GDF Conservation and Communities Fellowship
2025 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
CLOSED
An online and in-person programme for Global South leaders and organisations working at the frontline of conservation.
We are delighted to launch the second edition of the Conservation and Communities Fellowship (CCF), in collaboration with Common Purpose and The Human Edge. The fellowship will run from November 2025 to May 2026.
WHAT IS IT?
The Fellowship is a 7-month, online and in-person programme for 24 community-based conservation leaders from the Global South. It is a unique learning experience designed to grow your mentoring, leadership and practical knowledge and skills, and to build a long-lasting community of practice. The CCF will strengthen your capacity and that of your organisation in fundraising, project design and evaluation.
Do you work within grassroots Global South civil society organisations at the intersection of biodiversity and livelihoods? Are you struggling to directly access funds for your projects and programmes. If so, please apply!
The CCF is fully funded for all participants, thanks to the generosity of our funders. This means there are no fees to join or participate in any part of the programme.
We will ask all fellows to contribute a small amount towards their travel to the in-person gathering in Kenya in November 2025. This modest contribution helps ensure fairness and shared responsibility, while keeping the programme accessible to everyone. You do not need to apply for a travel allowance separately, we will assess each fellow’s individual circumstances and request a contribution accordingly. Contributions will not exceed 300 Euros each, and we are happy to help fellows fundraise for their travel cost contributions.
Art by RSPN
WHO IS IT FOR?
The Fellowship is open to applicants from the Global South who are leaders in local civil society or grassroots organisations whose work focuses on the intersection of biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods.
Successful candidates will be highly motivated individuals who show commitment to bringing about positive change and who can demonstrate their leadership potential and capability. They are able to critically assess their personal and organisational challenges, and are capable of clearly articulating their learning requirements and needs.
We expect candidates to carefully review the Fellowship programme (see below) and to commit to attending and actively participating in all of the online sessions, plus the in-person meet-up in November 2025.
WHY TAKE PART?
the CCF is commmitted to:
- Adopting contextual approaches and giving space to local and indigenous epistemologies;
- Promoting the redistribution of opportunities and the scaling of results;
- Open-ended and horizontal learning processes that centre peer-to-peer learning;
- Promoting the decolonisation of funding practices and the creation of direct dialogues between donors, local NGOs and community leaders;
- Consolidating a knowledge and practice-based network offering support to conservation leaders beyond the fellowship;
- Understanding that leaders are embedded in organisations, and our work must engage the full organisational ecosystem to be effective.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Fellows will receive training, facilitation and peer support in four streams:
- Mentoring, led by The Human Edge, trains fellows in the art of mentoring to enhance their management and relationship-building through a process of individual and relational growth.
- Leadership, led by Common Purpose, enhances fellows’ ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and build communities of cooperation and collaboration to deliver conservation outcomes.
- Capabilities & Capacities, led by GDF Team and CCF Alumni, focuses on technical skills, including proposal writing, project management, and team management.
- Communities and Conservation, led by GDF Team and CCF Alumni, offers a space for critical dialogue and debate around policies, practices and public discourses on the topic of community-based conservation.
TIMELINE
- Application deadline: Midnight (BST) on 13 June 2025.
- Shorlisted participants announcement: 25 July 2025
- Final participants announcement: 10 August 2025.
- Programme start: 11 November 2025.
Information Webinars
We organised two information webinars where we dived deep into the fellowship’s streams, brought alumni to share their experience as fellows of the last edition, and answered questions from potential applicants.
You can watch the full recording here.
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.
FAQs
Please note that the FAQs are updated regularly.
1. How much time will I need to set aside from my daily activities to participate actively in the fellowship?
You will need to set aside on average 2.5-3 hours per week for the 7 months of the fellowship. There will be breaks over the course of the 6 months. The in-person event represents 6 full days: 4 event days in Kenya, and an estimated 2 travel days.
2. Can I apply for the fellowship if I am not affiliated with a grassroots conservation organisation?
We are looking for candidates who are working within established grassroots conservation organisations, ideally that work directly with communities. If you are advanced in the process of setting up a local organisation, please do consider applying, as we may decide to save some spots for leaders who are poised to submit their first proposals to launch their organisation.
3. What if I work for a larger national or international organisation?
Our ideal candidates work for grassroots organisations that are seeking to build their capacity to obtain direct grants from donors. While leaders in organisations that are well-established at the national level and international organisations are welcome to apply, we will be prioritising local organisations in our applicant selection process.
4. What if I work for a social enterprise or a company?
Applications from these sectors will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, dependent on their relationship with community-based grassroots organisations and initiatives.
5. Must I speak English to participate?
Yes, a good understanding of English and the ability to actively engage with mentors, facilitators, and fellow cohort members are essential for this edition of the programme. Furthermore, the mentoring component of the fellowship, as well as the training sessions, peer exchanges, and collaborative work, requires participants to be at ease in a one-on-one conversation in English with their peer-mentoring counterpart.
6. Will the fellowship eventually be offered in other languages?
Given the number of requests we have had for this offering in other languages, we will be exploring mechanisms to offer some elements of the curriculum in other languages, funding permitting. We will also examine the possibility of offering the fellowship in different languages in the future. Please sign up to GDF’s newsletter to remain abreast of any updates.
