The Roddenberry Foundation

Summary: 

Organizational profile:

The Roddenberry Foundation (TRF) is a nonprofit organization based in the US. Inspired by the life and legacy of Gene Roddenberry, the Foundation supports innovation, risk-taking, and experimentation to disrupt existing dynamics, inspire action, and discover new ways to help the world move towards a better future. By supporting remarkable risk-takers and unlikely changemakers, the Foundation strives for a more equitable, inclusive, and harmonious society.

Through four core programs, TRF casts a wide net to uncover and support the great, often untested ideas and the individuals and organizations whose vision and leadership have the potential to bring them to fruition. Among TRF’s four programs, these two may apply to forest-related initiatives:

  • The Roddenberry Prize: The $1M Roddenberry Prize is a call for big, bold solutions from anyone, anywhere that address the challenges of an unpredictable and fast-changing global landscape. Four game-changing and innovative solutions will each receive $250,000 for their work in one of the following fields: Education, Science, Environment (Prize awardees will be working on a range of issues related to the environment, including clean water, pollution, climate change, and the economic and social justice ramifications of environmental policies), and Humanity. The Roddenberry Prize will select one awardee for each issue area.
  • The Roddenberry Catalyst Fund is awarded to early-stage ideas and projects that have the potential to radically reframe existing problems, surface untapped innovations, and disrupt how and by whom we make the world a better place.

 

Financing Instrument: Grants

 

Project scale:

  • The Roddenberry Prize: $250,000
  • The Catalyst Fund: $2,500 – $15,000

 

Recipient countries regions/country groups: Global

 

Recipient categories: TRF invites anyone — individuals, for-profits, teams, non-profits, and B-corps — to apply.

 

Eligibility Criteria:
Eligible candidates may be individuals, teams of individuals, non-profit organizations, or social enterprises. To be eligible, all applicants must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Submit an application in English
  • Include completed responses to all required application questions
  • Agree to all legal terms and conditions of the Catalyst Fund grant program or the Roddenberry Prize program
  • Be able to legally receive grant funding

 

Application guidelines:

The Roddenberry Prize: Sign in TRF online portal, click the “Apply” button on the right next to “Prize”, and complete the application before the Round One deadline. In Round One, TRF asks a broad range of questions to get a foundational understanding of an applicant’s work and approach. For those applicants who are invited to Round Two, TRF does a deeper dive to better understand their specific strategies and goals.

The Catalyst Fund:

  • There are no deadlines. Applications are accepted year-round.
  • Upon receiving funds, applicants will have 9 months to complete the activities outlined in their grant application.
  • If applicants have a new or different idea, they can reapply in 6 months. If an applicant’s grant was not accepted, they cannot resubmit the same proposal. If their project has evolved since they last applied, they may re-apply for the initiative. However, if they have already received a grant from the Foundation, they are no longer eligible to apply for another grant.

Timelines for grant announcements vary per initiative. TRF recommends applicants check out the website and FAQ of the program they have applied for. Applicants may only apply for one Roddenberry Foundation initiative at a time.
 

Publication Date
Thursday, 31 March 2022
Applicable location
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Oceania
Topic/Theme
Forest landscape restoration
Forest conservation and management
Biodiversity conservation
Climate change
Database
Financing opportunities