Rainforest Action Network

Organizational profile: 
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is an environmental organization based in San Francisco and California of the United States. RAN preserves forests, protects the climate and upholds human rights by challenging corporate power and systemic injustice through frontline partnerships and strategic campaigns. RAN works toward a world where the rights and dignity of all communities are respected and where healthy forests, a stable climate and wild biodiversity are protected and celebrated. RAN is committed to working with Indigenous communities and frontline communities directly impacted by profit-driven systems of injustice. RAN supports the leadership of these communities in working on strategic and effective solutions to protect people and the planet. RAN has provided funding to over 300 frontline communities, in nearly 40 countries across 6 continents.
 
RAN has two grants programs - Protect-an-Acre (PAA) and Climate Action Fund (CAF).

• PAA was established in 1993 to protect the world’s forests and support the rights of their inhabitants through small grants to traditionally under-funded organizations and communities in forest regions. PAA is a grassroots alternative to “buy-an-acre” programs that seek to provide rainforest protection by buying tracts of land, but which often fail to address the priorities or rights of local Indigenous and forest communities.
• CAF supports frontline community organizations and activists who are working to keep fossil fuels in the ground. RAN believes that supporting frontline communities to directly challenge the fossil fuel industry is, dollar for dollar, more effective in fighting climate change than carbon offsets. 

 
Financing Instrument: Grants
 
Project scale: 

• PAA grants generally do not exceed $5,000. Certain components of projects with larger budgets can be funded when those components significantly contribute to the project’s final outcome.
• CAF grants generally do not exceed $2,500. Certain components of projects with larger budgets can be funded when those components significantly contribute to the project’s final outcome.

 
Recipient countries regions/country groups: Global
 
Recipient categories: 
Communities and grassroots organizations

Eligibility Criteria: 
PAA does not support individual, governmental, or exclusively academic projects.

CAF does not support individual, governmental, or exclusively academic projects. And, CAF project must fit one of two basic categories:

1. Local resistance by frontline and impacted communities to prevent the extraction of fossil fuels such as coal, tar sands, oil and gas.
2. Local resistance by frontline and impacted communities to decommission or to prevent the construction of large point sources of greenhouse gas emissions (a large point source is defined as any source larger than 100,000 tons of CO2).

Application guidelines: 
PAA:
Top priority is given to:

1. Projects emphasizing grassroots organizing, education, training and capacity building to develop skills, increase awareness and/or build alliances towards the protection of forests and increased community control over local resources
2. Projects emphasizing community-driven, strategic use of non-violent direct action that supports local resistance to destructive development activities such as logging, oil extraction, dam construction and the expansion of monoculture plantations.
3. Projects supporting Indigenous communities securing or maintaining legal land title recognition (demarcation of territory, GPS mapping, resource inventories and management plans, meetings with neighbouring communities, etc.)

Also supported:

1. Environmentally and socially sound sustainable economic alternative initiatives.
2. Travel and other opportunities that amplify community voices in regional, national and international forums and provide access to decision-makers.
3. Field studies and original research used to hold companies accountable for their on-the-ground activities
4. Seed money for emerging grassroots organizations

Applications are evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Applicant’s capacity to carry out proposed activities.
2. Project strategy and urgency/includes well-defined objectives and planned activities.
3. Scale and scope of community participation, including when applicable that the community where the project is centred and/or that will be impacted by the initiative be engaged in the decision-making process related to the activities.
4. Ecological/cultural significance of forest/local environment.
5. Project honors and upholds diversity and equity.
6. Activities would be significantly enhanced by a small grant/applicant’s annual budget (under $150,000 is prioritized), overall access to resources and previous funding from RAN.

Although grants are made in all regions and unsolicited proposals are welcome, geographic priority areas are Southeast Asia and South and North America (Native American/First Nations applications are prioritized in the U.S. and Canada). Applicants from other regions are encouraged to contact paa@ran.org prior to submitting an application to inquire regarding the possibility of funding.
Only completed applications will be considered. Applicants will be informed within 4 weeks if their application has been short-listed or declined. The final decision on short-listed projects can take a couple of weeks longer, depending on how quickly references come back and how long it takes to resolve any inquiries regarding the application. If the application is urgent, please make this clear when it is submitted.
To inquire regarding the possibility of funding for the applicant’s organization and to request an online version of the application, please contact paa@ran.org.
 
CAF: 
Applications are evaluated on the following criteria: 

1. Applicant’s capacity to carry out proposed activities.
2. Project strategy and urgency/includes well-defined objectives and planned activities.
3. Involves community organizing and mobilization as a major strategy towards achieving its goal/ the community where the project is centred and/or that will be impacted by the initiative is engaged in the decision-making process related to the activities.
4. Achievement of applicant goals would result in a significant positive climate mitigation impact.
5. Project honors and upholds diversity and equity.
6. Activities would be significantly enhanced by a small grant/applicant’s annual budget (under $150,000 is prioritized), overall access to resources and previous funding from RAN.

Although grants are made in all regions and unsolicited proposals are welcome, geographic priority areas are South and North America. Applicants from other regions are encouraged to contact caf@ran.org prior to submitting an application to inquire regarding the possibility of funding.
Organizations representing communities of color and/or with limited access to resources will receive priority in funding.
Only completed applications will be considered. Applicants will be informed within 4 weeks if their application has been short-listed or declined. The final decision on short-listed projects can take a couple of weeks longer, depending on how quickly references come back and how long it takes to resolve any inquiries regarding the application. If the application is urgent, please make this clear when it is submitted.
To inquire regarding the possibility of funding for the applicant’s organization and to request an online version of the application, please contact caf@ran.org.