- Is your project about Australian flora and fauna conservation, threatened mammal conservation, or landscape restoration and education?
- Do you have partners?
- Is your project ready to go, and can you do it? Be sure before you apply.
- We fund projects as small as $1,000, and sometimes fund over $10,000, but grants are usually under $10,000. Please don’t just stick $10,000 in the budget line – we aren’t a government agency and don’t appreciate people asking for the maximum amount. Ask us for what the project really costs.
- Universities – you can apply for up to $5,000. But we don’t fund pure research, you must be partnering with an ‘on ground’ group and be able to show it. You must have a community partner.
- All grant recipients must fill in a final report on-line at the end of their project. The signed grant conditions letter is your written agreement to this. Please don’t apply unless you are willing to do this report. If you don’t report, you can’t apply again.
- If you’re not sure whether to apply, email me. I am more than happy to give advice before you make an effort to fill in the form. But please don’t send me documentation to read about your project.
What we do fund:
- Projects that directly make positive changes to biodiversity conservation in Australia.
- Projects with long term objectives and values.
- Projects that show the following: enthusiasm, collaboration, passion, innovation
- Projects that use citizen science
- Projects that are about community education relating to conservation
What we don’t fund (sorry):
- Advocacy
- On-ground works including tree planting, fencing or pest plant or animal control (traditionally and currently available through various government agencies, local councils, and other landcare programs)
- On-ground works, education programs, or whole farm planning for private property owners or farms
- Waterwatch or other programs no longer funded by government unless negotiated with the Executive Director
- Workshops alone – we’re not that keen on ‘talk fests’, any workshops need to be a part of a larger project with an ‘action’ component
- Invasive monitoring
- Educational programs involving the curriculum in primary and secondary schools. Any projects involving schools must be primarily about biodiversity conservation, and not be isolated to the school grounds or school community
- Bush food gardens, sensory gardens, vegie gardens, chicken houses, water tanks, arboretums etc (particularly in kinders and schools) – we’re too small to fund all these projects around Australia so please don’t apply
- Animal or wildlife refuges and their activities
- Pure academic research – academic applicants need to show how their research is directly linked to a community group doing conservation work. Research needs to be of benefit to those groups working on habitat or species conservation – eg I won’t accept applications for research on how climate change will affect a particular species without the research being done in conjunction with a group that can work towards conserving that species on the ground.
Feedback:
As WET only has one paid employee, feedback to applicants on their unsuccessful applications cannot be given, to protect the Executive Director. We are very sorry if this is not helpful.
