Restore Our Planet

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £147,000 (approximate based on 2024 expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: UK and international
• Charity Number: 1133251

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 310, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3YY, United Kingdom

Phone: 01737 355458

Email: info@restoreourplanet.org

Website: www.restoreourplanet.org

Overview

Restore Our Planet (originally Restore UK) was established in 2001 as a grant-making charity to invest in the protection and restoration of Britain's natural habitat. In 2018, the charity changed its name to Restore Our Planet to reflect its broader global vision encompassing environmental and biodiversity issues worldwide. The charity has evolved from funding individual conservation projects to convening major international conservation partnerships, including Trillion Trees (founded 2016) and Restore Species. With over 20 years of experience, Restore Our Planet focuses on positive storytelling to inspire conservation action, emphasizing #ConservationOptimism. The charity operates with 3 trustees and maintains strategic partnerships with leading organizations including Kent Wildlife Trust, Wildwood Trust, WWF, BirdLife International, Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna & Flora International, and TRAFFIC.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Restore Our Planet operates primarily through strategic partnerships rather than open grant programs. Their funding activities include:

• Direct Project Grants: Support for UK-based conservation projects including habitat restoration, species conservation, community tree nurseries, and wilding initiatives
• Partnership Seed Funding: Convening and providing initial funding for major collaborative conservation initiatives
• Long-term Partnership Support: Multi-year relationships with key delivery partners like Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust

Priority Areas

UK Focus:

• Wilding and rewilding projects
• Species reintroduction (pine martens, turtle doves, water voles)
• Habitat protection and restoration
• Community-led environmental initiatives
• Wildlife trust partnerships across England

Global Focus:

• Ending deforestation and restoring tree cover
• Preventing animal species extinctions
• Combating illegal wildlife trade, unsustainable hunting, and poisoning
• Marine conservation
• Protection of threatened species receiving limited funding (Caribbean reptiles, Central Asian wild sheep and goats, vultures)
• Turtle conservation and anti-poaching initiatives

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly specified, but the charity's focus is exclusively environmental conservation and biodiversity protection.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Michael Robert Edge - Chair

Also serves as trustee of The Catalysts Foundation, bringing cross-sector philanthropic expertise.

Peter Russell Cole - Trustee

Appointed October 2014, providing long-term institutional knowledge spanning the charity's transformation from UK-focused to global operations.

Stuart Phillips - Trustee

Appointed October 2021, has background with The Private Office (UK Top 25 Financial Planning Company) and education from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Organizational Approach

The charity employs one staff member (earning £60,000-£70,000) and operates through strategic partnerships rather than traditional grant-making infrastructure. One or more trustees receive payments or benefits for services provided to the charity, reflecting an active governance model.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Restore Our Planet does not have a public application process. The charity operates through established relationships, trustee-identified initiatives, and by convening major conservation partnerships rather than accepting unsolicited grant applications.

Grants are awarded through:

• Trustee discretion: Projects identified and selected by the charity's leadership
• Established partnerships: Long-term relationships with delivery partners like Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust
• Strategic initiatives: Convening and funding collaborative partnerships among major conservation organizations

Getting on Their Radar

Kent Wildlife Trust Partnership Model: Since 2019, Restore Our Planet has worked with Kent Wildlife Trust to realize a vision of creating a “Wilder Kent” where 30% of Kent's land and sea thrives with wildlife. The grant enabled KWT to appoint specialist Wilding Officers who work with partners including Wildwood Trust, Natural England, RSPB, Woodland Trust, and English Heritage. This demonstrates their preference for:

• Organizations with strong track records in wildlife conservation
• Projects that leverage partnerships to multiply impact
• Multi-year strategic initiatives rather than one-off projects

Convening Role: Restore Our Planet has successfully convened two major international partnerships (Trillion Trees in 2016 and Restore Species), demonstrating their interest in bringing together leading conservation organizations to achieve scale. They may be receptive to proposals that:

• Unite multiple conservation leaders around shared goals
• Scale up proven conservation approaches
• Address gaps in current conservation funding (e.g., “threatened species that currently receive little attention or funding”)

Podcast and Network Engagement: The charity produces a conservation podcast (25+ episodes recorded) and actively participates in conservation networks including Conservation Optimism and ConservationNOW, suggesting potential relationship-building opportunities through conservation media and networking platforms.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available - decisions made at trustee discretion.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Key Insights from Funded Projects

1. Partnership Multiplier Effect: The Kent Wildlife Trust grant specifically funded specialist Wilding Officers who then “driven forward specific wilding projects and partnerships with specialist organisations.” Restore Our Planet values projects that create cascading partnerships beyond the initial grant.

