Institutional Grants: Sustainable Resource Management

Overview

_Note: Important Note: Tinker will open one grantmaking cycle in 2025. We have decided to offer only one cycle for LOIs in 2025. This cycle will open in mid-January, with awards made in early June. We will accept LOIs in all three Tinker institutional grant programs: Democratic Governance, Education and Sustainable Resource Management._

* _If your organization plans to submit an LOI to Tinker in 2025, your only opportunity to do so will be in the January cycle. Proposals will be due in March for organizations invited to submit._

Background

For more than sixty years, the Tinker Foundation has promoted economic and social development in Latin America by supporting “people, projects, and ideas.”

Tinker realizes its mission by providing funding to civil society organizations – among them nonprofit entities, research institutes, and universities – working to address the region’s most pressing challenges. The organizations we support use Tinker resources to test promising ideas, extend the impact of proven models, and bring together stakeholders to solve problems in new ways.

As one of a small number of private foundations focused on the entire region, we believe Tinker has a particular responsibility and opportunity to support the exchange of knowledge and approaches within and beyond Latin America. For that reason, we encourage comparative and collaborative work, and support grantees to learn from others’ experiences.

Institutional Grants

The Foundation’s Institutional Grants program seeks to support changes to policy and practice that improve the lives of Latin Americans. The Foundation’s funding encompasses three program areas in which research, innovation, scaling of proven models, and exchange of ideas have the potential to make significant, positive impact.

Sustainable Resource Management

The Tinker Foundation’s work on the environment is focused on efforts that support sustainable management of habitat and resources and incorporate social and economic dimensions affecting the well-being of local communities. Projects will address these challenges at multiple levels ranging from engaging with policy makers, to capacity building, and standards development and implementation. Funding is available for projects that address one of the following key themes:

Promoting Sustainable Management Practices

Projects should address the crucial links between effective resource management and communities that use them and seek to ensure that economic returns resulting from improved management policies benefit local populations. Potential strategies include assessing and establishing best practices; developing the human talent required to manage and conserve resources (i.e., technical training); and identifying mechanisms, practices and/or policies that avoid or mitigate overexploitation. Issues of interest include sustainable forestry, and non-timber forest products. Projects may also consider conservation and livelihood aspects of fisheries management and payment for environmental service programs.

Water

Water scarcity and quality issues have emerged as critical concerns worldwide. In Latin America, as elsewhere, the shortage of water and the resulting social, economic, and health costs disproportionately impact the poor. For that reason, the Foundation has a particular interest in projects that promote equitable access to a clean and secure water supply. Ideally, proposals should offer innovative ideas and policies that improve locally determined mechanisms for watershed management with an emphasis on governance; develop water policies and management methodologies based on local hydrological assessments; or identify, implement, and replicate workable models of freshwater management and protection.

Funding

Generally, we award grants for up to three years with annual payments that range between $50,000 and $150,000. Amounts and duration may vary by program area so be sure to review individual program strategy statements for the most current information. We also welcome requests for smaller grants to support more bounded projects or to complement other resources.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* The Tinker Foundation provides grants only to organizations that are charitable in nature, i.e., with a United States 501(c)(3) tax status or its equivalent if the organization is located outside the U.S. Organizations from Latin America do not need to have United States 501(c)(3) status.
* The project must be focused on the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America.

Ineligibility

* Our funds may not be used for:
* Individuals, including individual research
* Direct or grassroots lobbying (see our Overview of U.S. Lobbying and Political Campaigning Rules for Grantees)
* Annual or other fund-raising appeals
* School tuition or scholarships, or child sponsorships
* Support for building construction or major equipment purchases
* Production costs for film, television, and radio projects
* Art museum collections, films, and exhibits
* Endowments