Save the Rhino International (SRI) Grant

Save the Rhino International (SRI) Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Save the Rhino
Last Updated: December 11, 2025

Summary

Save the Rhino International (SRI) Grant aims to protect critically endangered rhinos through strategic funding and collaboration. With a focus on key populations like black, Sumatran, and Javan rhinos, SRI emphasizes law enforcement, biological management, and stopping illegal markets. They support field programs that meet specific eligibility criteria and prioritize sustainable financing mechanisms. SRI's efforts aim for the long-term recovery of these species, ensuring their survival and promoting international awareness and support for rhino conservation.

Overview

Note: In reality, unless you represent one of the programmes we support, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to add any new ones. Before you apply to us for funds, therefore, we strongly recommend that you email us with a short explanation (1 page maximum) so that she can indicate whether it is worth developing a full proposal. Save the Rhino International focuses on Key 1 and Key 2 populations of Critically Endangered rhinos (currently black, Sumatran and Javan), with the long-term aim of the species being down-listed to a lower category of threat in the IUCN Red List. Save the Rhino maintains close relations with its field partners to maximise its technical knowledge and ability to ensure that resources are delivered to the points of greatest need; actively raises funds to disburse to field programmes; facilitates international collaboration and the dissemination of best practice; and actively communicates with key audiences to promote understanding of and support for rhino conservation. Strategic Priorities We provide grants according to our seven strategic priorities. Below sets out in detail what these mean for eligibility criteria for future grantees. Strategy 1: Protection, law enforcement, investigations and intelligence Note that SRI is not looking to expand the range of field programmes supported (currently supported programmes are listed on our website) Objective: To protect rhinos through law-enforcement activities at site level, and support intelligence gathering and analysis to pre-empt and prosecute poaching and trafficking of rhino products Activities: Anti-poaching operations; Intelligence and investigations (in range states); Rhino operations (e.g. de-horning); and Translocations (to reduce poaching threats). Priority programmes and partners: Kenya: The APLRS (51 Degrees Ltd); Borana Conservancy; Lewa Wildlife Conservancy; Ol Jogi ConservancyZambia: North Luangwa Conservation Programme; Nsumbu-Tanganyika Conservation ProjectNamibia: the Ministry of Environment and TourismSouth Africa: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park; uMkhuze Game ReserveIndonesia: Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area; Rhino Protection Unit programme Ineligible: NB: Save the Rhino is not looking to expand the range of field programmes supportedField programmes involving privately owned rhinosResearch and development costs for new technology (hard- or software) to protect rhino populations unless the request comes from and is prioritised by one of the field programmes already supported Strategy 2: Biological management Objective: To implement effective biological and ecological management and monitoring of rhino populations and their habitats to achieve optimum population growth rates Activities: Conservation breeding (Sumatran rhino only); Habitat management; Range expansion; Rhino monitoring; Rhino operations (e.g. ear-notching, collaring); Rhino-sighting data management; Translocations (for genetic management); and Veterinary interventions Priority programmes and partners: Kenya: The APLRS (Emergency Fund for black rhinos, the Laikipia rhino range expansion project); Borana Conservancy; Lewa Wildlife Conservancy; Ol Jogi ConservancyZambia: North Luangwa Conservation ProgrammeZimbabwe: Lowveld Rhino TrustNamibia: the Ministry of Environment and Tourism; Save the Rhino TrustSouth Africa: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park; uMkhuze Game ReserveIndonesia: Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area; the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary Ineligible: NB: Save the Rhino is not looking to expand the range of field programmes supportedRhino programmes that have non-viable populations, i.e. fewer than 20 unrelated founders, except for the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, which is an essential part of the Conservation strategy for the recovery of the Sumatran rhinoceros in Indonesia 2015-2020Intensively-managed or captive rhino populations, except for the Sumatran Rhino SanctuaryThe hand-rearing of rhino calves, except for those injured, wounded or orphaned at field programmes already supported, and which are to be released back into the wild when weanedEx situ rhino conservation efforts, including extra-limital populations (i.e. managed as an exotic species) Strategy 3: Stopping illegal markets Objective: To reduce trade in illegal rhino products via better law enforcement in consumer countries and promoting behaviour change by consumers and the closure of markets encouraging poaching Activities: Behaviour-change campaigns; Consumer and market research; Intelligence and investigations (in consumer countries); and Strengthening legal and policy frameworks Priority programmes and partners: Vietnam: Education for Nature-Vietnam; TRAFFIC-VietnamChina: The Environmental Investigation Agency; TRAFFIC-China Ineligible: Demand reduction work that is not targeted at a key consumer group or important influencer, i.e. Save the Rhino will not fund campaigns aims at, for example, school children in Viet NamBehaviour-change campaigns that don’t follow a recognised social marketing methodology or conduct monitoring and evaluation into the impact of the campaignProjects that focus on campaigning against issues e.g. sustainable use, that conflict with Save the Rhino’s position on the issue(s) Strategy 4: Capacity building Objective: To ensure that rhino conservation professionals are appropriately skilled and trained Activities: Ranger training (site level); Ranger welfare; Research dissemination; and Workshops and training (multi-agency) Priority programmes and partners: Kenya: the APLRS (the For Rangers initiative); Borana Conservancy; Lewa Wildlife Conservancy; and Ol Jogi ConservancyZambia: North Luangwa Conservation ProgrammeNamibia: the Ministry of Environment and Tourism; Save the Rhino TrustSouth Africa: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park; uMkhuze Game ReserveAfrica: IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group (Pachyderm); the Rhino Resource Center Ineligible: Save the Rhino does not fund research projects, unless they are focused on the specific populations that Save the Rhino already supports, and regarded as a priority for funding by the relevant field programme managerField trips for students or volunteers Strategy 5: Coordination Objective: To improve coordination within and between rhino range state conservation agencies and professionals Activities: Continental coordination; and National strategy development and implementation Priority programmes and partners: Kenya: the APLRS (APLRS Administrator, the Laikipia rhino range expansion project)Africa: IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group (and its sub-projects: meetings, Pachyderm and Secretariat) Ineligible: Umbrella groups or initiatives that do not involve any of the field programmes that Save the Rhino currently supports Strategy 6: Societal relevanceObjective: To engage with multiple stakeholders in rhino range states in accordance with the equity triangle of recognition, procedure and distribution Activities: Community incentives (linked to rhino population performance); Environmental education (black rhino-focused); and Targeted community engagement Priority programmes and partners: Kenya: the APLRS (the Laikipia rhino range expansion project)Zambia: Lolesha Luangwa, the environmental education program run by the North Luangwa Conservation ProgrammeZimbabwe: Lowveld Rhino Trust Ineligible: NB: Save the Rhino is not looking to expand the range of field programmes supportedEnvironmental education programmes that do not focus on the rhino, or which do not have strong monitoring and evaluation in placeCommunity development work that is not explicitly linked to rhino population performance at the associated siteOther organizations’ costs of awareness raising about rhino conservation issues Strategy 7: Sustainable, adequate financing Objective: To explore and develop sustainable financing mechanisms and structures to fund priority rhino conservation efforts Activities: Technical support (e.g. support for Rhino Impact Investment Project); and Applying to multi-year funders Priority programmes and partners: All those supported by Save the Rhino on a long-term basis Ineligible: Other organisations’ fundraising campaigns The Charity Commission for England and Wales’ Statement of Recommended Practice requires that any expenditure on Save the Rhino’s communications be shown as a fundraising cost, rather than a grant.