2. Species Focus on the Overlooked: Restore Species partnership explicitly targets “threatened species that currently receive little attention or funding, like Caribbean reptiles, Central Asian wild sheep and goats, and vultures.” This indicates strategic interest in filling funding gaps rather than supporting well-funded species.

3. Positive Narrative Approach: Leadership has stated they focus on “positive stories” to keep people inspired, believing negative messaging makes people “nihilistic and jaded.” Projects should emphasize conservation successes and optimistic pathways forward using #ConservationOptimism framing.

4. Convening Power: Restore Our Planet's evolution shows movement from individual project grants to convening major partnerships (Trillion Trees united WWF, BirdLife International, and Wildlife Conservation Society; Restore Species united five leading organizations). They value bringing together complementary organizations to achieve scale.

5. UK Biodiversity and Wilding: UK projects demonstrate strong interest in rewilding, species reintroduction, and community engagement with nature restoration. Projects like Swift boxes for Bath and community tree nurseries indicate support for accessible, community-based conservation alongside landscape-scale wilding.

6. Long-term Strategic Relationships: The multi-year Kent Wildlife Trust partnership and ongoing coordination of Trillion Trees (founded 2016) and Restore Species show preference for sustained engagement over one-off grants.

Leadership Perspective

From Conservation Optimism profile: Restore Our Planet emphasizes its 20+ years delivering conservation projects and has announced major achievements like a “$245 million conservation agreement with the Colombian government” (linked to their partnership work). They actively seek to “boost their audience” and are “open to discussing potential future projects and podcast collaborations.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - this funder identifies and approaches projects rather than accepting proposals
• Partnership convening is core strategy - they've successfully brought together major conservation organizations (WWF, BirdLife, WCS, FFI, TRAFFIC) for collaborative initiatives
• Focus on overlooked species and ecosystems - explicitly targeting “threatened species that currently receive little attention or funding”
• UK delivery partners model - established multi-year relationships with wildlife trusts (Kent, Staffordshire) provide pathways for UK conservation organizations
• Conservation optimism required - positive narratives about conservation success are central to their approach, not deficit-based messaging
• Scale and systems change - evolved from individual project grants to convening international partnerships that tackle systemic threats (deforestation, illegal wildlife trade)
• Relationship-building opportunities - podcast collaborations, Conservation Optimism network participation, and conservation media engagement may provide entry points for initial conversations

References

1. UK Charity Commission Register - RESTORE OUR PLANET Charity Number 1133251. Register of Charities - The Charity Commission. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4045676. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. Restore Our Planet Official Website. https://restoreourplanet.org/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “Stewardship of Nature – A Wilder Kent.” Restore Our Planet. https://restoreourplanet.org/uk-project/stewardhip-of-nature-a-wilder-kent/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “Restore our Planet Initiatives.” Restore Our Planet. https://restoreourplanet.org/restore-initiatives/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “Trillion Trees.” Restore Our Planet. https://restoreourplanet.org/worldwide-project/trillion-trees-a-shared-vision-for-more-trees-on-our-planet/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “About Restore Species.” Restore Species Partnership. https://www.restorespecies.org/about-us/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “Restore Our Planet.” Conservation Optimism. https://conservationoptimism.org/partner/restore-our-planet/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. UK Charity Commission - Trustees Information for RESTORE OUR PLANET. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4045676/trustees. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “UK Projects.” Restore Our Planet. https://restoreourplanet.org/uk-projects/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “World Wide Projects.” Restore Our Planet. https://restoreourplanet.org/world-wide-projects/. Accessed 29 December 2024.

1. “Contact Us.” Restore Our Planet. https://restoreourplanet.org/contact-us/. Accessed 29 December 2024.