Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund

Global Forest Watch is an initiative of the World Resources Institute that provides open-access forest monitoring tools and data to support sustainable forest management and conservation worldwide. Through its online platform and associated tools, Global Forest Watch enables civil society organizations, communities, journalists, governments, and other stakeholders to visualize, analyze, and act on near real-time and historical data related to deforestation and forest degradation. Building on this mission, the Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund was established to strengthen the capacity of civil society and community-led organizations to use Global Forest Watch tools and data to address illegal or unplanned deforestation and to promote sustainable forest management practices. The purpose of the Small Grants Fund is to support projects that translate forest monitoring data into concrete action. Funded projects are expected to incorporate Global Forest Watch and, for the 2026 cycle, Global Nature Watch as core components of their strategies. Global Nature Watch is an experimental, AI-enabled monitoring platform designed to complement Global Forest Watch by allowing users to ask questions in plain language and receive data-backed responses supported by maps and geospatial evidence. As part of the 2026 cohort, grantees are expected not only to use these tools but also to test and provide structured feedback to inform their future development. Projects supported through the fund must align with one or more defined approaches, including advocacy, forest monitoring and enforcement, journalism and storytelling, stakeholder engagement and capacity building, or informing land use management and policy. Examples of eligible activities include supporting Indigenous and local communities in defending land rights using forest monitoring data, training enforcement officials or journalists to interpret satellite imagery, developing open data platforms or customized maps, and producing research or media outputs that influence public awareness and policy decisions related to deforestation. All projects must clearly articulate how the use of Global Forest Watch or Global Nature Watch tools adds value to existing work and contributes to measurable forest outcomes. The Small Grants Fund provides awards ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 USD per project. For the 2026 cycle, between eight and fifteen projects are expected to be selected. Funded projects will operate over a twelve-month implementation period, beginning on June 1, 2026 and concluding on May 31, 2027. In addition to financial support, each grantee is paired with a World Resources Institute staff advisor who provides virtual technical assistance and guidance throughout the project period. Grantees also gain access to a global network of organizations working on forest monitoring and conservation and may receive opportunities for visibility through Global Forest Watch and World Resources Institute communications. Eligibility for the Small Grants Fund is limited to legally constituted, non-profit, non-governmental organizations with demonstrated financial and organizational capacity. Applicants must meet minimum financial thresholds, maintain appropriate accounting systems, and be able to provide recent financial documentation. Projects must be carried out in specific eligible countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, although applicant organizations may be registered outside those countries if the proposed work focuses on eligible geographic areas. Applications are accepted in English, French, and Spanish, but applicants must have at least one project point person with professional working proficiency in English to support required assessments and reporting. For the 2026 grant cycle, the application period opened on January 19, 2026 and closes on February 6, 2026. Applications were required to be submitted through the official online application portal, and submissions by email or attachment were not accepted. Applications were reviewed by a selection committee based on relevance, feasibility, potential for impact, and sustainability, with finalists potentially invited for interviews or follow-up questions prior to final award decisions. Notifications and subgrant agreements were scheduled for completion by May 2026, enabling selected projects to begin implementation on June 1, 2026.

Clearly demonstrate how Global Forest Watch and Global Nature Watch tools are central to the project strategy and outcomes and articulate realistic and sustainable impacts beyond the grant period