GDF Conservation and Communities Fellowship
An online and in-person programme for Global South leaders and organisations working at the frontline of conservation
Launched in 2023, the Conservation & Communities Fellowship strengthens the capacities of grassroots Global South conservation organisations and facilitates their access to Global North funding. It offers skills development, leadership growth and network-building for changemakers and their organisations working at the intersection of conservation and livelihoods.
Why the CCF Now?
“Rights-based, socially just conservation is a rocky path, and particularly tempting to bypass when it seems that large-scale funding for nature is finally being unlocked. But if we do not make a stand now, when the structures, metrics, and approaches for channelling international flows of funding for nature recovery are being developed, inequity will be locked in and ultimately both people and nature will lose.” — E. J. Milner-Gulland
Conservation is at a crossroads.
Calls for social justice in conversation date back at least 40 years. Despite the efforts of activists and indigenous advocates, global conservation systems and methods have not changed significantly since then. Community-based conservation remains an underfunded and marginal practice compared with large-scale exclusionary projects or protected areas. While the principal objects of global conservation remain the biodiverse lands occupied or used by indigenous peoples and local communities, less than ~5% of global conservation and climate change mitigation financing goes to the grassroots organisations that support or represent them. A 2022 report by Maliasili and Synchronicity Earth, entitled Greening the Grassroots, explores the reasons for this inequity. One of the core gaps is a lack of support for grassroots organisations to access and manage medium- and large-scale grants.
A central pillar of our Conservation Justice Programme, the CCF contributes to the ongoing work of decolonising conservation practices by helping to close the funding-access gap.
Our Methodology and Values
The CCF offers a training programme comprising online workshops, individual mentoring sessions, technical assistance clinics, peer-to-peer learning, an in-person Community Exchange, as well as an internship programme with leading UK universities and diverse networking and outreach opportunities.
Our vision is rooted in:
- The adoption of contextual approaches, local perspectives and indigenous epistemologies;
- Direct dialogue between donors, grassroots organisations and community leaders;
- A community of care and peer-support for conservation leaders across geographical boundaries;
- Continuous assessment and co-creation with our fellows in the design of our offerings.
The First Edition and Looking to the Future
“This fellowship arrived at a crucial moment in my professional life. My organisation was struggling to retain staff, and as a director, I felt cornered, unable to find a solution. Your arrival provided the opportunity to be heard, to receive advice, and to gain a broader perspective to overcome the obstacles hindering me and the organisation.” — Karla Dilascio, CCF cohort 2024
CCF 2024 Highlights in Numbers
- 10-month programme
- 31 fellows from 19 countries
- 56 online sessions around three streams: Capacities & Capabilities, Leading Beyond Authority and Mentoring
- 8-day in-person programme in Morocco (3 days of Community Exchange & 5 days at the International Society of Ethnobiology Congress 2024)
- 3 panel sessions led by CCF fellows at the International Society of Ethnobiology Congress 2024
- 11 internships of UK-based graduate students within fellows’ organisations
- 1 collective publication
The second edition of the CCF builds and learns from the first one, making some subtle changes to the overall learning journey while maintaining some of the pillars of its success.
- A 5-month programme: We have shortened the fellowship, focusing on a more intense learning experience without sacrificing depth and impact.
- A cohort of 24 fellows: After evaluating the first edition, we have reduced the cohort size to 24 fellows. This allows greater individual attention, ensuring that each fellow receives the support needed for their growth.
INTERWOVEN AND INTERDEPENDENT LEARNING STREAMS
Capabilities & Capacities Stream focuses on technical skills including proposal writing, project management, and team management. It centres spaces for peer-learning and exchange, alongside intensive individual mentoring from experienced conservation and NGO leaders. | Leading Beyond Authority Stream enhances fellows’ capacities to engage with diverse stakeholders, lead their organisation through growth and build communities of cooperation and collaboration through dialogues with key conservation sector actors. | Mentoring Stream trains fellows in the art of mentoring to enhance their management and relationship-building through a process of individual and relational growth. They are organised into active and supportive peer-mentoring pairs that last well beyond the fellowship. | Communities and Conservation Stream is a new stream, included at the request of fellows, to offer a space for critical dialogue and debate around policies, practices and public discourses on the topic of community-based conservation, with varied speakers and tailored workshops. |
“One of the most important things I learned during my participation in the CCF Mentoring Stream was the immense benefit of mentoring. As a conservation leader juggling numerous responsibilities, being a mentee felt like a therapeutic session. It provided me with a much-needed space for reflection and support, helping me navigate the challenges and responsibilities of my role more effectively. Moreover, it also enhanced my capacity as a leader, as I learned how to apply mentoring techniques to support and empower my own team.” Reyni Palohoen, CCF Cohort 2024 |
The In-person Community Exchange
A thoughtfully curated gathering focused on cohort-building, peer-learning and seeding long-term collaborations among fellows.
