The Global Returns Project

Registered charity 1186683 · since 2019globalreturnsproject.earth·International·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£1.6M

Annual giving, year to 31 March 2026

From filed accounts

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

The Global Returns Project's stated focus is climate and nature work across five themes: greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sinks, life on land, life below water, and climate information and communication.
Its annual report shows £1,644,236 awarded, and its geographic focus is stated as all over the world, but no typical or usual grant size is given, so there is no basis for judging what a realistic request would be.
The funder does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is not its stated route, and no route to an invitation is described.
Organisations outside its focus on high-impact, low-risk charities capable of systemic change at scale, or that are not among the highest-scoring charities, should not apply, and successful charities must commit to monitoring and reporting on how funds are used.

Overview

The Global Returns Project is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1186683).

The Global Returns Project is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1186683). It channels donations to a curated portfolio of high-impact climate and nature charities, working across themes including emissions reduction, carbon sinks, life on land and below water, and climate information. Its annual report records £1,644,236 awarded, and a standard donation is split equally between its six organisations.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Global Returns Project channels donations to a curated portfolio of high-impact climate and nature charities. It supports work across five categories: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting carbon sinks, protecting and enhancing life on land and below water, and advancing climate information and communication. Its portfolio spans organisations protecting rainforests and oceans, enforcing environmental law, restoring ecosystems and holding polluters to account. Charities are screened and scored for impact, scalability, networks and co-benefits, with attention to evidence, governance and risk. The portfolio is reassessed every six months, and progress is monitored through transparent impact reporting.

Themes

Greenhouse gas emissions
Carbon sinks
Life on land
Life below water
Climate information and communication

Geographic Focus

All over the world.

What they don't fund

Organisations that fall outside our focus on high-impact, low-risk charities capable of delivering systemic change at scale
Charities that are not the highest-scoring charities, those demonstrating strong evidence, strategic clarity, and real potential to scale

How to apply

Charities are screened against baseline criteria including size, age, income, governance and operational maturity, then assessed for impact, scalability, networks and co-benefits. Grant applicants undergo due diligence covering impact, size, scalability, governance, co-benefits and networks, provide detailed financial, legal and administrative information, and successful applicants commit to monitoring and reporting.

What to send:

Detailed financial, legal and administrative information.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Charities are screened against baseline criteria including size, age, income, governance and operational maturity.
The foundation selects the highest-scoring charities that demonstrate strong evidence, strategic clarity and potential to scale.
Successful applicants commit to monitoring and reporting on how grant funds are used.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

International

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Global Returns Project.

Restore Our PlanetNo public processGave £1,500 The Nature Recovery ProjectInvitation onlyGave £197k TNC UK Foundation LimitedNo public processGave £2.8M GlobalGiving UKRollingGave £2.3M Global Greengrants Fund UKInvitation onlyGave £2.8M Frederick Mulder FoundationInvitation onlyGave £684k Becht FoundationInvitation onlyGave $11.5M Be Global FoundationRollingGave £218k Greenpeace Environmental TrustRollingGave £10.8M Rainforest Trust UKMixed deadlinesGave £2.4M

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2022	£288,892	£262,047	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£274,790	£340,590	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£706,464	£554,485	£388,281	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£756,121	£795,930	£586,023	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025
year to 31 March 2026	£1,865,539	£1,883,245	£1,644,236	Accounts for year to 31 March 2026

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2024

£388k grants

YE 2025

£586k grants

YE 2026

£1.6M awarded

Grants paid stayed within income across the 3 years shown.

Grants paid, year to 31 March 2024; year to 31 March 2025: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 March 2026: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.