Global Greengrants Fund Uk

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5.2 million (approximately £4 million)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (nomination-based model)
• Decision Time: Variable (determined by regional advisory boards)
• Grant Range: $500 - $5,000 (approximately £400 - £4,000)
• Geographic Focus: Global (supporting grassroots groups outside US and Western Europe)

Contact Details

• Website: www.globalgreengrants.org.uk (main site: www.greengrants.org)
• Email: info@globalgreengrants.org.uk
• Phone: 07491314160
• Office: Public Hall, Huckletree, 1 Horse Guards Avenue, Westminster, London SW1A 2HU

Overview

Global Greengrants Fund UK (Charity 1151527) was established in 2012 as an independent sister organization to the US-based Global Greengrants Fund Inc. The charity makes grants to local communities worldwide to protect people and the environment, restore places and ways of life, and transform systems to create a sustainable future. In the financial year ending June 30, 2024, the organization distributed $5.2 million across 482 grants to grassroots environmental groups, with 55% focused on climate justice initiatives. Operating with a team of 12 staff (8 full-time equivalent) working remotely, Global Greengrants UK is part of a global network that has distributed over $100 million across 14,000+ grants in 168 countries since 1993. The organization operates through a unique participatory grantmaking model, placing decision-making power in the hands of approximately 220 volunteer advisors across 30 advisory boards worldwide.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Direct Grants to Grassroots Groups: $500 - $5,000 (average $4,800)
• Grants to Partner Entities: Larger contributions to other grantmaking organizations and collaborative initiatives (e.g., Agroecology Fund, Environmental Defenders Collective, CLIMA partnership)
• Application Method: Organizations cannot apply directly—must be nominated by network advisors

Six Action Areas

1. Climate Justice (55% of grants in 2023/24)
2. Local Livelihoods
3. Healthy Ecosystems and Communities
4. Women's Environmental Action
5. Right to Land, Water, and Resources
6. Right to Defend the Environment

Priority Groups

• Women-led environmental initiatives
• Youth-led movements
• Indigenous Peoples' organizations
• People with disabilities
• Groups most impacted by environmental degradation
• First-time grant recipients (40% of grantees)

What They Don't Fund

• Organizations outside their advisor network's recommendations
• Unsolicited proposals from organizations not nominated by advisors
• Groups based in the United States and Western Europe (primary focus is developing world and emerging economies)

Ready to write a winning application for Global Greengrants Fund Uk?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

UK Leadership

• Dr. Nisha Owen: Executive Director, Global Greengrants Fund UK
• Joyce Materego-Woodall: Senior Leadership Team
• Greg Hilditch: Senior Leadership Team

Global Leadership

• Laura García: President & CEO, Global Greengrants Fund (previously Executive Director of Fondo Semillas in Mexico for seven years)

Laura García emphasizes the organization's philosophy: “The power of collective action has never been clearer.” She advocates for an ecosystemic approach to grantmaking, stating: “At the Global Greengrants Fund, we support grassroots groups in taking risks and experimenting. We are constantly evolving to actively shift power and provide unrestricted long-term funding to grassroots climate actors.”

Advisory Network

The organization operates through a network of 220 volunteer advisors across 30 regional and thematic advisory boards. These advisors are activists, experts in their fields, and respected environmental justice leaders with strong ties to local grassroots organizations and deep understanding of regional contexts.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Organizations cannot apply directly. Global Greengrants Fund UK operates exclusively through a nomination-based system:

1. Grassroots groups must be identified and nominated by one of the Fund's 220 volunteer advisors
2. Advisors make recommendations based on their local knowledge and connections to grassroots movements
3. Each advisory board sets its own grantmaking strategy and manages its board's budget
4. Grant decisions are made through consensus by advisory boards
5. The Fund does not accept unsolicited proposals

Decision Timeline

Variable—decisions are made by regional advisory boards according to their own processes and meeting schedules. The decentralized model means timelines differ across regions.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. Given the nomination-based model where advisors recommend groups they already know and trust, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Grantees can receive multiple grants over time through continued relationships with advisory board members. The organization emphasizes long-term accompaniment and support for grassroots movements.