Read more about the 2024 Community Exchange in Morocco here.
Bridging Theory and Practice: Graduate Internships
We fund 5 to 10 internships for graduate students within fellows’ organisations during each fellowship. These research-oriented internships help drive the organisations’ growth and expand their research horizons, while also offering students real-life insight and embodied learning around the challenges of grassroots conservation practice.
Read more about Sam Rees’s experience with ABOYERD in Cameroon here.
CCF SEED PROJECT PACKAGES
In 2024, 57% of applications received for our Global Environments Network Seed Project Packages were from CCF fellows, highlighting the high demand for the support provided through this incubation programme. With the aim of advancing their projects to the next level of implementation, grantees receive training around topics such as pitching, proposal writing, storytelling, communication, financial management and impact measurement alongside personal mentoring from our team. This is accompanied by a small financial award ranging from GBP 2000-4000.
5 out of 7 awardees this year were CCF fellows, including 2 working on a collaborative knowledge sharing project for the creation of protected areas. Seeing the diversity of incredible ideas we received in the applications and the wonderful results pouring in from the projects selected, we hope to introduce CCF specific Seed Project Packages to help fellows and their organisations with a practical, small-scale experience of proposal writing, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation. We also hope to encourage cross pollination between fellows’ organisations through our support for collaborative projects.
Voices from the Edges: Collective Publishing Practices
We offer learnings around public storytelling and crafting compelling narratives. A cohort publication is then produced to showcase the fellows’ invaluable contributions to shaping the future of the field.
Dig into the first curated story collection of fellows from the 2024 cohort here! Entitled “Our Land, Our Stories: Voices from the Edges” and developed with Project In/Visibility, this collection intertwines the poetic with the political to amplify their voices in recognition of the vital and brave role they play in sustaining our planet.
OUR PARTNERS
Common Purpose is a global not-for-profit on a mission to develop people who can cross cultural, institutional and social boundaries. Both at work and in society, they deliver compelling, surprising, and powerful leadership programmes and workshops.
The Human Edge operates on the belief that effective mentoring empowers individuals and organisations to go further, faster. By enabling leaders to unlock their human potential, they can better lead others and support their communities to fulfil their potential.
The first edition of the Conservation and Communities Fellowship (2023-2024) was primarily funded by the Darwin Initiative.
The CCF is one of the pillars of the GDF’s Conservation Justice Programme (CJP), which consolidates decades of our work in community-based conservation by focusing on direct and tailored support for Global Majority grassroots leaders and campaigners who are protecting the remaining refuges of biodiversity, defending their territories and waters from the ravages of late-stage capitalism and advocating for their rights to determine conservation futures in their homes.
The CJP is a multilayered and integrated ecosystem of programmes that offer a comprehensive and powerful infrastructure for knowledge sharing, community learnings and network building.
Alongside the Conservation and Communities Fellowship, the CJP comprises three upcoming programmes: the Grassroots Leadership Programme, the Alumni Programme and the Conservation Futures open-ended inquiry.
STAY TUNED: We will update this page and our social media channels about the application process for CCF 2025 in December 2024. |
IMPACT
The CCF has had a significant and multifaceted impact on fellows, enhancing their overall project management skills, confidence, and network growth. Through participation, fellows developed stronger leadership abilities, improved their ability to engage with stakeholders, partners, and team members, and built more effective donor relationships. The fellowship also contributed to fellows’ growth in storytelling, outreach, and public speaking, enabling them to communicate their work more effectively. These improvements not only benefit the individuals but also help strengthen their organisations’ capacity to manage and grow impactful projects.
In terms of tangible outcomes, CCF fellows have expanded their networks, with several securing key partnerships and donor support, resulting in greater project sustainability. Many fellows have reported increased confidence in managing complex projects and a stronger ability to navigate difficult conversations with stakeholders. The increased capacity for storytelling has allowed fellows to effectively share their organisations’ missions and impact, amplifying their work.
For more insights:
