Nominations open for Future for Nature Award

Deadline Date: August 23, 2024

 Donor Name: Future For Nature Foundation

 Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Are you a young and dedicated nature conservationist committed to protecting wild species? Do you combine passion with action to create concrete results in nature conservation? Are you the future of nature? Then you are invited to apply for Future for Nature Award.

The Future for Nature Foundation (FFN) supports young, talented, and ambitious nature conservationists committed to protecting species of wild animals and plants. They believe in the power of the individual. Therefore, they select a new generation of nature conservationists who they believe make the difference for the future of nature. Natural leaders who inspire and with their drive and ‘stubbornness’ achieve impressive results. Annually, they put three of these promising young people in the spotlight.

From all over the world young nature conservations (up to 35 years old) apply for this prize. The National Selection Committee, consisting of experienced nature conservationists from the Netherlands, chooses six to ten nominees from all the applicants. Subsequently, an International Selection Committee of renowned nature conservationists selects the three winners.

Aims

• The Future For Nature Award is a prestigious international award that celebrates tangible achievements in protecting wild species.
• The Future For Nature aims to:
  • Reward and fund individuals for their outstanding efforts in the protection of species of wild species
  • Stimulate Award winners to sustain their dedicated work
  • Help winners to raise their profile, extend their professional network and strengthen their funding basis

Award Information

• The winners each receive 50,000 euro and the prestigious FFN Award. The winners may spend the money at their own discretion in the service of nature conservation; after all, they know better than anyone where the money is most needed. Additionally, Future For Nature offers much more than one-off financial support.
  • Winning the FFN Award gives the winners international recognition for their work and opens doors that were previously closed.
  • FFN offers the winners a platform and brings their stories to the attention of conservationists, financiers and a wide audience, allowing them to increase their impact and gain more access to funds.
  • They also give the (former) winners an extra stage via the Future For Nature Academy. This is an independently functioning committee, which is active in several Dutch cities for and by students with the aim of inspiring students to become active in nature conservation and to offer them resources such as lectures, networking and workshops.
  • FFN is building a growing Family of (previous) winners, dedicated people who form a community of like-minded people. FFN offers them the opportunity to meet each other and continue to learn with each other in order to continue their fight for nature as efficiently and effectively as possible.
• Winners will present their work at the Future For Nature Award event at Royal Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands. The event will take place in May 2025. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Future For Nature Foundation.
   

Eligibility Criteria

• The candidate:
  • Must be an individual, not an organisation, programme, or group of individuals.
  • Must be born on or after the 31st May 1989 (Maximum age of  35 years old at the FFN Award event) and before the 28th of August 2006 (minimum age of 18 years old at the time of submitting your application).
  • Has achieved substantial and long-term benefits to the conservation status of one or more species.
  • Has demonstrated commitment, determination, and passion for conservation work.
  • Has demonstrated leadership, entrepreneurship, and a clear view of conservation work.
  • Has been creative and innovative in their work.
  • Has demonstrated to be honourable in the conservation work performed.
  • Must be determined to continue their conservation work, as the Award aims to stimulate the winner’s future work. It is not an “end of career” prize.
  • Is able to explain their conservation work in proficient English (written and spoken).
• The award should be used for a conservation initiative of the winner’s own choice and implemented by them.
• The award should be used for the conservation of species. The conservation initiative can involve a component of (fundamental) research, but this should not be the main focus. The relevance of the proposed activities to species conservation and the practical impact should be made clear.

For more information, visit Future for Nature Foundation.