Application Success Factors

Critical Success Factors for Consideration by Advisors

1. Grassroots Leadership

• Projects must be genuinely grassroots-led by local communities
• Priority for groups led by women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and people with disabilities
• First-time organizations particularly welcomed (40% of grantees are receiving their first-ever funding)

2. Environmental Justice Focus

• Work must address environmental degradation while promoting social justice
• Intersectional approach valued (gender, environment, Indigenous rights, climate justice)
• Projects that build movement power and solidarity

3. Risk-Taking and Innovation

• Willingness to experiment with new approaches
• Groups working on urgent, emerging issues
• Organizations taking on difficult or risky advocacy work

4. Local Context and Embeddedness

• Deep roots in the community served
• Understanding of local environmental and social justice issues
• Trusted by local movements and communities

5. Scale and Flexibility

• Smaller organizations that benefit from flexible, unrestricted funding
• Groups that may be overlooked by larger funders
• Organizations that can catalyze action with modest resources ($500-$5,000)

Recent Funded Examples

• Avant-garde Art Foundation (Thailand): Empowering Karen Indigenous women and youth through art to advocate for forest conservation and land rights
• Association Guinéenne d'Eveil au Développement Durable (Guinea): Supporting Indigenous-led chimpanzee conservation and tree nurseries
• Strategic Youth Network for Development (Ghana): Preserving livelihoods and culture for young Indigenous Peoples through policy and local action
• East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) resistance: Over a dozen projects since 2021 stopping construction in Tanzania and Uganda

Key Language and Terminology

• “Participatory grantmaking”
• “Accompaniment” (ongoing support and relationship)
• “Unrestricted, flexible funding”
• “Grassroots movements”
• “Environmental justice”
• “Shifting power”
• “Intersectional approaches”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. You Cannot Apply Directly: This is a nomination-based funder. Build relationships with environmental justice networks and advisors in your region who might recommend your work to Global Greengrants advisory boards.

1. Think Grassroots: The fund specifically seeks small, emerging, grassroots-led organizations that are embedded in their communities. If you're a large, established NGO, you're likely not the target.

1. Emphasize Lived Experience: Groups led by those most affected by environmental degradation—women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities—are prioritized.

1. Climate Justice Is Core: With 55% of grants focused on climate justice, demonstrate how your work addresses both environmental and social justice dimensions of the climate crisis.

1. Be Part of a Movement: Advisory boards look for organizations connected to broader social movements who can catalyze change and build solidarity across communities.

1. Long-Term Relationships Matter: The organization values “accompaniment”—ongoing relationships with grantees beyond a single grant. Show your commitment to sustained grassroots organizing.

1. Understand Regional Context: Each advisory board operates independently with its own strategy. Understanding your region's specific environmental justice context and being known to local advisors is essential.

References

1. Global Greengrants Fund UK Charity Commission Page. Charity Number 1151527. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1151527&subid=0

1. Global Greengrants Fund UK Official Website. “Global Greengrants Fund UK.” https://www.greengrants.org/who-we-are/global-greengrants-fund-uk/

1. Global Greengrants Fund. “Annual Report 2023.” https://annualreport2023.greengrants.org/

1. Global Greengrants Fund. “Frequently Asked Questions.” https://www.greengrants.org/faqs/

1. Global Greengrants Fund. “Our Team.” https://www.greengrants.org/who-we-are/our-team/

1. Global Greengrants Fund. “UK Trustees and Patrons.” https://www.greengrants.org/who-we-are/uk-trustees-and-patrons/

1. Global Greengrants Fund. "Global Greengrants Fund Welcomes New President & CEO Laura García." https://www.greengrants.org/press/laura-garcia/

1. Candid. “Participatory Grantmaking: Global Greengrants Fund.” https://learningforfunders.candid.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/12/PGM-GlobalGreengrants.pdf

1. Companies House. “GLOBAL GREENGRANTS FUND UK Company Overview.” Company Number 08113055. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08113055

1. Ford Foundation. “Philanthropy and Environmental Justice: Hilary Pennington with Laura García.” https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/videos/philanthropy-and-environmental-justice-hilary-pennington-with-laura-garcia/