and scrub communities
  • Habitats of threatened indigenous species
  • Coastal and inshore marine habitats
• Projects in areas where there are remaining remnants of high quality habitat

Additional priorities

Additional preference will be given to groups and projects that demonstrate that they:

• Are working at a wider catchment or landscape-scale and the project has ecological outcomes including:
  • Protecting the integrity of existing good quality habitats
  • Restoring connectivity between existing habitats
  • Providing buffers to remaining habitat remnants
  • Restoring ecological processes
• Are working to meet priorities identified in local biodiversity strategies or action plans (if one exists)
• Create opportunities for local economic development, employment or social development
• Are part of a multi-agency partnership supported by the local or regional council and/or the Department of Conservation
• Demonstrate that they are cooperating with or can provide support and advice to other community groups working in their area.

Group Criteria

Applicant’s group must:

• Be a small, community group based and operating in New Zealand and employing less than five staff (full time equivalent),
• Be a locally constituted branch of a national organization with their own constitution, management committee and set of accounts,
• Be a not-for-profit entity; either an incorporated society, charitable trust, company limited by guarantee (nonprofit only) or a trust set up under legislation covering Maori organizations. Applicants group must have transparent ways of making decisions written down in a constitution or set of rules,
• Have a track record, technical competence and have experience in conservation, restoration or land management that enables to deliver the project, or have guaranteed ongoing support from a competent organization such as DOC, regional councils, NZ Landcare Trust etc.,
• If group employs staff or contractors have relevant policies and procedures in place,
• Understand applicants health and safety responsibilities and have appropriate health and safety systems in place including a health and safety plan specific to this project
• Be solvent and financially sustainable and demonstrate sound financial management having the necessary financial controls in place,
• Have own bank account and demonstrate that can manage funding from a number of sources, maintaining a clear separation of expenditure and tracking of projects.

The following are not eligible to apply for funding:

• National or umbrella environmental or conservation organisations employing more than five (full time equivalent) staff. Please Note – locally constituted branches of large organizations, such as Forest & Bird, can apply in their own right
• Individuals or family/whanau groups
• Trading companies or businesses (for-profit organizations)
• Local authorities – territorial authorities, unitary authorities and regional councils
• Government agencies or Crown Entities e.g. Fish & Game
• Organizations based or working outside New Zealand
• Organizations whose primary goal is advancing political or religious causes.

Project Criteria

The following criteria are used for assessing project proposals and applicants should demonstrate that they meet these criteria in the preliminary application form:

• The project must be located in New Zealand
• The application must demonstrate that funds are being directly applied to eligible activities or costs
• The application demonstrates that the project meets one of the CCF priorities
• The application demonstrates effectiveness and value for money
• The proposal must demonstrate robust project design, including a project plan with a clear vision and goals, and mechanisms to monitor and evaluate project outcomes
• The proposal must clearly demonstrate how the budgeted activities will contribute to the defined project outcomes
• The project has support from a cross section of the community, including the iwi/hapu with mana whenua in the project’s area
• The project is supported by DOC, local or regional council
• Demonstration of a good understanding of risk management, health and safety requirements and other legislative or regulatory frameworks that may impact on its projects – guidance and generic templates are provided in this CCF Guidelines document
• Permission from the landowner to carry out the proposed work (included as supporting information in the application)
• Projects involving investment in planting, fencing etc. should have a guarantee that the land will be protected in the long-term, preventing changes in land-use that will undermine the project’s goals.

Eligible Costs and Activities

The CCF will pay for the following costs and activities relating to habitat protection and ecological restoration projects:

• Development of restoration or management plans (by consultants or staff)
• Pest control (materials/equipment/contractors)
• Weed control (materials/equipment/contractors)
• Costs associated with species translocations or re-introductions including feasibility studies
• Costs associated with the ongoing running of a nursery if this is the most effective method of securing eco-sourced native plants or can demonstrate increased community involvement or awareness raising
• Fencing (materials/contractors)
• Coordinator/project worker/administrator salary costs – subject to clear and transparent governance and management arrangements
• Eco-sourced plants and associated preparation and maintenance costs
• Equipment and tools (spades, grubbers, weed eaters)
• Costs associated with monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes
• Volunteer expenses; travel costs, refreshments, tools and equipment, training
• Publicity and promotional materials (posters/leaflets/photos/video production/interpretation signs etc.) and other community outreach and engagement activities that help to raise public awareness of the project in the local community.
• Skill training (facilitation/equipment/materials)

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply online via the given website.

For more information, please visit https://www.wwf.org.nz/what_we_do/community_funding/community_conservation_fund/