Eligibility

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

Ineligibility

Ineligible for Strategy 1:Rhino programmes that have non-viable populations, i.e. fewer than 20 unrelated founders, except for the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, which is an essential part of the Conservation strategy for the recovery of the Sumatran rhinoceros in Indonesia 2015-2020Intensively-managed or captive rhino populations, except for the Sumatran Rhino SanctuaryThe hand-rearing of rhino calves, except for those injured, wounded or orphaned at field programmes already supported by SRI, and which are to be released back into the wild when weanedSRI does not fund research projects unless they are: focused on the specific populations that SRI already supports; and regarded as a priority for funding by the relevant field programme managerEx situ rhino conservation efforts, including extralimital populations (i.e. managed as an exotic species)Field programmes involving privately owned rhinosResearch and development costs for new technology (hard/software) to monitor or protect rhino populations unless the request comes from and is prioritised by one of the field programmes we already supportIneligible for Strategy 2Umbrella groups or initiatives that do not involve any of the field programmes that we currently supportIneligible for Strategy 3Environmental education programmes that do not focus on the rhino, or which do not have strong monitoring and evaluation in placeCommunity development work that is not explicitly linked to priority rhino conservation initiativesPlease note that SRI is not looking to expand the range of community conservation programmes supported (currently supported programmes are listed on our website).Ineligible for Strategy 4Demand reduction work that is not targeted at a key consumer group or important influencer e.g. school children in Viet Nam or the general publicBehaviour-change campaigns that don’t follow a recognised social marketing methodology or conduct monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the campaignProjects that focus on campaigning against issues e.g. sustainable use that conflict with SRI’s position on the issue(s)Ineligible for Strategy 5Other organizations’ costs of awareness raising about rhino issuesField trips for students or volunteersOther organizations’ fundraising campaigns